A woman from Garden Compound in Lusaka has died after being hit by a motorbike that was part of the presidential motorcade sweeper. The incident happened near Selena Trust School in Chalala area.
According to the police, the rider of the motorbike has been identified as Constable Mungala, aged 33, of State House Police camp, who survived the accident with injuries.
In a statement released by the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Danny Mwale, the woman has been identified as Mirriam Nachilima, aged 42, of Garden Compound in Lusaka. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses say that Constable Mungala was riding the motorbike at high speed when he hit Nachilima, who was crossing the road. The impact of the accident caused Nachilima to sustain serious injuries, and she was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) for medical attention. However, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The police have launched an investigation into the accident and have taken Constable Mungala into custody to assist with the investigation. The presidential motorcade was travelling to State House from the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport when the incident occurred.
The incident has once again brought into focus the issue of road safety in Zambia, particularly in relation to the presidential motorcade. The presidential motorcade is known to travel at high speeds, often disregarding traffic rules, which has led to several accidents in the past.
In 2015, a pedestrian was hit and killed by a vehicle in the presidential motorcade, while in 2017, a bus carrying schoolchildren was involved in an accident with a presidential escort vehicle, resulting in the death of one child and several injuries.
The government has been urged to take steps to improve road safety, particularly in relation to the presidential motorcade. Some have called for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, while others have called for the use of police outriders instead of motorbikes to clear the way for the presidential motorcade.
The death of Mirriam Nachilima is a tragic reminder of the need for better road safety in Zambia.
Absolutely criminal..why should a motorcycle move at high speeds like that in a residential area.Thats what happens when you try to copy the american secret service tactics in Zambia.. Those americans have highways and proper roads, now you want to treat a compound road like its a German autobahn. Didn’t you see they first had to upgrade roads before Kamala Harris could travel on them? This nonsense must stop.President HH please direct your security detail otherwise more innocent lives will be unnecessarily lost
Sincerest condolences to the breaved relatives. A sad occurance and terrible mistake to have happened. MHSRIP.
Its got nothing to do with motorcycles. Its all got everything to do with the presidency. The president can stop these unneccessary motorcades that dont put food on our tables. One time the shortman FTJ stopped them but it was to be brief before he succumbed to his party cadres who missed the spectacle and splendour of their president being escorted by wailing sirens and long motorcades.
I lived in London for four years and I never saw policemen sweeping the streets for government motorcades. Even when I lived in Pretoria I never saw roads closed for the president to cruise his car on. Cant the president quietly do his job without disturbing all of us?
We didnt vote for him to interfere with our lives or even worse to kill us.
Too many trips and now this happened. Condolences to the bereaved family.
Which state house,
Last year the presidential escort team had an accident not too far from HH’s house.
Its a habit?
The Executive’s convoy parade has a right of way on the road, like a train on 4he rail, but the security detail does not have right to take away Miriam’s life.
Solution:
Please, Mr. President don’t go home late, when visibility is low; don’t congest Tokyo Way; clean the “dirty” State House so you don’t always have to rush home, to New Kasama, from office.
Mulongoti its not “clean the “dirty” State House” Its “CLEANSE the “dirty” State House”
HH is to blame for arrogantly refusing to move into State House because of his superstitous belief that ECL and PF left witchcraft there to kill him. Despite being an SDA Church Elder, he believes more in what his traditional medicine men tell him than his God. We seem to be having more deaths at the hands of the SDA Church and its Church Elders. Remember the deaths of SDA youths on Kariba Dam, in an unfinished structure in Kasama and recently on Lake Bangweulu. One is tempted to believe in what Bishop Eddie Chomba once said on the campaign trail that if the SDA Church Elder was going to be allowed to be President, he was going to eat your children (AKAMULIILA ABANA).
The Technical Bench headed by Chief Mukuni will not allow that.
What is the normal route from KKIA to State House? As a people, we must ask questions of our leaders. As long as HH continues to live and partially work from his private residence we are condoning poor governance and possibly corrupt behaviour. You can’t conduct state business from your private residence!! There are public records of people who visit State House but no one has access to visitors to a private residence. Who else conducts state business from their private residence or premises?
Tulo maZambians tulo. The lawyers and politicians and journalists are all sleeping. Be proactive! Research. Dont come to work to sit and wait for lunch.
Ba Pulezidenti mupaya bantu lomba
not surprised every government vehicle seems to have a blue light and ignore all the rules of the road
PS, ARMY, Ambulence taking mothers for anti Natel, ZRA, and others
This has to stop soon
Go well mama. Where you are is where we are all heading. Shalom.
All because that deekhead refuses to move to state house because he is scared of his own shadow. He is causing disruption on roads by commuting daily into statehouse
As a journalism student I have to give LT a Fail: The headline should have been: Presidential motorcade kills Lusaka woman
not Lusaka woman dies after being hit by Presidential motorcade sweeper
You add presidential motorcade to try and protect these careless officers. This officer responsible should face the law.