The Zambia Police Service says Congolese Rhumba King Koffi Olomide is free to perform in Zambia as his assault case has been closed.
Police Service Spokesperson Charity Munganga Chanda confirmed that police will not be pursuing the matter any longer after they decided to close the docket against the Rhumba giant.
Mrs Chanda said the case against Olomide was dropped after investigations revealed that the complaint was not collaborating with what the investigators found out.
Olomide was facing an arrest after Lusaka freelance Photojournalist Jean Mandela decided to resurrect a 2013 assault case against Olomide for allegedly assaulting him during a New Year’s Eve concert at Pamodzi Hotel.
Olomide is expected back in Lusaka for a series of shows this month end since his 2013 scandal in which he was forced to flee via Kasumbalesa to evade the police they were pursuing him over the assault matter.
But Mandela has maintained that justice should be allowed to prevail in the matter by arresting Olomide the moment he arrives in Lusaka.
He said the police should protect citizens against such abuse by conclusively pursuing the matter and bringing Olomide to book.
“Even if they say the case is closed, I will bring it back. He assaulted me and he has to face the law. In 2013, the police said they had enough evidence against Koffi, today they are saying my statement is not collaborating with their investigation, what is that?”
A visibly annoyed Mandela said he will not stop seeking justice in the matter.
“If you read the Post Newspapers and what the Police said after the incident, you cannot expect them to turn around today and protect Koffi. He has to pay for this. I will not stop and until Koffi is prosecuted for assaulting me,” Mandela vowed.
Meanwhile the editors forum has released the media statement below
July 22, 2014
Media release from the Southern African Editors Forum
The Southern African Editors Forum (SAEF) Zambian Chapter wishes to call on the Zambia Police to arrest Congolese Rumba Musician Koffi Olomide when he comes to Zambia for assaulting a Zambian photo-Journalist, Jean Mandela.
We have noted with great interest Koffi’s planned visit to Zambia and the police’s reluctance to have him arrested.
We are aware that the police spokesperson Ms Charity Munganga-Chanda has issued a statement that Koffi will not be arrested when he comes because of the absence of collaboration between the evidence and the police.
Whatever that means, we are not aware that the police have a responsibility to collaborate evidence because this is a responsibility of the court.
The police should not play hide-and-seek merely because Koffi is a popular figure because the Zambian law is not selective on who follows it. We therefore, wish to announce the outright rejection of the said statement by the police.
We will not allow our members to be harassed by anyone. The police have no right to apply selective justice but the law must be respected by all citizens.
We are sufficiently aware that an assault case merely requires the complainant to produce a medical report from a duly certified medical doctor which condition was satisfied by Mr Mandela when he reported the case.
So do not expect any more excuses from the police because their role is to ensure that citizens are protected from physical harassment.
If the police maintain their stance, then their safety will always by under threat from the powerful persons in society who will continue to harass media practitioners and other citizens knowing that police would protect them.
Kenny Makungu
Chairperson
SAEF Zambian Chapter
Hope the man can cancel and go to spread his evil else where!
Oh God, why drop the cases. This criminal is wanted for child molestation cases in Belgium and France. He needs to be arrested and interrogated. He is known to abuse his so called dancing queens and the docket is still pending in Brussels’s Matonge District.
Hello all, I am back .
What a miserable place Zambia is, and too hot, almost had an adverse effect on my skin to be honest.
Nice people though, but the majority are suffering and difficult to talk to and really just very dirty, I am afraid.
Thanks
Ganda, you are the type of Zambians we do not need. Even in the Bible God told us to seek Justice and forgiveness. If mister mandela sort after justice and he has been denied, then the nation has failed him. Change your thinking.
May the powers that be please release from prison and drop charges against Gen. Kanene with immediate effect!
I also would like to know more about who really Jean Mandela. It seems he may be Congolaise and has a bone to chew with Koffi or one of the dancing queens …
Who really is Jean Mandela? I say this without malice or looking at the merits of the case …
@1.2 MUSHOTA: so zambian are dirty just because you stay in kamanga–called abroad, you are silly
Jean is a Rwandese, who came to Zambia during the genocide and was warmly welcomed to be part of us. He is very visible during public events and has previously won best photo journalist award.
That`s Zambia for you.Prison is for poor people.
Money has changed hands again. These police bitches are as bad as their male counterparts.
Zambia at the moment is classified a dangerous country where journalists do not practice their profession freely. Mr Sata has used police to cracked on any dissenting voice to his government, banned all political activities except PF cadres, harassed and assaulted any real opposition holding public gatherings and threats of withholding developments to regions that do not support him.
At the end of the day Zambia police is impotent to do any thing to protect jounalists and any who holds a different view from Sata’s, hence Kofi-Olomide’s case of assault can not stand, after all majority of Zambians value to see and hear Olomide sing under PF govt than their own birth rights of stand and sing of Zambia proud and free.
Zabwino Palibe ba mi chekela zingati? I don’t understand this collaboration of evidence. I only know it as police language which might mean a lot of things including he has not given them anything. Iwe buju gwila mbava!
You are right!! I heard the Police spokesperson sound clip on Hot FM, she actually said collaborate, & thereafter the presenters’ Chi & Hope started arguing trying to derive the meaning of what was said (like you). My interpretation though is that she meant to use the word corroborate not collaborate. Corroborate means to make certain; confirm; be consistent, agree with, etc. Lawyers use it a lot in court, when facts in a court case are confirmed or corroborated by an independent expert called as a witness or by lab tests etc. So, Charity Munganga Chanda, next time say CORROBORATE not COLLABORATE. Meanwhile, for you Mandela (free lance photo-journalist), get a life and make genuine money rather than taking pictures of dancing queens underpants (after the show) 4…
Well spoken Mr Kenny Makungu
Chairperson anda @ ganda kindly bann this guy here in zambia. he s useless to us zambians.. only zaiko..
This is Zed Koffi will learn soon. He will be shocked with the turn of events once he is in the country. The only people who can close a case is the Supreme Court and any other level people are free to call for a redress by a higher body. In this case the Mandela is free to obtain a court order.
Iyo pansaka chachine tapabula Chipuba. Ba Mushota she’ s one of the intelligent chipuba. She comes here blogging and bragging that the PF has brought unprecedented development under the leadership of Ghost President Sata. Today she says majority People, Zambians she means are just suffering and dirty. Hello, and what is that suppose to mean? Simply that the 90 days monkeying slogan borrowing Scott’s vocabulary has never worked and will not work. More money in people’s pockets hoax they used is more of ghosting. So wake up Chipuba Mushota and smell the coffee obviously those must have been your relatives who where dirty and living in poverty.
Why is the ZP commenting on individual’s case….comment in the third person. Where do these people learn Public Relations?
The Legend Koffi Olomide. If the Post could learn to share the proceeds from the near-naked pictures of performers’ dancers published in the Post, Koffi would not have kicked this photographer’s ass! Justice has been done by the ZP. Now lets have red arrows please.
I want to see those pictures …Hahahahaha
AT LEAST ZAMBIANS CAN LISTEN TO REAL MUSIC AND NOT SH!T NOISE FROM SO CALLED ZAMBIAN MUSICIANS. OF COURSE HATS OFF TO UNCLE REX, MUTINTA MWANZA, MUMBA YACHI, SHAKARONGA, and the gospel PAPA BRUNO, KINGS, THE PEACE PREACHER to mention but a few. AFTER WATCHING INCY’s MAKING MUSIC, I WAS CONVINCED ZAMBIA WILL SOON PICK UP MUSIC PIECES AND HEAD SOMEWHERE BIG. THIS DIRECTOR VETICE MUSHAUKO IS ONE TALENTED INDIVIDUAL HE’S ALMOST BRINGING ZAMBIA CLOSER TO THE MUSIC WORLD. I WAS HIGHLY IMPRESSED BY HIS ACUMEN. KEEP IT UP VETICE AND THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT. THANKS TO YOUR TEAM AT THE STUDIO FOR COMBINING TOGETHER TO DO SOMETHING FOR ZAMBIA’S MUSIC AND FILMING.
Contradicting yourself!
@ Peter- stop writing in capital letters you moron. Its called shouting and is crowded to read. Never think when things are in capital letters is when people will be attracted you cheap scumbag. Grow up son.
Are there any computers/laptops anywhere whose keyboards are only in capital letters?
Mushota naiwe uletusebanya,be proud of your motherland.
@ Mushota – what did you expect to find in a village in Luwingu my ‘sister’? They are still using koloboi, go in the bush to do a poo, draw water from the river, eat impembya, etc.!
MUCI BEMBA ATI, “UMULANDU TAUBOLA”. IF KOFFI COMMITTED AN ASSUALT ON SOMEONE, HE SHOULD BE ARRESTED AND TRIED AND THEN PLAY RHUMBA AFTER THE CASE IF POSSIBLE. JUST GO AND ASSAULT A PERSON OR IMPREGNANT A WOMAN IN CONGO AND SEE IF YOU CAN COME BACK ESPECIALLY THAT YOU ARE A FOREIGNER, A ZAMBIAN FOR THAT MATTER. REMEMBR WHAT USED TO HAPPEN PA MOKAMBO? ZAMBIANS USED TO PAY FOR FUNNY OFFENSES LIKE HAVING GREY HAIR, BEING BOLD HEAD, BEING DISABLED IN ANYWAY OR YOU WERE GOING TO BE DETAINED. BUT TWO WRONGS DON’T MAKE A RIGHT, JUST ENCOURAGE KOFFI TO SETTLE THE MATTER OUT OF COURT WITH MANDELA.
when a blind man says l will hit you,who knows he might be stepping on a stone.for Koffi to courageously advertise his coming back to zambia for a series of shows,he has fixed everything.dont you think this ka jean kikalabombwe has been paid and he is complaining just to blind fold us.all is set.
Uncle jay I conqure with you.Let this chap not decieve zambians.
Enough of Kofi please….we shall cage him. Law of the Jungle will apply…!!!
Zamtel i thought you said local is good and you have been running adverts telling to invest in ZAMBIAN products,why are you supporting the coming of Koffi to Zambia.Deeds not words.