Wasakaza was selfless - Banda

Wasakaza was selfless - Banda
By Thomas Nsama and Patson Chilemba
Wednesday July 04, 2007 [17:56]

VICE-PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda today wept at late Lusaka Province police commanding officer Wasakaza Ng’uni’s house. And Inspector General of police Ephraim Mateyo has said the police service and the nation have lost a gallant police officer in Ng’uni. Vice-President Banda who visited Ng’uni’s house was overtaken by emotions and broke down as mourners wailed. Vice-President Banda described the death of Ng’uni as a great loss to the nation.

“It’s very sad to lose a selfless police officer and it’s also sad that he has faced an early death. It’s very sad that the President (Levy Mwanawasa) will arrive only to receive such sad news. Wasakaza Ng’uni was a role model to young policemen. He was also a great husband and a great father,” Vice-President Banda said.

“As I’m seated here with the Inspector General to my right, we have to establish exactly what really happened because wasakaza Ng’uni was a very important person to Zambia and there is no way we can lose him without investigation.”

Vice-President Banda was accompanied to Ng’uni’s house by mines minister Kalombo Mwansa, deputy home affairs minister Grace Njapau with her Permanent Secretary Peter Mumba, Works and Supply Permanent Secretary Bizwayo Nkunika and commissioner of police Francis Kabonde.

And Mateyo said he was saddened at the death of Ng'uni whom he said was also his personal friend.

"The death of Ng'uni has taken me 20 miles backwards. Yes, not only the police service but the nation, we've lost a very brave police officer. You can replace somebody but will that person be able to deliver a lot as the other person did?" he wondered.

Mateyo said the vehicle Ng’uni was driving rolled three times.

“According to the information we have so far, we shall say that it was an accident but we can’t rule out foul play since we are still investigating the cause of the accident,” he said

Mateyo said he was always encouraged by Ng'uni’s commitment and dedication to the service.

"I've lost a friend who was by my side 24 hours. We've lost a gallant police officer," Mateyo said. "I'm very saddened at the untimely death of Ng'uni."

Ng'uni died on last night (Tuesday night) in a road traffic accident along the Great North Road in Lusaka's Kabangwe area.

One of the residents of Kabangwe, Davison Siame said he heard a loud bang and when he went out to see what had happened, he discovered Ng'uni had been involved in an accident.

"We were in our houses around 21:00 hours and heard a very loud bang. When we went out we found this man in the drainage so that's how we ferried him and took him to the hospital," said Siame.

“He was thrown out of his vehicle into the drainage. When we went to pick him up, he wasn’t speaking and he wasn’t that badly injured. We didn’t even know whether he was dead or alive but we just picked him and put him in the vehicle. He hardly uttered any word.”

Siame said Ng’uni’s vehicle had its windows shuttered. No one could give an account of what caused the accident but police assistant spokesperson Chrispin Kapela said police would carry out forensic investigations to ascertain the cause of the accident.

A check at the Lusaka Central Police yesterday found the wreckage of the chaser vehicle Ng'uni was driving on the fateful night. Police sources disclosed that Ng'uni was driving from Kabangwe area where they said he owned a farm and a plot.

Mourners are gathered at house number 12 B, Twin Palm Road, in Lusaka's Kabulonga area.