Maravi

Bandits attack Emily Sikazwe

Bandits attack Emily Sikazwe
By Mwila Chansa
Wednesday February 27, 2008 [03:00]

ARMED thieves attacked Women for Change executive director Emily Sikazwe in the early hours of yesterday at her Roma residence in Lusaka and got away with US$4,000, a handbag, about K500,000, and a Nokia N93 cell phone. Narrating the incident at her home yesterday, Sikazwe said the thieves, who went to her home around 01:45 hours, threatened to shoot her if she did not give them the money they were demanding.

The thieves also attacked and beat up the husband of Sikazwe’s niece, who lives in the servant’s quarters within her yard.

“The people who attacked me must know my lifestyle very well. My son was supposed to leave for Cuba today (yesterday) so they knew I had money, and they knew I had no adult male in the house,” Sikazwe said.

She said the thieves tied up the guard and chiseled part of the wall perimeter to gain access to the yard. Sikazwe said two of the bandits stood by her bedroom window demanding more money while the others were busy banging and breaking things at the servants’ quarters.

“They had flashlights and knew where I was sleeping and threatened to shoot me if I didn’t give them money, as they were banging doors. I heard them quarrelling, asking how much money I had given them. I took advantage of that to run to the bathroom where there is a panic button. I pressed it but Safetech didn’t come,” she said. “I ran to another room where a sick cousin of mine was sleeping and I asked her to call somebody who could call the police. The thieves spent a lot of time breaking things and banging doors. They took the TV, plates and almost everything at the quarter and they even beat up my niece’s husband.”

Sikazwe said police came 45 minutes after being called while Safetech came later. She said she had no reason to suspect the guard who had worked for her for about ten years.
Sikazwe thanked God that she was still alive, saying material things could be replaced.
Her 16-year-old son, has however, aborted his trip to Cuba because the incident traumatized him.

And the guard, Godfrey Sakala, narrated that he had dozed off around 01:00 hours on the table in the garage when the thieves ‘invaded’ the yard and tied him up. He said the thieves threatened to shoot him if he shouted and that he could not see the panic button as it was dark because they had removed the bulb.

Labels: EMILY SIKAZWE, WFC

posted by MrK @ 6:01 AM