Maravi

Habasonda demands govt explanation over student’s death in Russia

Habasonda demands govt explanation over student’s death in Russia
By Florence Bupe and Chibaula Silwamba
Sat 10 Apr. 2010, 04:01 CAT

SOUTHERN African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director Lee Habasonda has demanded that the government give a comprehensive explanation into the death of Lance Mate, a Zambian student in Russia. But Russian Ambassador to Zambia Boris Malakhov said the death of Mate was an isolated case.

Commenting on the matter, Habasonda said the government could not afford to continue downplaying the suffering and loss of lives of Zambian students abroad at the hands of racists.

“Our government should ensure that they get to the bottom of what happened regarding our student in Russia. Being lukewarm about the issue in the name of diplomatic etiquette will not help anyone,” he said.

Habasonda said it was not worth it for the Zambian government to continue being passive when innocent lives were being lost just because the country gets some form of donor aid from Russia.

“It’s apparent that the matter is not being picked up rigorously by government. People deserve to be told what happened, we are getting concerned with our people’s welfare in that country,” he said.

Habasonda challenged the Zambian Embassy in Russia to take the matter seriously.

“I wonder whether we even have an Embassy in Russia. That office should be taking this matter more seriously than they are. What happened is unacceptable and should not be allowed to recur,” said Habasonda.

Mate, 21, went missing in the Russian city of Kazan on November 6, 2009 and his body was only discovered on April 4, 2010 in the local Kazanka River.

He was last seen alive with friends around 04:00 a.m leaving a nightclub on Balmon Street.

Surveillance cameras had earlier captured Mate being beaten by a native Russian but local Police claim the assailant left the Zambian student, who ‘went in an unknown direction’ and disappeared.

Foreign affairs acting permanent secretary Alfred Chunda, who once served in the Russian diplomatic service, admitted that racism was strife in that country and advised Zambian students going to study there to exercise care.

“I personally demand that I talk to Zambian students intending to study in Russia on the dangers they are likely to face. It is true that there are high levels of racism, and during my stay there I actually brought back bodies of two Zambian students who were killed,” said Chunda.

And in an interview following the retrieval of Mate’s body, Ambassador Malakhov said the first examination of Mate’s body showed no signs of physical violence but a criminal case had been opened with suspicion that it was murder.

“We regret very much and we express our deepest sympathy to the parents, relatives and friends. We believe that this case will not be repeated. As you know, nowadays all foreign students are very safe in Russia and such cases are very rare. If there is anyone guilty about this case, if there are killers our justice will find them and punish them according to the law,” Ambassador Malakhov said.

When asked further about the growing fear among Zambians that Russia was unsafe for African students, Zambians in particular, Ambassador Malakhov argued that Russia was safe for foreigners.

“I don’t think that you are right. There is no fear among those who want to go to Russia. To tell you, we provide, starting this year 103 scholarships to Zambian students to go to Russia and there are more than 1,500 applicants and the candidates for bursaries are selected by the bursaries committee of the Ministry of Education of Zambia. There is a great number of those who want to go to Russia. There is no sense of fear,” Ambassador Malakhov said.

He said the fact that some Zambian students were on self-sponsorship studies in Russia meant that they wanted that country’s education.

“There are no fears and quite justifiably because there must not be any fear because such accidents happen to Russian citizens because crime still exists in Russia as in every other country there are criminals which have to be either prevented from killing or severely punished for the death of innocent people,” said Ambassador Malakhov.

Labels: LEE HABASONDE, RACISM, RUSSIA, STUDENTS

posted by MrK @ 2:27 PM