Maravi

Magande blames Rupiah for Mwiya Sihope’s death

Magande blames Rupiah for Mwiya Sihope’s death
By Patson Chilemba
Thu 21 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

RUPIAH Banda should take the blame over the death of Barotse treason detainee Mwiya Sihope, says Ng’andu Magande.

Commenting on the death of 70-year-old Sihope from Mongu, whose right leg was amputated shortly after his release from Lusaka Central Prison on Barotseland Agreement-related treason charges, Magande said President Banda’s government should tender an apology to Sihope’s family and the other Zambians who were victims of police shootings, brutality and torture.

“The head of state takes blame for things which are abnormal, and police shooting people who are defenseless…he has to own up, yah, because he is commander-in-chief and he looks after the police. He is head of the police,” Magande said.

“Immediately now they should tender an apology, and a public apology which we all know, not to say this one apologised, this one didn’t. I think they should. Although I know you can’t bring back life, but I think it will show at least that they are remorseful over the cause of the death.”

Magande said it was historic in Zambia that defenceless people were being killed by police, such as the recent shooting incidents in Western and Southern provinces.

He said this symbolised the failure to manage the state on the part of the government.

Magande said people who were only watching football were recently shot at by the police.

“So we just hope that the law enforcement agencies can continue to be professional, when they are given wrong instructions they don’t obey them. There is a law which says ‘you will obey lawful instructions’, and that means if they are lawful then they have to be within the law,” Magande said. “But somebody later on says ‘no, there is no government policy on whether to use live bullets or not’.”

Magande said President Banda was the manager of the country and everyone else was working under his instructions, saying when a citizen was shot at by the police it was onerous for him to come out and condemn the action.

“But for him to wait for reporters to ask him at the airport and then he says ‘I don’t know’, that means there is breakdown in communication because he should know when Zambians are being killed anywhere. He is the commander-in-chief,” said Magande. “Whenever a Zambian dies for some kind of an intended death, he himself must know what happened.”

Mwiya Sihope’s 54-year-old wife, Inonge, said in an interview at the house of mourning in Mongu’s Mbuywana plots that her husbnand died at around 22:00 hours on Monday in Lewanika General Hospital.

He will be buried today at 14:00 hours.

Labels: BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT, NG'ANDU MAGANDE, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 7:24 AM