Farmers set Cargill's cotton ablaze

Farmers set Cargill's cotton ablaze
By Mukosha Funga
Mon 02 July 2012, 13:23 CAT

ABOUT 200 farmers have set ablaze cotton valued at K17.6 million belonging to Cargill in Petauke. And in Kabwe, Willy Zimba was stubbed to death by his ex-girlfriend after a quarrel.

Police assistant spokesperson Ester Katongo said the cotton belonged to Cargill Cotton Zambia. She said company officials managed to buy 135 bales of cotton weighing 11,300 Kilograms and valued at K 17,604,800 from farmers in Sopa Village.

Katongo said on its way back on Saturday, the truck that was laden with cotton was intercepted by angry farmers and when Cargill area manager, Richard Tembo heard what had happened, he went to the area where he found about 200 angry farmers gathered.

"When the farmers discovered that Mr. Tembo was not there to negotiate the cotton prices, they set ablaze the cotton and Mr. Tembo sought refuge in the police post as the irate farmers begun stoning the police post leaving four window panes and for asbestos broken," said Katongo.

Katongo said one person had been arrested in connection with the arson and investigations had been intensified so as to bring all those that participated in the arson to book.

"The modern way of resolving issues is through dialogue and not violence which does not pay," said Katongo.

And Katongo said Zimba of Kawama Compound was stabbed in the stomach by his ex-girlfriend Bupe Mupeta around 18:00 hours on Saturday.

"It is alleged that the deceased confronted the suspect who is alleged to have been his ex-girlfriend querying her over her purported sexual relationships with other men. This was during a drinking spree at a house where both were drinking local brewed beer," she said.

"A fight erupted between the two and the suspect grabbed a knife from someone who was cutting vegetables and stabbed the victim in the stomach."

Mupeta has since been arrested and charged with murder.