Our IG is a disappointment

by Mazuba Mwiinga

I am really disappointed to the root of my heart at the blatant lies said by the Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde (The Post January 20, 2010) that threatening violence is not an offence.

Kabonde has clearly failed the nation by trying to protect someone who has breached the law. He has thrown away his Police ethics of protecting the Constitution by supporting a person who has publicly committed a crime.

Kabonde should know much better than many of us about crime and criminality. He should be very much acquainted with the law he is seeing to it that it’s enforced. But in his effort to try to run away from his duty as a law enforcement officer, he stands head up trying to hood wink us into believing in lies.

Those who read law tell us what constitutes a crime. There is an element known as Actus Reus. A Latin word which means the physical element of committing a crime. This element can either be by action, or by a threat of action or an omission to act. And in this vain, Chris Chalwe’s actus reus is that of a threat of action. And there is an element they call Mens Rea, which is an intention to do a wrongful act. And Chris Chalwe publicly told us that he intended to gang-rape Ms. Nawaki. This is what the books of criminal law say.

But more specific, our own criminal statute, Chapter 87 of Laws of Zambia; that’s The Penal Code Act, Section 90(a) (Threatening violence) reads: “Any person who threatens another with any injury to his person or property with intent to cause alarm to that person, or to cause that person to do any act which he is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do any act which that person is legally entitled to do, as a means of avoiding the execution of such threat is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for five years”.

This is what our criminal law says. And for the Police Chief himself to refute that threatening violence is not an offence, leaves us wonder what kind of people we have in offices of our law enforcement system. Actually according to the second part of the above quote "......or to omit to do any act which that person is legally entitled to do, as a means of avoiding the execution of such threat is guilty of a misdemeanour......" clearly tells us that, Kabonde and his Police team who are legally entitled to take action against Chalwe, are already held liable to this matter by ommitting to take this action against Chalwe in order for them to prevent Chalwe's execution of such a threat on Ms. Nawaki.

This matter will go down in history of our country where a Police Chief stood refuting a criminal liability of someone for whatever reason, when our criminal statute clearly states in black and white for any one to see that threatening violence is not just an offence but a punishable crime too. What Kabonde has shown to us is so scaring because we are seeing selective justice in play; and such system is a dangerous machination to the future of our nation’s justice system.

Copyright: January 20, 2010 mazuba mwiinga

MMD's barbaric threats

by Mazuba Mwiinga

How disgusting, immoral, barbaric and out lawful, for the MMD leadership to sanction a broad day light gang-raping of Edith Nawaki? Is this how far this ailing government of retarded leaders can desperately go, in their effortless energies to gunner for support?

Have they forgotten their Pre-school playgroup Moral Education lessons; if at all they even went through class that: ‘’he who kills with a sword will die by a sword’’; in one way or the other?Hearing Chris Chalwe, MMD Lusaka youth chairman (The Post January 19, 2010) saying on Muvi Tv that him and the other MMD youths will gang rape Ms Nawaki, is such a horrible characteristic of what has come of the MMD leadership.

What kind of a man, born of a woman, stand in broad day light with all his senses and pride himself in raping a woman; and the Police are mute over the matter? Is it drama or some show to laugh about? This is not just a gruesome threat on an innocent Zambian’s life exercising her right of opinion, but also a crime in the making on part of Chalwe; and the law needs to ask him why such an out lawful behaviour.

This is the same Chalwe today facing litigation in court for allegedly assaulting reporters some months past; and seems to be enjoying himself with his barbaric behaviour but the MMD top brass like an Ostrich, are sinking their heads in the sand as if nothing is on course.

What a dirty leadership to sing praise for and allow to lead our morally stable nation!Just a few days ago Nawaki was their heroine singing praises to their chorus but because today she doesn’t want to be stained with the current sordid image of MMD and its distasteful leadership; then they unleash menacing thugs on her? What an un shameful MMD that has reincarnated itself into a club of terminators instead of transformers of life.

Nawaki is not just a politician, but a mother and sister as well; a human being who deserves human respect and dignity. How will Chalwe in his right thinking mind if at all he thinks rightly; feel if some man declares such an immoral act on his sister or daughter or mother? What a shame! So this is the fabric of what the MMD leadership is made of; a coil of violence and criminality? What a squalid blend!

Chalwe and his uncivilised thugs should know that today those in authority may protect them from prosecution and enjoy all the ‘immunities’ they think they have, but posterity will judge them; and judge them fairly; because the sins they are sowing today, will surely give them a very corresponding harvest tomorrow. It has happened before; and no way will Chalwe be an exception when the day of reckoning comes.

Copyright: January 19, 2010 mazuba mwiinga

MMD's Last kicks

by Mazuba Mwiinga

Have we forgotten the proverbial phrase, “the last kicks of a dying horse”? Just like an old dog that has lost all its teeth breathes out its frustration, inefficiency and anger through uncalled for barking, so is what Rupiah Banda and his friend Mulongoti are doing.

Their stolen MMD is giving them headache all nights long. They know very well to their last tissue of their skin that they are powerless, toothless and cant bite and that’s why today they are turning to innocent, jobless, poverty stricken and vulnerable youths for help and want to turn them into ‘militia men’. What a shame!

Just as Global Justice boss, John Phiri says (The Post January 11, 2010) that Youths must realize that their role in politics is critical because they determine the course of a nation, its therefore incumbent upon youths to for once sit down and ask them selves what it is that they gain in violence apart from more misery and jumping to the other side of the law.

Youths should know that, without them, people like Mulongoti are nothing. Therefore they have the power and energy to bite; and to bite deeply and fiercely; so they should use this power objectively, sensibly and rationally and say no to violence!

Mulongoti and his cohorts who are today championing violence as a formula to intimidate their adversaries, are on the trail end of their political lives and should not be heeded or followed with their destructive and detrimental ideas. Youths in this day and age should fight for their rightful role in society and desist from being used like toilet paper by those selfish fat bellies who think that they own Zambia like a private personal-to-holder asset.

Zambia belongs to us all, and youths have the majority share holding, so they should realize this power and exercise it promptly and judiciously. Their vote is more powerful than money and liquor; and unless and until they champion that cause, the likes of Mulongoti will ever be barking from the terraces as he sends them to do the dirty job of violence which will take Mulongoti back to power and leave them in stinky Police hell of cells.

In 2010 and beyond, Zambia needs decent, collected and issue based politics. We have enough history of political violence that mostly centres on youths; and those so called adults, who are the drafters of this violence, should ask themselves the kind of Zambia they would love to leave their children in, when their time of calling comes. They should always know that, the decisions and actions they make today, determines the lives of their children tomorrow, and the history their children will read in future.

How will they want to be remembered in those history text books; as political hooligans or stone throwers or violence skimmers?

This is not colonial Zambia. We are mature enough to do better than this. Most of us youth inclusive have gone to school and are able to distinguish between a thug and a saint. Let’s do the right thing Zambia.

Copyright: January 11, 2010 Mazuba Mwiinga