Two newly recruited soldiers beaten by taxi drivers in Mufulira; go to Barack return with colleagues and beat up whoever they meet, says PS Kawana
Statement For Immediate Release
Claims that over 500 soldiers in Mufulira town have sealed off the CBD and are currently beating up people are false and ought to be dismissed.
However, what is factual is that two recruits that where in CBD got into a brawl with taxi drivers who assaulted the recruits in the process.
The recruits then went back to the barracks and enlisted their fellow recruits complaining that civilians had assaulted them. Then a group of about 22 recruits entered CBD through Chibolya compound and were beating up everybody and anybody along the way be it pedestrians or motorists.
The damaged two vehicles and injured people who are reporting suspected broken limbs and hands among them, the Hon Mabeta who is currently admitted to hospital and undergoing x-ray. His vehicle is among those damaged.
However, quick action by the District Administration led by the District Commssioner and District Commanding Officer of the Zambia Army moved in and rounded up the recruits and took them back into the barracks with calm since returning to the District currently.
We want to take the opportunity to caution members of the public to desist from picking on recruits each time they see them come into town to get some supplies.
Some residents have the tendency of provoking recruits as a way of testing if truly they have been trained as soldiers and in the process sometimes they even injure the said recruits.
Therefore, let us all desist from provoking or assaulting any other person be it a recruit or not.
Let us co-exist, live together in peace and harmony.
Thabo Kawana
PERMANENT SECRETARY
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND MEDIA
5th October, 2024
It is totally unacceptable that army recruits can turn on civilians and subject them to beatings. Soldiers must be the epitome of discipline. Such acts of indiscipline must not be tolerated by the army. Those 22 or 500 recruits/soldiers must be disgracefully dismissed from the army. They are not worthy to be part of the Zambia Army. Soldiers are supposed to show high levels of discipline/restraint even under extreme provocation.
It is also mischievous for the PS to start speculating about the cause of the fracas. It is very rare that a civilian would provoke a soldier or recruit. If he doesnot have the facts, he should just keep quiet. From personal experience, recruits/soldiers are the ones who tend to be arrogant when dealing with civilians.