By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
THE ABDUCTION
THE SURVEILLANCE
Wednesday,14th June, 2023
When I was driving out of the lawyers’ place, I saw a car parked on the side of the road.
From the days I served as Second President, Frederick Chiluba’s Spokesperson, I have been familiar with tell-tale signs of being subjected to or being a target of both state or private surveillance.
The period I served as Zambia’s Ambassador to South Africa, brought this knowledge in sharp focus, as criminals would trail their victims, sometimes for extended periods.
I drove to Long acres.
When I was done, I started driving towards Ibex Hill. I saw the same car again, a green Toyota Fortuner, parked on the road side. I slowed down to check the occupant.
A man of asian origin was sitted alone on the driver’s side. I slowed down. He was on the phone and the laptop on the passenger side was open.
A second white vehicle, a Toyota Landcruiser Station Wagon short wheel-base, seemed to have joined him parked next to him.
In ordinary circumstances, when you slow down and take interest in checking in a car, the driver does also look up and also check you.
These guys instead pretend to be busy as if they have no interest with whatever is happening around them.
I knew I had a clear trail on my tail. This group was either using geo tagging or were collaborating with my mobile network to know my exact location using my phone number.
I immediately called my wife. She said she was in town. This was now around 15hrs. She said she was driving home. I said: ” let’s meet home”.
I knew if the Police wanted me for whatever reasons, they would issue a police call-out, or phone me or my lawyers.
This developing scenario was ridiculous but dangerous.
“How do you conduct heavy surveillance on someone who is in plain sight and readily available.” I asked myself.
The last few days I had been appearing in public limelight as I was on radio and television stations making our regular media appearances.
Even this time I had been at a radio station in the morning before I drove to the lawyers premises.
THE ABDUCTION
I thought; “let me drive to the car wash in Woodlands so that by the time my car is washed, my wife would have arrived at home”.
I arrived at the Car Wash and parked in the washing bay. I settled in the Shelter and saw an opportunity to catch up on the happenings on social-media.
It wasn’t long before my attention was distracted and drawn to the three cars that had just driven in a convoy and about twelve men came out.
The Car Wash is on near Lewanika Mall on Mosi- O-tunya Road in Chilenje and it is frequently used by the President on his daily trek to-and-from Community House to State House.
Such police or security presence has become familiar to many people that use this road.
I thought this group of men that had stormed the Car Wash was probably using the space to be dropped off and begin their shift for route-lining and surveillance.
But when the men headed straight to our shelter, I realized this was strange, especially with my earlier encounter with the two cars I suspected where trailing me.
I stood up and quickly recognized one man that seems to be leading the unknown group.
I usually visit the Police Service Headquarters and various Police stations and I have become familiar with what appears to be a Crack Squad that has been handling most cases against leaders of the Patriotic Front and other members of the Opposition.
“Guys are you the one trailing me? Are you following me? I asked in a friendly but surprised manner.
“Yes Ambassador, you have to come with us”, he answered with a friendly but evil grin.
“But you could have simply called me, or give me a Police Call-out, is this drama necessary? with three cars and all of you?” I asked but recognizing that this was a serious matter.
“Give me a moment I call my wife and my lawyer”,I politely asked.
The response was swift. I was immediately encircled with the officers determined that such a call would not be made.
Commotion had now ensued with chairs and tables being moved away as the men gathered around me.
I had dialed my lawyer but the line went unanswered.
I moved to the corner to protect myself so that all the officers were in front of me.
I dialed the number for my wife. This was now a fight with my hands being restrained and I was being violently pulled out of the corner.
She answered the phone. Despite the scene and confusion around me, I calmly told her. ” I am at the car wash. But the Police are here to pick me up.”
I think the last words were not spoken in the phone as one officer just violently grabbed my hand and twisted it behind my back.
I kept on asking them;” I is this necessary? Can I please make a call to my lawyer. Can I call my wife?”
They were now trying to lift me.
A crowd had now gathered and I was suffering the worst public humiliation being treated like a dangerous criminal.
I saw a few officers retreat. Then there was commotion in the people watching us.
I realized it was the mobile phones they were interested in as they were trying to stop members of the public from filming to the violent attack on me.
I again asked the lead officer that had grabbed my neck and was trying to lead me to the car.
“Don’t humiliate me You don’t expect me just to follow you. Of all these officers, I can only recognize you. I don’t even know if you are the Police”. Just allow me to call the lawyers”, I pleaded.
At this stage I didn’t have a phone.
I began to walk to their cars but they were determined to lift me.
They pushed me towards the Toyota Corolla.
At the car, I still asked: “Before we go, can I make the call to the lawyers?”
They were now trying to shove me into the car. I stand at 1.89m tall and the car door stands at probably half my height.
This is where were the most violent attack occurred as the officers were trying to lift, were pushing means trying to collapse my body into a baglike posture to push attempt to push me in.
I feared they would break my neck with the pressure being applied there.
I chose to enter the car.
The officers jumped in and I was sandwiched in the middle of them back seat and the Corolla sped off.
My right thumb was painful, my wrist and my shoulders was also in great pain. But it was the sharp pain on my neck that was serious.
I told the officers that what they had done was totally unprofessional.
They had brutally man-handled me, had in the process hurt me and caused huge public humiliation for me.
But of serious worry was the abduction. I didn’t know where we were going and no one knew where I would be.
AT THE POLICE
When we arrived at the Police, they ushered me in an interview room.
When they were all gathered and their superiors had joined in,I immediately registered my complaint about the brutal man-handling and assault done on me.
I also requested to see a doctor especially for the sharp pain in my neck.
I also asked if I could call me lawyer.
At around 20;00hrs after the initial process of investigations, they team drove me back to the Car Wash. They wanted to pick my car.
When we arrived at the Car Wash,there were no cars!
“Ambassador where is the car?”
Now, this was the most ridiculous question. How could I know where the car was?
I leant that apparently, members of the public, had prevented the other officers from taking my car and threatened to beat them up.
We later drove to what I later learnt was Emasdale Police Station.
At 20;30hrs. I was deposited in a police cell, my home for the next two days.
It was a very small space at this stage admitting me, as the 30th inmate.
The Author is former Zambia’s Ambassador to South Africa. He was also Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia. He was Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the African Union and to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
He is currently a member of the Central Committee of the Opposition Patriotic Front and among the nine presidential aspirants of the party.