LAZ ACCUSES POLICE OF TRAMPLING ON RIGHTS
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has launched a stinging rebuke against both the Zambia Police Service and members of the public, following chilling revelations surrounding the death of 22-year-old Enock Simfukwe, who was tied up, beaten and later died after being accused of theft at Munyama Farms in Kabwe.
In a strongly worded statement issued yesterday, LAZ President Lungisani Zulu accused the police of “continued disregard” for constitutional rights, pointing to a disturbing pattern of suspects being held in custody far beyond the 24-hour legal threshold, denied bond, and in some cases hidden from their families until court intervention forced their appearance.
“The Police have a sacred duty to enforce the law with integrity, impartiality and devoid of any political biases,” Zulu charged, warning that arbitrary arrests and prolonged detentions are eroding public trust.
The association expressed deep concern over a viral video showing Simfukwe tied with ropes, visibly distressed, after being manhandled by his captors. Barely days later, police confirmed he had died in their custody. The shocking turn of events, LAZ said, is emblematic of a justice system failing at both ends with citizens resorting to mob justice and the police abusing detention powers.
“We have witnessed suspects in bondable cases rotting in police cells, denied their basic rights, and in some instances the police themselves lying about their custody until compelled by the courts through habeas corpus,” Zulu said.
The association warned that mob justice is dragging Zambia back into lawlessness, stressing that suspects must be surrendered to the police, not tortured or killed by vigilantes.
Simfukwe’s death, however, now sits squarely at the crossroads of public outrage and state accountability. The police’s admission that they were “investigating” his death has done little to calm anger, with critics demanding immediate answers on how a young man tied with ropes in public view could end up dead under state watch.
“This country was built on the rule of law,” LAZ reminded in its statement. “Our freedom fighters fought for a Zambia where justice is dispensed in courts, not in fields or dingy police cells.”
For now, the name of Enock Simfukwe has become a grim reminder of a nation at war with its own conscience: a Zambia where neither the police nor the public seem to know when to stop.
©️ KUMWESU | August 21, 2025