By CIC Investigations.
LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED IF SDA LEADERS ADHERED TO SAFETY PRECAUTION TO AVOID OVERLOADING.
CIC Investigations has established that the youths that died at Lake Bangweulu could have been alive today if their leaders did not put God to test in disregarding safety precaution over trust in holy faith.
Information obtained from both Samfya and Chilubi indicate that between December and May Lake Bangweulu is very unforgiving with its tides especially towards the smaller boats because wind speeds are high and tides are higher and therefore the deeper you go inwards the danger the tides becomes because they charge at high velocity hence any vessel must be light weight or stable in balancing. Further information from Meteorological Department reveals that wind direction of the Lake converge perpendicular to the other Lake behind Mbabala Island called Lake Walitupa and creates high tides between this period.
It’s against this background that the boat carrying SDA youths exceeded the recommended capacity of 25 people inclusive of the cockswine (driver) and maximum payload of cargo below 30KG.
In contrast over 45 people loaded themselves in the Banana boat and the weight of cargo went above 45 KG. Before starting off its established that a concern was raised by 3 people about the safety standard and precaution as life jackets where less than the number of people on board. They are called banana boats because they are modified vessels that attach engines manually usually not exceeding 300 MH Horse power. These banana boats have no technical cockpit and control engines like speed boats everything from weight control, balancing, acceleration and deceleration as well as right-left control direction are determined by one person manually using one hand that’s the design of the engine and when it’s late the engines are detached from being stolen leaving the boat the way it is as a big canoe.
These banana shaped boats are made of thick polyphonic fibres as temporal boats in a dish-shaped or basin like without engines but they are a thriving business in Samfya as they provide maritime travels to and from Chilubi Islands and other islands. They are also cheaper and fast to use at peak or demand periods compared to the Luchelenganga a government ship under ministry of transport and logistics that only goes once in a day.
One witness tells CIC Investigations team that some people raised alarms after seeing the high tides of the Lake but where brushed off that God is alive he would never let anyone sink on the way to do his work, information further says a proposal was hinted to do three trips of 21 people per trip twice and the last trip for the cargo alas seniors amidst the youths refused and insisted they have no enough cash for such luxurious trips. A counter check from the cockswine reveals that they are experienced in marine travel at times they carry more people and move just fine this ignited the support of the leaders who called the shots to do just that however a miscalculation occured that caused the capsizing of the boat.
Facts about the accident are that when they started moving boat-balancing was not adhered to the engine lost power while in motion. Sea waves are scientifically deflected by the running engine as it displaces water creating stable move but when the boat stops water waves controls the boat in an opposite reaction and in this case the tides where so high coupled with anxiety of people such as some where extremely worried and psychological fear created excess imbalance of the boat living it vulnerable to water waves that made it to capsize downwards and throwing people deep into the sea especially those without life jackets and unable to swim.
CIC PRESS TEAM
