‘The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) joins the rest
of the country in mourning the demise of former Cabinet Minister in the MMD Government
and former Zambia Airforce Commander, Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha, The
Zambia Police have since arrested his wife, Jane who has been charged with murder. This sad
development comes ata time when the country is frantivally trying to address inereasing cases
of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
NGOCC abhors GBV of any form, regardless of the perpetrator because it is our belief that
nen and women are equal before the lav. Furthermore, GBV is not only a human rights
violation but is a retrogressive scourge that is detrimental to human and ultimately, national
developr pacts are mostly irreversible and destructive. Therefore, we take this
opportunity to urge the nation and all stakeholders to actively do their part in curbing GBV at
all levels.
It is now clear that any person is a potential victim or perpetrator of GBV and therefore, we
urge all members of society to take a proactive approach to seek help and pursue dialogue in
resolving differences.
Finally, we call upon Zambia Police to regulate the access and use of firearms and we would
like to urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter surrounding the death of Lt
Gen. Shikapwasha and ensure that justice prevails,
