PRESS STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF JAMES LUKUKU KASANDA
01–11–2020
With deep respect to our cultural reverence for the dead and without further intent to exert undue sorrow on the bereaved family, we feel the need to treat this death with suspicion until proven otherwise.The continued clamp down on Opposition leaders by the Patriotic Front government and their now publicly declared determination to retain power by any means is ground to call for a thorough investigation of this untimely death of our compatriot.
Mr. Lukuku had a robust health with no known medical history. While death can strike anyone anytime, the prevailing Political acrimony,open threats to Political opponents, relegation of competitors to rats and Cockroaches raises very strong suspicions. “If the government of the day looks at us citizens as cockroaches, rats and Utupuba” what can stop them ending our lives by any possible means.
Mr. Lukuku, will forever be remembered as a vociferous, intrepid Political figure of unmatched integrity in the opposition circles. He was a man who could neither be cowed, nor bought when it came to principle.
Several efforts to compromise his Political ideologies were openly repelled to the embarrassment and agitation of the Patriotic Front. He fearlessly stood and worked towards an equitable and indivisible Zambia.Where the Patriotic Front government and Edgar Chagwa Lungu saw impossibilities, he envisioned and pronounced viable options. His openness and bold stand on Constitutionalism ,freedom of speech and the rule of law eventually led to his brutal detention.
We therefore, prosecute our investigative Questions from his detention on flimsy grounds of defaming President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.What could be the limit of this heartless regime that would be comfortable in a one party state? They honestly don’t have any morality or regard to the sanctity of life.Their track record clearly shows that they can kill without a second thought at anytime given their bloody hands of innocent citizens whose only crime was to oppose their failed policies.
For Mr.Lukuku, a man in his prime life to drop dead in the midst of bloody thirsty regime should be a cause of great suspicion.
What happened when he was in detention? What could have been administered to him? It is public knowledge that he repeatedly informed the nation that state agents were trailing him on assignment to assassinate him. Could they have finally succeeded? No doubt the jubilation in the Patriotic Front government on his death is very incriminating.
We further encourage all political figures and critics who have been arrested and detained to go for independent medical examinations.
Crocodiles tears will not divert our demand for an investigation in this death of our brother.We therefore demand for a serious investigation to determine the real cause of his death. Detention of Political figures are in effect trailess assassinations commonly used by despots.An array of post incident slow poisons are administered to trigger things like cardiac arrest, etc. Let the truth be known.
SIKAILE C SIKAILE
GOOD GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST FOR ZAMBIA AND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
CIC PRESS TEAM