Some stakeholders have opposed the idea of setting up a commission of inquiry into the spate of gassing incidents which have so far resulted in 50 deaths and 26 suspects being apprehended.
President Edgar Lungu when he addressed parliament on the progress made in the implementation of national values and principles said he is seriously considering constituting a commission of inquiry into the f gassing incidents.
President Lungu notes that Zambians deserve to live in peace and has assured that all culprits involved in the vice will be brought to book regardless of their status in the society.
The President has warned those involved in fueling mob justice that law will soon catch up with them.
But reacting to President Lungu’s statement, Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has cautioned that a commission of inquiry set up without serious intentions and failure to work on its results is a waste of public resources.
TIZ Chapter President, Reuben Lifuka has questioned,” how many commissions of inquiries the PF have set up [since 2011] and what has happened to those commissions of inquiry?”
“The President in his speech this morning (Friday, 6, March 2020) was talking about people understanding the root cause of political violence. If only he (President Lungu) has read the commission of inquiry report on political violence and voting pattern, he would probably have had part of answers to that,” he said.
“So it is clear that they have done nothing to that report (voting patterns and electoral violence) like so many others reports on the commission of inquiry on Barotse land and the energy situation in this country. So it is not a solution when there is no good intention to work on the commission of inquiry findings. Let us strengthen the investigative agencies to do their work and let us also have the serious political will to get to the bottom of this.”
Meanwhile All peoples Congress leader, Nason Msoni feels that the commission of inquiry might turn out to be what he terms as “whitewash” for the criminals at the center of the gassing criminal activities.