THE MUFUMBWE SHOOTING INCIDENT:
By Dr Nevers S. Mumba
We wish to express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families arising from the shootings that took place in Mufumbwe.
No Zambian civilian should have to lose their life at the barrel of a Zambian soldier’s gun. This is unacceptable.
While we agree that illegal mining must be stopped and replaced by order and the rule of law, we insist that Zambians must never be killed in cold blood unless when in full fledged combat with criminals. We therefore call for a thorough investigation in this unfortunate development.
This is not the first gold rush in history. There have been several. One notable one is known as the California gold rush(1848-1855) when gold was found by James W Marshall at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. This news brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the United States and abroad. The injection of these gold revenues made California into the huge economic state that it has become.
We can learn lessons from history. Instead of chasing the gold diggers, we must take administrative procedures there without excluding those who got there first.
There is always a better way, that can eventually benefit all.