UPND youths demand for re-opening of gassing investigations
UPND national youth chairman Gilbert Liswaniso says Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba should re-open investigations into the gassing episode.
In early 2020, cases of gassing were reported in Chingola, Copperbelt Province.
In no time, the deadly act spread to almost all parts of the country, with people being gassed in homes and schools.
Gassing pushed the country to the brink of unforeseen security instability, as almost everyone was thought to be a suspect of the vice.
As a way of self-defence, cases of mob killings emerged, as people unleashed fury on whoever they suspected could be behind the acts of gassing.
While authorities could not say whether there are people who died as a result of gassing itself, what is known is that more than 50 people died at the hands of infuriated mob killers, for being suspected to be behind gassing.
For instance, former Ministry of Local Government permanent secretary Timothy Hakuyu, in the Rupiah Banda administration, was killed by a mob for being suspected as a gasser in Munyumbwe area, Gwembe district in Southern Province, on February 20, 2020.
Several others died in similar, barbaric fashion and the ruling party then, the PF, set into motion its noise and somewhat convincing propaganda machinery that continuously insinuated that gassing was being promulgated by then opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his party lieutenants.
While addressing Parliament on the application of national values and principles in March 2020, Lungu was cheered when he said perpetrators of gassing will be “crushed and buried.”
Speaking at an event in Lusaka yesterday, Liswaniso, flanked by his deputy Trevor Mwiinde, reminisced the barbaric gassing situation.
“This gassing, you remember very well, a lot of young people died because they were suspects during that period. All of us want to know is who was behind gassing,” Liswaniso said.
“The investigations then by PF themselves, when they were in government. Today, what the UPND wants is to re-open the matter so that we know who brought gassing to this country. In the rural parts [of the country] people were sleeping outside.”
He reiterated that gassing posed a difficult time for Zambians.
“Our people, relatives died because of gassing. Today, all we want is for the police to re-open the matter,” he said.
“We want to thank the new IG [Inspector General] who has taken a step to ensure that all those behind gassing should face the law.”
Liswaniso rubbished some political elements who are bringing in a tribal aspect, each time suspected criminals are arrested.
“There is nothing like that! We are dealing with the matter of gassing and the law will clear you,” said Liswaniso, further stressing that youths of UPND across Zambia will not sit idle, when hundreds of young people died through gassing.
“We are demanding that the police does it work so that culprits should be brought to book. There is no compromise on the matter of gassing; those who will be found wanting in the matter of gassing should face the law. So, we are appealing to the IG and the police that do your job.”
Kalemba