IT IS very possible the PF government knows the real gassers, says Sikaile Sikaile.
The good governance activist said the gassing incidents that lasted almost three months left a scar on national security and the government’s capacity to respond to emergencies.
He said the gassing issue should not die a natural death and that, “let Edgar Lungu tell the nation the truth”.
Sikaile said the observation by Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops president Bishop George Lungu to urge Zambians to demand the truth about the gassing which terrified the nation early this year was right and demands moral support from any well-meaning citizen.
“From PF leaders’ statements, it is very possible to tell that the government knows the real gassers. But if the President knows who they are, why not tell citizens?” he asked.
“And if President Edgar Lungu claims that he has no idea who were burning markets in 2017 and gassers this year, then he should fire all top security chiefs for risking citizens’ lives. It is because we Zambians did not demand and hold the PF government accountable in the burning of our markets that is why this year we saw a more advanced terror attack on citizens through gassing. Could this be a political game? I’m calling upon Edgar Lungu, PF government and all security wings to answer these questions by telling Zambians who the gassers are before we speculate based on our investigations as concerned citizens.”
Sikaile urged Zambians “to demand answers from the PF government before 2021 elections”.
“You have to know who was gassing the nation. And if the government hides these gassers, then what is the whole point of voting for leaders who can be that secretive to issues that border on human life?” he wondered. “Is it right for the government to remain quiet about who was behind the gassing? This is a very direct question that needs a direct answer, and the right answer is that it is wrong and unacceptable for the government to remain silent on this case. Vice-President Inonge Wina even claimed in Parliament that it was an act of terrorism, so where are those terrorists? Who supplied them the chemicals and funded them? Because she can’t just make such claims without evidence. Her comment in the Parliament suggested that the government knows the gassers. President Edgar Lungu also stated that the culprits will be dealt with regardless of their political affiliation. What did Edgar Lungu mean in this statement? Were the gassers ordinary people or politically motivated? We need to know the truth as citizens.”
Sikaile said the gassing issue should not be ignored because a repeat of it would be worse than what the nation saw.
“We need the culprits to be brought to book so that others can learn and desist from such vices. The President should act beyond remarks of an inquiry in parliament. If Zambians remember very well, in 2017 we had almost a similar act of terror which saw our markets being burnt,” he said. “The PF government made several statements and Vice-President Inonge Wina and many other PF leaders argued that the act was terror and they assured the nation that the culprits would be brought to book and to date nothing has been communicated to the people of Zambia. Not even an update has been given by PF government on the culprits behind the burning of markets and resources realised from well-wishers to renovate burnt markets.”
Sikaile recalled that senior PF leaders like Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba had publicly declared that they knew who was behind the gassing from as far back as five years ago.
“And we thought President Edgar Lungu would not waste public resources by forming a commission of inquiry [and] instead ask these PF officials to help with investigations, especially GBM who once served in the Ministry of Defence,” he said.
“However, what left the people of Zambia more shocked is that these PF leaders were not arrested nor called by the police for questioning despite making these remarks or claims. But a bishop [Joseph Kazhila] in Chingola was arrested and detained for one week for commenting on the same matter. We also noted contradicting statements from Zambia Police Service on the matter and later deputy police spokesperson Ray Hamoonga was demoted for telling the country that the mastermind of the gassing and 16 others had been apprehended. Since then, the government has been silent on the matter.”
Sikaile said Zambians wanted to know and “let no one fear demanding answers in such serious issues”.
“It is not a crime at all ask the government because this incident was horrible. We lost lives, our kids were left traumatised by the act, properties were damaged and the reputation of the country went down,” he said.
“What is worrying about this traumatising incident is that when both incidents happened, PF government officials were issuing statements accusing their political opponents to be behind these acts, not until their opponents like UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema publicly called for serious investigations in the matter as far as involving international investigators such as the Scotland Yard. And after HH coming out to say he knows nothing about the act and was willing to see the culprits arrested, the government went quiet to date. Was it a scheme targeted at someone in politics? We want to know, Mr Lungu.”
Sikaile recalled that despite President Lungu warning that he would crush the people behind the gassing incidents, nothing much had been done by the PF government in providing answers.