Zambia Army Patrols Lusaka, As President Apologises To Foreigners Over Riots, Looting

Soldiers on patrol in Kanyama- Picture by Tenson Mkhala

By Paul Shalala

Zambian President Edgar Lungu has apologised to foreign nationals who have been displaced by recent riots where foreign owned shops were looted in the southern African nation’s capital Lusaka.

Speaking when he addressed over 400 Burundian, Rwandese and Congolese nationals who have sought shelter at a Catholic Church hall in Lusaka, President Lungu said he would work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to ensure that they return to their houses.

"I take full responsibility on behalf of the Zambian people. I also assure you of full protection and security of you and your property. The senseless violence in some parts of Lusaka are, in our view, acts of criminality rather xenophobic. We will work with the United Nations, the Church and our communities to resolve the matter,” said President Lungu.

Zambians have been trooping to the Catholic Church with donations of food and clothing to help the refugees whose number keeps swelling by the hour.

In the past three days, unruly residents of about seven townships in Lusaka attacked and looted goods from shops owned by foreigners mainly Burundians, Rwandese and Congolese.

The riots were fuelled by rumours that foreign businessmen were behind the suspected ritual murders, a claim the Zambian authorities have vehemently denied.

Initially, the riots started in northern township of Zingalume last week where six people had been killed and body parts removed in suspected ritual murders.

President Lungu greets refugees- Picture by Eddie Mwanaleza

As mutilated bodies were being discovered in the same area over the past four weeks, residents descended on nearby Police stations where they vented their anger and destroyed property.

From Zingalume, the riots spread to George, Lilanda, Garden, Chawama, Ibex Hill, Kanyama and Mtendere townships which are mostly slums.

The Zambia Police Service deployed about 2,000 officers across the city but failed to pacify the situation.

During a tour of some affected townships on Tuesday, Zambia’s Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila disclosed that two Zambians were burnt to death during the riots and over 200 others were arrested for riotous behaviour.

Mr Mwila also disclosed that eleven people had been arrested on suspicion of being behind the suspected ritual murders.

He said among the eleven where two foreigners whose identities and countries of origin he would not disclose.

Soldiers securing Kanyama township

“We arrested some suspects with some suspicious items which we want to subject to laboratory tests. We hope the tests will confirm whether those items are human parts or not,” said Rae Hamoonga, Zambia Police Service Deputy Spokesperson.

As the situation was getting out of hand on Wednesday, President Lungu deployed the much feared Zambia Army in the townships where anarchy had characterised the past three days.

“I Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has issued a Special Operational Order to the security services to restore law and order in some parts of Lusaka. The order is specifically designed to stop the recent spate of ritual murders and the resultant rioting in some townships where irresponsible people spread inflammatory rumours against certain nationalities. The operational order will be reviewed tomorrow,” read a statement from State House.

Within hours of the Zambia Army being deployed, peace was restored to the capital city and some foreign shops were re-opened on Thursday.

Soldiers on foot patrols and in pick-up trucks have continued patrolling the city.

The Zambia Army is rarely deployed in residential areas and its presence brings fear to most Zambians who tolerate Police officers and usually pelt them with stones during riots.

In Lilanda township, a group of soldiers in a pick-up truck where mobbed by slogan chanting residents while singing songs in praise of the army: ‘ama soldier besu……. Ama soldier besu’ (our soldiers….. our soldiers).

This was in contrast with events of the last three days when residents fought running battles with Police officers who were responding with teargas.

Some of the foreigners being housed by the Catholic Church

Burundians, Rwandese and Congolese refugees came to Zambia in the 1990s and thousands of them live in residential areas around Lusaka.

Most of them own retail shops and have integrated into Zambian society despite not taking up Zambian citizenship.

Despite the Rwandese being given an opportunity by the Zambian government to get citizenship, they have refused to get the Rwandese passport from their local embassy as a first step before getting Zambian citizenship, a process which is being spearheaded by the UNHCR.

Some Rwandese national have even adopted local Zambian names and they speak fluent Bemba and Nyanja, two of the most widely spoken languages in Lusaka.

In townships like Chawama, Burundians and Rwandese own more shops than Zambians.

Their business prowess has over the past decade become the backbone of the local economies in the slums of Lusaka.

It is this success in their retail business which has made these hardworking refugees to become enemies of some disgruntled elements in these areas, leading to false rumours of the foreigners being involved in the sale of human body parts.

Ritual Killers Terrorise Lusaka, Killing And Removing Body Parts

By Paul Shalala

Chunga residents during the protest

Tired of discovering mutilated dead bodies, some Lusaka residents today protested over what they term as lack of protection from the Zambia Police Service following the suspected ritual killings which have claimed six lives in the past four weeks.

Residents of Chunga township took to the streets chanting anti-Police slogans and calling for the killers to be arrested and jailed.

"We want these satanists to be arrested and killed. We have lost too many people and we cannot allow this to continue," said one of the protesters who identified himself as Chimwemwe.

Today's protest was triggered by the discovery of a mutilated body of 30 year old Anthony Mwaba of George township which was lying in a pool of blood.

His private parts, heart and ears were removed by his killers and his body was dumped 500 meters away from his house.

According to Zambia Police Deputy Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, several body parts were missing from the body.

"The body had no heart, both ears and private parts. We are making an earnest appeal to residents of George compound to remain calm and cooperate with the Police as we are working and trying with all legal means at our disposal to resolve this heinous crime as soon as possible," said Hamoonga.

Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja

The current wave of suspected ritual killings started on 17th March this year when four bodies of men where discovered in an area called Paradise within George township.

The four had their private parts and ears removed and this annoyed the residents who protested and burnt down a Police Post in the area forcing Police officers to run for their lives.

A few days later, Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja visited the area and pleaded with the residents not to take the law into their own hands.

Mr Kanganja later offered a K50,000 reward for anyone who would provide information leading to the capture of the criminals.

Since then, the Police has intensified patrols in the area but this has not deterred the killers.

So far, Zingalume, Chunga, Lilanda and George townships are the areas where the killers are said to be terrorising residents.

The total number of people who have been brutally murdered and have their body parts removed are six: four had their ears, hearts and private parts missing while two had only hearts missing.

Anthony Mwaba's body lying in a pool of blood

Five FM radio journalist Mike Sichula who has extensively covered the recent killings says two other bodies which were found in the area but had all body parts intact, are not in the Police tally for ritual murders.

"There are only six confirmed ritual killings including today's. Those others were ruled out. There was the bar case where one was strangled and then the one who was found in his apartment," said Sichula.

These killings have sent fear in the areas where bodies have been picked and residents are said to be getting indoors as early as 18:00hrs for fear of being the next victims.

According to hearsay, the killers are either business people involved in the trade of body parts or are serial killers who are taking pride in killing people for the sake of killing.


Suspected ritual killings are not new in Zambia.

In July 2012, a 19 year old student at the National Institute for Public Administration in Lusaka, Ruth Mbandu, was brutally murdered and her naked body had its eyes and ears missing while her facial skin was peeled off.

Her lifeless body was dumped in Emmasdale, an area which is three kilometers from Zingalume, the area where the current ritual murders are taking place.

Four years later, Ruth's case is still before the courts of law and it has not yet been concluded.

The late Ruth Mbandu

And TV2 reporter Patricia Mapiki, who has extensively covered murders in the suburbs of Lusaka, says the latest cases of suspected ritual murders actually started in October last year.

"Paul, the killings in Zingalume started in October last year. Remember the 53 year old lady who was killed, then the albino, then another lady in February this year and then the four victims on 17th March," said Patricia.

She points out that the pattern of these killings suggests that there is coordination.

"What is worth noting is also that the bodies are dumped in the same area, raising suspicion that the slaughter is just in one area," she added.

Police have so far not arrested anyone in connection with the killings and they have also not recovered the missing body parts.