Mufulira based civil society organisation; Advocacy for Human Development strongly condemns the reported shooting incident involving the Zambia National Service (ZNS) in the district yesterday, where a 15-year-old boy named Chrispin Bunda, a pupil at Twampane Primary School, tragically lost his life.
The incident occurred during a ZNS operation aimed at curbing the smuggling of mealie meal in the district.
In an interview with Flava News, Organisation Executive Director Chris Mweemba, expressed grave concerns about the unprofessional conduct of ZNS officers in the district. He highlighted a similar incident in 2020 where they were implicated in another fatality, and the matter remains unresolved.
Mr. Mweemba charges that the actions of ZNS officers are tarnishing the government’s image, citing their apparent disregard for professionalism and governance principles.
He has questioned the effectiveness of ZNS attempting to stop smuggling when, according to him; they themselves are implicated as major culprits, accusing them of attempting to conceal their wrongdoing. He pointedly asked what kind of operation could lead to the tragic death of an innocent child.
Calling for a thorough investigation, Mr. Mweemba urged the government to reconsider deploying ZNS in such operations, asserting that their actions are contributing to a decline in the government’s popularity.
