Kamlepo demands justice for man killed in Karonga shooting: ‘We fought for multiparty democracy not police state’

Rumphi East MP, Kamlepo  Kalua demanded answers from Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Grace Chiumia in parliament on Friday following  the  death  of a  man who died in a police shooting during a standoff of the lawenforcers and Karonga citizens.

A 44 year old man Master Kasunda  was killed  during the fracas erupted between the police and the Mpata community on Wednesday.

This was ater the e community shutdown the Karonga-Chitipa road in protest for the arrest of their traditional leaders who include GVH Kalambo, Njeghenje and Mwenitete.

The three traditional leaders were arrested on allegations of  robbery with violence, malicious damage and proposing violence.

Kasunda is belived to have been killed by a trigger happy police officer.

Taking the matter to parliament,  Kalua asked the  Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to explain on the Karonga situation.

“It is not a pleasant thing in a multiparty democracy. We fought for a multiparty democracy and not a one party state or a police state.  This piece of information is a valid one and it is happening in Karonga,” said Kalua.

Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya who is also a legisaltrure from Karonga called Kalua’s point of order as “a matter of public importance” and used his discretion to ask Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to comment on the matter.

But the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Chiumia said she was “not aware” that police had shot some people in Karonga.

“Usually, I get my reports from the Inspector General’s Office.  They have not submitted the report yet, but at the same time if we get the report, we will be able to update the House. You can even use Standing Order 14 to bring the question. But it is a very important issue.

“I would like to assure Members that we have policemen who are there to protect and secure us plus our property and are not supposed to shoot anybody unnecessarily,” said Chiumia.

The body of the shooting victim was taken to Karonga district hospital by the relatives and some community for postmortem but the hospital officials could not release the outcome.

And residents of Mpata had to dump the deceased body to the police station.

A brother to the deceased Vincent Kaunda said they are eager to know the cause of the death of their relatives.

“Yes, we indeed went to the district police station with the dead body. We wanted them to release a group of people who were arrested so that they can only attend the burial ceremony apart from demanding the death report,” said Kaunda.

According, Florence Mbinga who was also admitted at the hospital after she was severe injured during the fracas has been also been discharged from the  hospital without a medical report despite being  in a critical condition.

“They want this matter not to be publicised,” she added.

While admitting to have received the dead body for postmortem, acting Karonga district health officer Luis Tukula denied was coy to coment  on the matter saying “we referred the report to the police and you can ask them more not us.”

However,  Karonga district deputy spokesperson for the police George Mlewa had a different version.

“The report is still with the hospital and as the police we don’t have any full information. It will be therefore difficult for us to issue a comment,” said Mlewa.

One Wednesday, the police denied  that one person died with others injured during the fracas.

Nyasa Times understand that the arrested were secretly sent to Mzuzu by the law enforcers due to the pressure of the community.

The deceased has left seven children and two wives.

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