According to a lawmaker, police in Southern Province’s Itezhi Tezhi District have detained 27 people to assist in their investigations into the theft of more than 300 bags of maize.
Following in the path of their Mumbwa neighbours, some Itezhi Tezhi villagers looted a maize depot on Thursday night under the pretence that it was connected to the murdered businessman Ernest “Yakaipa” Sikaonga of Mumbwa, who was suspected of being responsible for ritual killings in the District.
Twaambo Mutinta, an Itezhi Tezhi member of parliament, issued a warning against riotous and illegal activities in the District in a statement released on Friday in Lusaka.
200 bags of corn have so far been found during the operation, Mutinta also revealed.
“The maize has no connection to the mentioned individual but belonged to an individual identified as Chikalala,” he said.According to Mutinta, the effort to bolster security hindered the process of restoring peace, but the addition of Namwala, Choma, and officials from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife to the security force helped things stabilise by Thursday night.
He pleaded with any community members who felt wronged to let the legal system do its job.
“I am just happy that no life or property was lost and the situation remains calm but people should not take advantage of the volatile situation in Mumbwa to carry out criminal activities reiterating that criminality will not be condoned.
On Wednesday, a riotous mob set two people on fire to death in the Mumbwa District after hearing that another person had been killed and had their privates cut off.
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The two victims were identified as well-known Nkeyema businessman Sikaonga Enerst, also known as Yakaipa, and his Tanzanian buddy David Mwakiyoma by deputy police public relations officer Danny Mwale.
He revealed that numerous government structures had been damaged by the rioting citizens, including a veterinary clinic that had been burned to the ground and the windows of the Police, Immigration, and National Registration offices that had all been broken.
“Two people have been killed in Mumbwa District by an irate mob during a riot after information went round that another person had been killed,” Mwale said in a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday.
Source HarareLive
