‘Negligent’ cops must be punished – Canisius

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 15:00:20 +0000

By BENNIE MUNDANDO

THE accident involving the motorcade of Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila which left one person dead requires careful, thorough scrutiny and appropriate interventions, former UPND vice president Canisius Banda has charged.

Dr Banda said the accident requires thorough scrutiny as it exposed the inefficiencies of those responsible for the safety of the president.

On Sunday, President Kabila’s convoy was involved in an accident after the driver of a light truck refused to give way on Leopards Hill road despite officers lining the road.

And speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, Dr. Banda described the accident as scandalous and serious and that thorough investigations must be conducted to ascertain whether it was an act of omission or commission by those responsible for the safety of the president.

He said the accident was shocking and shameful adding that it did not make sense that such a breach of national security could occur right under the watch of presidential security when it could have been avoided had they been careful in their execution of duty.

“Just the fact that the motorcade of the visiting President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Joseph Kabila was involved in a road traffic accident in Zambia is scandalous.

“This matter is so serious that it requires careful, thorough scrutiny and appropriate interventions. In these desperate times for many vulture international imperialists and hollow local political actors, President Edgar Lungu’s sharp eyes must get even sharper and begin to see in the dark.

“We must know whether this was an act of omission on the part of those responsible for his safety or indeed it was a deliberate act of commission.

“Either way, it is as shocking as it is shameful. The people responsible for presidential safety do not mean well. This time not even pulling up of socks will do. How can such a grave breach of national security occur whilst their eyes are open, on their watch? That there was even contact with a single car in the motorcade is as bad and tragic as it gets. It is criminal,” Dr. Banda said.

He said the story could have been different by now if the driver of the light truck had a suicide bomb on himself as he could have wiped out the entire convoy due to the carelessness of those responsible for the visiting president’s security and safety. 

He demanded for the resignation of those who had various responsibilities on the security of president Kabila and that disciplinary action must be taken on erring officers as their attitude towards work was embarrassing.

“Just for a while imagine the driver of the culprit Dyna, a van, was wearing a suicide vest or had a bomb on board. Do you now clearly see the gravity of the whole matter? The one in charge of the security protocols and detail of the president and his guests must now resign. This is the least that they can do.

“Further, a thorough forensic audit of this unit must be done. What happened is unthinkable. It just must never happen. If Heads of State cannot be safeguarded, how then will ordinary citizens be?

“The disciplinary whip must now be cracked in the interest of the nation. What happened is an outrage and must never happen. It is very sad, and an utter embarrassing failure of national policing,” he said.