Dear Editor,
SOCIAL media has been awash with messages of condolences following the death of Ryan Phiri aged 17 of Barlastone Park and a pupil of Kabulonga Boys Secondary School.
Last Friday around 10:00 hours Ryan who was in the company of three pupils of Kabulonga Boys was attacked by some pupils from Twin Palm Secondary School between Malata and Twin Palm. The motive behind the attack is not yet known and friends of the deceased managed to escape but sustained injuries.
Ryan was beaten by his assailants who were using golf club sticks was taken to University Teaching Hospital (UTH) but died around 18:30 hours. Mr. Frank Phiri, father to the deceased reported the matter to me police.
Pupils go to school to learn and not to involve themselves in physical or any form of violence. It is heartbreaking and unfortunate that the boy was beaten to death at the time Zambia is commemorating the 16 days of activism against gender based violence.
If the above is not bad enough, Ryan future has been curtailed by some evil minded and violent pupils of Twin Palm Secondary School. The deceased was scheduled to write his final examinations this month.
The police manhunt for the killers of Ryan from Twin Palm Secondary School should must be intensified so that culprits are arrested and ultimately prosecuted. Justice must prevail in this matter.
The gruesome murder of Ryan by fellow pupils sends a strong warning that our children are not safe at school. To ameliorate such a heinous crime, there is need to intensify counselling of the pupils on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse.
The assailants could have acted under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Whatever exacerbated the murder of Ryan, the killers must be brought to book.
What kind of generation are we going to have? It is unaccepted for pupils to attack their colleagues.
I can imagine the trauma the parents of the slain boy are going through. As a parent myself, I am personally hurt about this bizarre incident. The killing of Ryan by fellow pupils has set a bad precedent.
In view of the aforementioned, the police should intensify the manhunt for the assailants of Ryan so that the former can be arrested to face the full wrath of the law.
ELEMIYA PHIRI Lusaka
Arrest killers of Ryan Phiri,
