Tue, 11 Jul 2017 09:21:20 +0000
By ANNIE ZULU
AN explosion yesterday rocked the Daily Nation offices when, one of three “petrol” bombs intended to set the office ablaze landed short exploding into a huge blaze, captured by internal surveillance Close circuit television installed at the company.
It is not clear what type of bombs these were as they were composed of a black substance enclosed in closed glass bottles. Altogether, three bombs were thrown by the unknown attackers but only one ignited causing a conflagration a few meters from the offices main entrance.
The first petrol bomb was thrown over the perimeter wall onto the premises at around 22:47 hours and rolled through the car park leaving only a trail of some black liquid which forensic experts are still determining.
The second bomb was thrown in a few minutes later, but it too failed to ignite. The third bomb was then thrown in about 23.00 hrs. This time it exploded causing a huge conflagration that would have ignited the offices if it found its mark within the offices.
Three weeks ago, incarcerated UPND president Hakainde Hichilema took the Daily Nation, its proprietor, Richard Sakala and State House Press Aide Amos Chanda to court for contempt of court but the case was dismissed after the Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi.
The charges arose from Mr Chanda’s remarks during a live Al Jazeera interview “The Stream” where he commented on issues relating to the treason charge slapped on Mr Hichilema, which was reported by the Daily Nation.
The CCTV footage shows the bomb being ignited outside the perimeter before it was thrown
over the perimeter fence to land in a huge flame a few meters from the newspaper entrance.
A huge column of flame could be seen as the bomb flew over the fence and landed on the concrete pavement near one of the company’s distribution vehicles as it rose to a 3-meter high blaze and about 2 meters from the entrance of the main building.
The third bomb, however did not get over, but only landed on the fence and it was at this juncture that the company’s security was alerted of what was happening.
Shortly after the incident, the Zambia Police Forensic department swarmed the premises and collected particles that were used in the bombing, including a string and a bottle that was suspected to have been used to swing the object before throwing.
No injury or damage to property was recorded in the whole episode.
Meanwhile, Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) president Wright Musoma has described the arsonists’ attempt to burn down the Daily Nation premises as a cowardly and criminal act by a disgruntled political party.
Mr Musoma charged that it was ridiculous that some political parties could sink so low so as to attack a media house for doing its job.
“It is clear that the attempt to burn down the Daily Nation was politically motivated. In fact it is clear that the people behind that attempt are the same people who set on fire Lusaka’s City Market last week.” Mr Musoma said.
He said genuine politics was about caring for people irrespective of perception.
“But that is cowardly, that is not the way to gain power. A genuine political party with the interests of the Zambian people at their heart cannot do that,” Mr Musoma said.
He added that the media should be allowed to operate without intimidation and fear, because it had a crucial role to play in providing information to the public, which he said was supreme in the consolidation of democracy.
Mr Musoma has since urged the Police to scale up investigations and apprehend perpetrators of arson in the country who have gone on rampage burning both government and private property in the country.
