Mon, 10 Jul 2017 12:46:05 +0000
By MUKOSELA KASALWE
FIRST Lady Esther Lungu has described as disappointing and disheartening the fact that there are people bent on inflicting pain and suffering on their fellow human beings.
Mrs Lungu said the lives of many traders and marketeers who were mostly widows and widowers at city market had been shattered following the fire which destroyed goods and property worth millions of Kwacha.
She said this yesterday in Lusaka at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross, National Day of Prayer and Unity that arsonists would soon be brought to book as God was ahead of their evil scheme.
The First lady donated K50,000 through the Disaster Management and Mitigating Unit (DMMU) in the Office of the Vice President for the victims of the City Market fire.
Ms. Lungu who was accompanied by Minister of Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili, said prayers were timely and thanked the organisers as prayer was cherished by all well-meaning Zambians.
“It is disappointing and shocking that in this country we have people who want to inflict pain and suffering on their fellow human beings,” she said.
In his homily United Church of Zambia Synod Bishop Sydney Sichilima urged politicians to wait for their time as there was a time for everything.
And National House of Prayer and Advisory Board vice chairman reverend Pukuta Mwanza said the K3,194 offering would be channelled towards the affected city market traders.
Rev. Mwanza said a dark shadow cloud had hovered over the country for the past few weeks and described the gutted city market as a huge loss and a devastating experience that brought sadness and tears to many Zambians.
The event attracted people from all walks of life and church denominations who prayed for the country’s continued peace and the city market victims.
State House rules out electrical fault in City Market inferno
By NATION REPORTER
STATE House says investigations on the cause of the fire that burnt Lusaka City Market have indicated that the fire was caused by saboteurs.
Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda said the fire could not have been caused by an electrical fault considering that there was another fire on the market for charcoal which did not have electricity.
Mr Chanda challenged those in opposition to produce evidence to prove that the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
Mr Chanda said the possibility of an electrical fault would not stand because both incidents involving markets happened on the same night.
“Why was it a coincidence that fire can start even where there was no electricity? Police must be given chance to investigate. No one can stampede the police into releasing the information today, tomorrow or the other day,” Mr Chanda said
