Driver burnt to death at Kasumbalesa

July 6, 2012 | Filed under: Local News | Posted by: web editor

By ALEX NJOVU and JERRY MUNTHALI
A ZAMBIAN truck driver has been burnt to death by an instant justice mob in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border town of Kasumbalesa after he allegedly knocked down two pedestrians, killing them instantly.
And truck drivers at the Kasumbalesa border post yesterday parked their vehicles in protest over the brutal killing of their colleague in the DRC.
Copperbelt commissioner of police Mary Tembo and Chililabombwe mayor Godfrey Matafwali confirmed the incident in separate interviews yesterday.
Ms Tembo said the incident happened on Wednesday evening and that the angry mob also burnt the cement-laden truck.
She said she has dispatched a team of police officers to the accident scene to retrieve the body of the unidentified driver.
“I have just sent some officers to fetch the body of the driver who was burnt along with the truck which was carrying some goods. He hit two pedestrians who died on the spot and the mob decided to burn him along with the truck,” Ms Tembo said.
She said police are investigating the matter and are yet to establish the identity of the driver.
But Mr Matafwali identified the truck driver only as Chanda of Ndola.
“There is a lot of noise here, one of the drivers was killed in the DRC. The drivers are angered by the death of their colleague and they are protesting right now,” Mr Matafwali said.
He said the residents of Kasumbalesa on the Zambian side have also joined the protests and are confiscating goods from their Congolese counterparts.
“Business has come to a standstill here. It has been a bad day,” Mr Matafwali said.
And a source from the DRC told the Daily Mail yesterday that operations at Kasumbalesa border have been disrupted because Zambian drivers have refused to cross into the DRC for fear of being attacked.
“What has happened has left the other Zambian truck drivers in fear. They have gathered at the no-man’s land and refused to cross into our country  to bring the commodities that they are supposed to deliver. Maybe by the end of the day [yesterday], they will cool down and  start working,” the source said.