MUFULIRA town on the Copperbelt was yesterday plunged into pandemonium as vengeful Zambia Army recruits stormed the streets, unleashing limb-breaking beatings on terrified residents including UPND Kankoyo member of parliament Heartson Mabeta.
According to a statement issued by Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana, the chaotic and violent incident left a trail of damaged cars and sent several people, including Mabeta to the hospital with some seriously rearranged limbs.
It all started innocently with two recruits venturing into town for supplies as the violent August winds that have overlapped into October battered the dusty town of Mufulira.
However, the recruits trip turned into an unsunctioned street fight courtesy of some feisty taxi drivers who wanted to see how well trained the recruits were.
Unfortunately, the two recruits sustained injuries from the encounter as they were no match for the Kopala Yango guys.
The battered duo then, whilst wailing in their mother tongues ran back to the barracks, jumping over Mufulira’s infamous potholes as if they were seeking Olympic gold medals for sprinting and long jump.
Upon arrival, the recruits, with sweating baldheads and between sobs narrated to their comrades the painful encounter they had with drivers, sparking a fiery desire for revenge.
Fueled by indignation, 22 recruits descended upon Mufulira like a swarm of angry bees indiscriminately dishing out their wrath to taxi drivers, innocent bystanders, and even lawmaker, Mabeta.
“They damaged two vehicles and injured people who are reporting suspected broken limbs and hands among them, the Hon Mabeta who is currently admitted to hospital and undergoing x-ray. His vehicle is among those damaged,” Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana revealed in a statement several hours after the incident.
Kawana explained that calm only returned after District Administration led by the District Commssioner and District Commanding Officer of the Zambia Army moved in and rounded up the recruits and took them back into the barracks.
The PS to urged the public to desist from picking on recruits each time they saw them come into town to get some supplies.
“Some residents have the tendency of provoking recruits as a way of testing if truly they have been trained as soldiers and in the process sometimes they even injure the said recruits,” he said.
“Therefore, let us all desist from provoking or assaulting any other person be it a recruit or not,” he added.
Given the beating the recruits offloaded on Mufulira, some residents went and reported that over 500 soldiers were behind the attack.
But Kawana clarified that it was a group of only 22.
Kalemba October 6, 2024
Job well done soldiers, Zambian people they’re very indiscipline, there’s no order in Zambia. Try it again they will beat you and kick hell out of you. Zambians has lost direction.