IT is now day four of the rescue mission in Chingola where bodies of more than 30 miners are being attempted to be retrieved following a mining accident.

The recent update as of today is that no body has yet been retrieved with experts from different sectors making efforts to retrieve the bodies.

27 family members have since gone forward to the secretariat to give identities of their missing loved ones.

President Hakainde Hichilema and his team are also expected to be in Chingola to give support in the ongoing rescue mission.

Ministers of Mines and Minerals Development as well as Copperbelt, Paul Kabuswe and Elisha Matambo have called for calm as experts are working at retrieval of the bodies.

Mr Kabuswe in address has said Government has sent all necessary equipment on ground and has assured that updates will continue being given.

He says the rescue team is working round the clock to ensure that the bodies are retrieved and that progress has been made pertaining to the area where water had collected.

“I just want to emphasize that in an operation of this magnitude of trying to retrieve bodies, there is a challenge that we are mindful of. It is an open pit and it is rain season. So even as we have competent people and enough equipment, we have to assess the ground. What is tricky is that these are not properly dug tunnels and so we need to assess the ground to strike a balance. ”

“We need to make sure the rescue team is safe because we may end up having a disaster within a disaster if we have any ground movement, which will create a bigger problem. That is what is making it look like we are taking time. We want to act as fast as we can , but at the same time be mindful that we need to protect the rescue team,” he said.

Mr Kabuswe further expressed disappointment at those that are politicising the tragic incident.

And Mr Matambo said 27 families have gone forward to the secretariat with names of the people missing.

He appealed for any other families who suspect a missing family member to go forward and give names.

Mr Matambo also stated that 11 excavators have been deployed in the area to hasten the rescue mission.

“The official position is that we have not retrieved any body as at now. So ignore the social media postings. We will update the nation when bodies are retrieved. We are very hopeful that we are heading somewhere because of the measures taken,” he said.

He added that President Hichilema is expected on the Copperbelt to give support to the rescue team as well as affected families.

(Mwebantu, Monday, 4th December, 2023)

FOLLOWING a mine accident in Chingola district on the Copperbelt, reports suggest the victims that were buried alive are feared to have drowned.

The victims are suspected to have drowned in the tunnels where they were digging copper ore after heavy rains and landslides buried the tunnels.

Police received a report of drowning from Abedenigo Keshinako who has since identified seven of his colleagues that were victims of mine accident at Kasenseli of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM)open pit.

A combined rescue team of police, Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) staff and fire brigade have however, not yet retrieved any of the bodies.

Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said the incident occurred on November 30th between 21:00 hours and 22:00 hours.

“Mr Keshinako reported that those that are suspected to have drowned are Christopher Chungu ,Silvester other names not known ,John other name not known ,a person only known as Bashi Prisca , Joe other names not known,Gold other names not known and another one only known as Bashi Emma,” he said.

He noted that those identified together with others drowned in the tunnels where they were digging copper ore after heavy rains.

“The Police, KCM rescue team and fire brigade visited the scene and it was discovered that there were two sites within the pit where the victims were buried. The bodies are not yet retrieved as efforts are being made to retrieve them,” he said.

(Mwebantu, Saturday, 2nd December, 2023)

A lastest consent judgement shows that the State will pay the family of late UPND supporter Mapenzi Chibulo, who was shot dead by police during a protest in 2021, K3.5million compensation for loss of life plus another K500,000 in legal costs.

“That the defendant shall pay the plaintiff the sum of only K3,500,000 being damages for loss of life ,damages for loss of dependency ,damages for loss of expectation of life damages for funeral expenses,” the consent Judgement reads in part.

The consent Judgement, which has been endorsed by the plaintiff’s lawyers and The Attorney General, is yet to be signed by Judge Charges Kafunda.

This is in a lawsuit filed by late Ms Chibulo’s father, Douglas Chibulo, who sued the State seeking compensation after his daughter was shot dead at Downtown Shopping Mall.

The shooting was during a procession from the United Party for National Development Secretariat to Chawama where the UPND were scheduled to have a rally.

In 2017, Mr Chibulo, then sued the state claiming damages for loss of life and asked the Lusaka High Court to award him damage.

He complained that the loss of life was as a result of negligence by the Zambia Police.

Mr Chibulo, citing the Attorney General as respondent, submitted that on July 8, 2016, the police, in their efforts to disperse people who were peacefully parading in a match past, used live ammunition to shoot at unarmed citizens

He said in the process, his daughter was shoot dead because of the careless act by the state agents.

The plaintiff submits that his family suffered financial loss at the time his daughter died especially in terms of communication and other funeral expenses.

(Mwebantu, Wednesday, 29th November, 2023)