–East minister condemns Katete riots

East minister condemns Katete riots

Katete, April 5, 2013, ZANIS……………………Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone has condemned the riotous behavior of Katete residents yesterday following the rape and murder of 19 year old pupil Naomi Daka.

The riot resulted in looting of shops resulting in police taking actin to stop the confusion.

The minister who was prompted to travel to Katete to have a physical check on the situation also blamed the security wings in the district for failing to avert the riot.

Mr Sichone said the riot could have been avoided if the security wings took measures to avoid the skirmish as events were unfolding systematically.

The minister has instructed eastern province Commissioner of Police Grace Chipapila to take measures against the officers in the district because members of the community had lost confidence in them.

He suggested that the District Commissioner should have engaged and interacted with the community through a radio programme as way of diffusing the tension.

The visibly annoyed minister directed the District Commissioner Peter Kunda Kaisa to avail  him with a comprehensive report over the matter.

Sichone said government was saddened with the death of Naomi a pupil at Katete secondary boarding school assuring that the murderers will be brought to book.

And speaking at Mphangwe radio, Sichone assured the business community of security adding that police will comb the district to recover the looted goods.

The minister said some unscrupulous people who wanted to loot shops misrepresented facts linking the business community to the murder of the school girl.

He dispelled as assertions that it was a ritual murder adding that the post mortem had shown that all the body parts were intact and only the private parts were bleeding as a result of rape.

He said the suspect who is in custody never mentioned any of the affected businessmen in the murder case and wondered where the community got the information suggesting otherwise.

Meanwhile, one of the prominent businessmen, Salim Mitta, proprietor of Kavulamungu wholesalers said he lost over KR2million worth of goods in the looting.

More than seven shops including a Chinese shop where phones, generators, farming implements and groceries are sold were looted during the fracas yesterday.

Police arrested 288people in connection with the riot .