Govt calls experts to demine Shangombo district

—-Government has called on experts to quickly start surveying for landmines in Shangombo district of Western Province before lives are lost.

Information Deputy Minister, Poniso Njeulu, who is also Sinjembela Member of Parliament, told ZANIS in a phone interview in Mongu today that two landmines were discovered in Lilondo area in Shangombo yesterday.

Mr Njeulu said the two landmines were discovered on two different occasions by two children between the ages of 8 to 13 years of the named area.

He stated that the father of one of the two children, only identified as Mr Shamwaekile, confirmed the incident, saying his children discovered the landmines when they were harvesting groundnuts in his field while the other landmine was discovered by a school boy of the same area when he went in the bush to answer the call of nature.

Mr Njeulu explained that the children took the landmine to their father at the village after digging it out of the field without knowing what they had carried.

The minister said none of the children had been injured, adding that the landmines have since been secured.

Mr Njeulu has since appealed to people of Shangombo district to report any suspicious objects to the police or any higher authority.

Last month, the National Committee on Anti Personnel Landmine from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Information and Broadcasting Services, Defence, Home Affairs and Justice conducted a sensitisation tour in Sioma, Sesheke and Shangombo districts to distribute brochures and educate people in the respective districts to be wary of unknown objects in their districts.

The team distributed pictures and brochures to help the local people understand the features of the deadly landmines.