By JOHN SAKALA
Southern Police Chief Bonny Kapeso has refuted the Sinazongwe shooting story alleging that 40 have been shot dead.
Mr Kapeso has told The Independent Observer in an interview that the story running on social media headlined ‘40 shot dead in Sinazongwe’ is fake,misleading, sensationally written to alarm the nation.
He said what is true is that from January to date, police in Southern Province had recorded 68 cases of murder throughout the province with 38 arrests made.
“These murder cases do not only involve shootings but also incidents of deaths arising from gender- based violence, ordinary fights and spearing of suspects regarding issues of land wrangles and suspected practice of witchcraft as well ad issues of infidelity.
“It is surprising that the author of the story did not confirm with my office as normally is the practice by professional journalists. The nation should, therefore, dismiss the authenticity of the story ad it lacks credibility and objectivity,” he said.
ZANIS, ZNBC and other national daily newspapers yesterday carried a story indicating that about 40 people have been shot dead in Sinazongwe, Southern province, by unknown assailants, locally known as Karavinas since the beginning of this year.
The story quoted Sinazongwe District Commissioner, Protacial Mulenga.
The DC was telling Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Mwangala Liomba, during his visit to the district that the shootings are prevalent in the valley areas of the district.
