LINDA SOKO TEMBO Writes
THE death of Faustina Mwila, the 13-year-old girl whose body was discovered at a farm in Lusaka’s Kalundu area, has worried residents who are demanding increased police presence.
The residents complained that the place was no longer safe and that they were now living in fear as it was not the first time a person has been found dead in suspicious circumstances.
One of the residents, Charles Chipikauka, said they were saddened because because police had failed to act to improve security in the area despite the deaths being reported to them.
Mr Chipikauka said people were forced to travel long distances to Makeni and Kanyama to report cases because of lack of a police post in the area.
“We are living in a big and unsafe area without a police post, we have to move long distances in search of the police services from Kanyama and Makeni,” he said.
“We are appealing for police officers to be patrolling this area because we do not see the police officers in the area and the criminals who are killing our children take advantage,” Mr Chipikauka said.
And other resident, Gina Sakala, said there was need for a police post to be set up in the area to stop people dying in unclearly circumstances.
Ms Sakala said it had become common in the area for school going children to go missing and later be found dead.
“We are appealing to government to look into the matter and find the people killing our children. We have incidents where school going children go missing and are later found dead,” she said.
“As residents of Kalundu, we want to see justice prevail in this area, we voted for an MP and Councilor so that they can help us to stop crime in the area, all we want is justice to prevail in Kalundu. We do not have a police post and a clinic here and yet we voted so we can have social amenities,” she complained.
Meanwhile, another resident, Judith Mkandawire, has appealed to government to repossess idle land in the area.
Ms Mkandawire said serial killers were taking advantage of disused land to waylay and kill people for unknown reasons.
“We voted for leaders so that they could improve our lifestyles, but we have been complaining about the deaths in this area and yet nothing has been done about it. What is their role if our problems continue being unresolved and we still die like dogs,” she said.
