Kabwe shooting incident
| Kabwe Shooting Incident (1997) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 23 August 1997 | ||
| Location | Kabwe, | ||
| Caused by | Opposition rally organized by UNIP and National Patriotic Alliance; government attempted suppression | ||
| Methods | Police intervention, use of tear gas and live ammunition | ||
| Status | Order restored after arrests and dispersal of rally | ||
| |||
| |||
The 1997 Kabwe shooting incident occurred on 23 August 1997 during an opposition rally in Kabwe, Zambia, organized by the National Patriotic Alliance and the UNIP. The rally had initially received approval from local police. However, paramilitary police from Lusaka and the Copperbelt arrived and ordered the rally to be cancelled, leading to the arrest of 39 UNIP and Alliance members and the confiscation of rally equipment.
As opposition leaders Kenneth Kaunda (former president) and Rodger Chongwe attempted to leave the area, police reportedly opened fire with live ammunition without warning. Chongwe was seriously injured by a bullet, Kaunda was grazed on the head, and his aide sustained minor injuries from shrapnel. Eyewitnesses and Human Rights Watch documented that the police used tear gas and live rounds, including AK-47 assault rifles, during the incident.
President Frederick Chiluba denied that the shooting was a state-sponsored assassination. He stated that the police had initiated an investigation and suspended the Kabwe police commander, Nungu Sassasali. Chiluba rejected calls for an independent inquiry and challenged Kaunda and Chongwe to prove they had been shot, maintaining that police had only fired into the air. Following the incident, the government imposed a 24-hour news blackout, though foreign media coverage remained accessible.
The incident heightened political tensions in Zambia and was followed by a series of mysterious fires in Lusaka, with both government and opposition blaming each other for the attacks. The Kabwe shooting remains a significant event in Zambian history, symbolizing the challenges and dangers faced by opposition figures during that period.
Sources
- https://www.refworld.org/jurisprudence/caselaw/hrc/2000/en/18759
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/360587280660062/posts/24837295265895923/
- https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports98/zambia/
- https://mg.co.za/article/1997-08-25-kenneth-kaunda-shot/
- https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/24/world/zambian-police-wound-kaunda.html
- https://allafrica.com/stories/199710100042.html
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AFR630011999ENGLISH.pdf
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/national/1997/08/24/former-zambian-president-shot/5218f0e3-75a7-4db5-99ae-5d7d48de27d3/
- https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/25/world/kaunda-wounded-sees-official-plot-to-kill-him.html
