•PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu yesterday visited the foreign nationals who have sought refuge at Kalemba Hall at St Ignatius Catholic Parish in Lusaka fearing for their lives in the wake of suspected ritual killings in some parts of Lusaka. Some locals have accused them of being the perpetrators. The President has apologised unreservedly for the ill-treatment vented on the foreigners. Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA/STATE HOUSE

By SAM PHIRI and MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has apologised to the foreign nationals for the shameful act perpetuated by some criminally-minded Zambians who ran amok ransacking their houses and shops in various townships in Lusaka.
The Head of State has since assured the more than 200 affected foreigners currently camped at St Ignatius Catholic Parish in the capital city of total security and safe return to their homes.
The President, who was touched upon seeing the foreign nationals kneel down as he entered the premises, said peace and calm had since returned to the townships with the effort by a combined security team.
“I came to assure you that the situation in the townships has returned to normal and the people who were looting and plundering your shops are slowly being identified and are being arrested and will be taken to court,” Mr Lungu said.
The Head of State assured the foreign nationals that the Government had a duty to protect them and that a mechanism was being worked out to ensure that they returned to their various townships.
“We don’t want to have refugees within Zambia. Why should you leave your homes and shops to come and squat here? This is a shame.
“So on behalf of the Zambian people, I wish to apologise to you. I am very much ashamed of this behaviour by some of our people and I take full responsibility,” he said.
Mr Lungu said the relevant authorities would not rest until the perpetrators were brought to book and that Zambia was not a State where criminal conduct went unpunished.
The President said no one was allowed to break the law, hence the deployment of the army to combine forces with the police in the various townships to curb lawlessness.
He urged the foreign nationals to cooperate with the Government in order to facilitate their movement.
President Lungu said he would work with the Church, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the ministry of Home Affairs to ensure that the foreigners had legitimate authority to stay in Zambia.
St Ignatius Parish priest Charles Chilinda said the criminal acts did not reflect the spirit of Zambians who were both loving and caring.
Father Chilinda expressed gratitude to the Zambians that had continued to show the true Zambian spirit by bringing assorted food and materials like detergents and mattresses for the victims.
“We are not overwhelmed in any way as a parish because it is the Zambian people who are doing it.
“Someone has donated 200 kilogrammes of fish, another one 500 kilogrammes of meat and other foodstuffs, and ordinary Zambians are the ones doing the cooking for their brothers and sisters,” he said.