Africa-Press – Zambia. Ndola clergy Fr. John Emmanuel Kapambwe of the Anglican Church in Masala Township has called on the Human Rights Commission to seriously look into the matter in which Minister of Local Government Gary Nkombo forced a woman and her children to drink illicit local brew called Kachasu.
Mr Nkombo yesterday raided the townships and destroyed liters of Kachusu that were being brewed at the time and alleged that the drink was responsible for destroying many lives.
The Minister was seen in a video that has gone viral on social media forcing a girl child to drink Kachasu on camera. Speaking in his personal capacity as a concerned citizen, Fr. Kapambwe branded Mr. Nkombo’s action as totally inhuman or barbaric.
Fr. Kapambwe said the Mazabuka Central Member of Parliament should have handed over the erring woman to law enforcement agencies as opposed to forcing her and the innocent children to drink Kachasu.
“I have seen the video that is trending on social media platforms involving Hon. Garry Nkombo, Minister of Local Government, commanding a lady and her children to drink Kachasu. This action is totally inhuman or barbaric. In the first place I acknowledge that the lady in question was wrong because the law of the land forbids the brewing and selling of Kachasu. However, the Minister handled the matter in a very unprofessional way,” Fr. Kapambwe stated.
“Firstly, the Minister Honourable Nkombo knows that people who go against the law of the land must be handed over to the right authorities to deal with matters. So he would have handed over the lady to the relevant authorities. Secondly, why force the children of the said lady to take Kachasu? I do not think the lady who sells Kachasu forces the children in the community to buy Kachasu, they buy willingly. Then abusing the children for the sin of the mother was totally wrong,” he said.
”The law of the land forbids substance abuse and the minister is busy facilitating the abuse by forcing the lady and the children in question to drink Kachasu in the name of discipline or enforcing the Law. The intention might have been good but the approach was absolutely inhuman. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. I therefore; call upon the Human Rights Commission to look into the matter. The community does not expect such unprofessional behavior from the Minister who is supposed to lead by example to others,” Fr. Kapambwe added.
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