GENDER minister, Elizabeth Phiri, is rightly worried about attacks on women in Lusaka where one woman has been killed and others left for dead in a space of one week.
The minister has asked the police to step up their game and ensure that the citizens are made to feel secure.
In Lusaka’s Kabangwe area, attacks on women are becoming common place and this has the Gender minister worried.
One two days ago, a woman was found in an abandoned building, beaten to a pulp and left for dead. She was only saved by residents who found her and called police. The police took the woman to the University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
We carry a story today in which the minister has made a passionate appeal.
“Zambia Police should step to up their game in ensuring that women and girls were protected in the community,” Minister of Gender Elizabeth Phiri, has said.
Ms Phiri was deeply saddened that in the last few weeks there had been a number of reports of women being killed and attacked, a situation she found disturbing.
In an interview with the Sun, Ms Phiri said that as Gender Minster it was very saddening to hear that women were being attacked and killed and that as government, “this is not the kind of news we want to hear that women and girls are no longer safe in their communities.”
Ms Phiri said that the perpetrators should know that life was precious and that human beings should not behave like animals because the arm of the law would surely visit them.
However, what the Kabangwe residents are complaining about is lack of police presence in their area because there is no police post. It appears that criminals have capitalized on the absence of police to terrorize residents.
Some residents claim that the victims are attacked elsewhere and later dumped in Kabangwe area because of the same reason. No police presence.
It is therefore important the police take this issue seriously and work with the residents to come up with a police post. If this means asking the residents to contribute material to erect a police post, let this be done forthwith. As long as the residents are feeling the impact of not having a police post, they will be willing to contribute towards the project.
We hope that they can also involve the area member of Parliament so that some of the constituency development fund, could help in this small project meant to safeguard security for the residents.
