ESCAPING JUSTICE: HAVE WE LEARNED NOTHING FROM THE PAST?
By Sydney Chelaz
10th August 2024- The recent escape of JJ Banda, the Independent Member of Parliament for Petauke Central, from Chipata General Hospital raises alarm bells that echo past incidents involving high-profile individuals such as Pamela Gondwe, Kaizer Zulu, and Chilufya Tayali.
Despite the efforts made by the police in the present and past, these escapes bring into question the effectiveness of our security measures and whether we have truly learned from previous failures.
JJ Banda’s alleged escape through a window over two meters high, under the watch of police officers who were supposed to ensure his custody, is both shocking and concerning. How did a man, supposedly under tight surveillance, manage to evade the authorities so easily? Are the police officers merely scapegoats for a larger issue within our security system? This incident is not just a simple lapse in duty; it is a national security concern that demands immediate scrutiny, this gives meaning to the words of Graphel Musamba the Police IG who said we hv junckies in the police service who where recruited by the past regime.
When Pamela Gondwe disappeared with vast sums of money, the nation was left stunned, wondering how such a thing could happen in a tightly regulated industry like banking, such that even up to today there has been no proper communication on how far they have gone with the efforts to find her.
Similarly, Kaizer Zulu, who has had cases before the courts of law, disappeared, and all we’ve heard is that he was seen being treated by medical personnel in a certain country. And Chilufya Tayali’s brushes with the law and subsequent disappearances highlighted weaknesses in our legal and security frameworks, with Facebook pundits guessing where he is, even without certainty.
Yet, here we are again, facing another instance of a high-profile individual escaping justice. What lessons have we truly learned from these past events? Have our security measures improved, or are we simply repeating the same mistakes?
This recurring issue raises serious questions about the integrity and preparedness of our police service and other law enforcers. If individuals like JJ Banda can escape from custody with such ease, what does this say about our ability to protect the public from those who commit serious crimes? Could this be an indication that our law enforcement agencies are not equipped to handle high-risk detainees, or worse, that there might be internal complicity in these escapes?
The implications of these escapes are far-reaching. They not only undermine public confidence in the police and other law enforcers but also pose a significant threat to national security. If individuals who commit serious crimes can disappear without a trace, what is stopping others from following suit? This could potentially lead to a situation where the rule of law is compromised, and criminals operate with impunity.
As a nation, we must ask ourselves: Are we doing enough to prevent these escapes, or are we merely reacting after the fact? The answers to these questions are critical in ensuring that justice is served and that the public is protected from those who would seek to evade it.
The time for complacency is over; we must learn from the past and take decisive action to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
