REMEMBERING “Ruth Mbandu

THEY SAY blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for their is the kingdom of heaven.

Today, the macabre killing of National Institute for Public Administration (NIPA) student Ruth Mbandu sent chills in the spines of many. It was an unusual slaying of the 19-year-old that shocked many people who have been wanting to see justice served and the killers caged.

Ruth then a student at renowned Zambia’s National Institute of Public Administration N.I.P.A was gruesomely murdered. The murder of Ruth shocked Zambian especially given the highly bizarre circumstances surrounding it.

At the moment in my journalism career, still astonish with the death of Ruth then my neighbour at Evelyn Hone College. She was a young woman, full of zest and hopes her dreams yet to be fulfilled. Those behind her murdered get their just deserts.

For your information, High Court judge Chalwe Muchenga acquitted Edward Siandima, 28, and Collins Kasiye Sooma, 20, of Ruthâ s murder citing negligence of duty by the investigating team.
Mr Justice Mchenga ruled that police rushed to arrest the duo without conducting a thorough investigation of the matter.       

These were the last two suspects before court after Bishop Evans Ngulube, Emmanuel Serenje, Jordan Kapembwa and Ruthâ's uncle George Kalomo were acquitted much earlier. For the almost five long years that the matter was in court, people had not stopped talking about the shocking manner in which Ruth was killed. Some were wondering if the matter was still in court or if the suspects had gone scot-free. Others still were not happy that the court case was dragging.

The acquittal of the last two suspects by the High Court last week means we will not know who killed the student why her facial skin was peeled off; why her eyes were poked out; why the killers injected her with a lethal substance before raping her.

Its not known whether the rape was the reason for terminating Ruthâ's life or perhaps it was a ritual murder given the fact that her facial skin and eyes were removed and taken away. Circumstances around her death indicate that Ruth was killed by someone who knew her or perhaps the assailant was hired by a person who was known to the deceased.

Late Ruth Mbandu

But from the turnout of events, are the investigators telling us that no one killed Ruth? Its clear that this wasn't a case of suicide – someone did kill Ruth; someone ripped her facial skin, someone removed her eyes, someone had carnal knowledge of her and someone did dump her body near her home.

Investigators are therefore duty-bound to do thorough investigations and present a strong case to the courts of law. Letting the killers go Scot-free is not good for posterity given the rising number of cases of gender-based violence and sexual violence against women and children in Zambia.

There is also Ruth's mother and family who were looking forward to justice being served in the killing of their daughter. Although putting the killers behind bars would not atone for what the family lost in their youthful daughter, when justice is handed out, it somehow gives some form of comfort to the bereaved.

Of course we don't expect the courts of law to condemn any suspect that was presented to them they need solid evidence from the prosecuting team.

Ruth

In my view, investigators should not close curtains on this matter; perhaps the police command should assign a new team of investigators to pick up from where their colleagues left. The matter generated a lot of public interest; therefore police should reopen investigations and go back to court with solid evidence against the real culprits, without fear or favour.

The question that begs an answer is, have the police given up on the matter after the acquittal of the last two suspects?

I ask because as a keen follower of crime investigations on television, I have seen how investigators in the Western world sometimes struggle to catch the real criminals. Some cases take long to conclude, but what inspires me is their resolve to succeed no matter the obstacles.

Well, I spoke to police assistant spokesperson Nephas Chifuta who assured me that the Ruth

Mbandu case is not closed per se because the truth in the matter has not been established.
Its not a closed case until the truth is established, Mr Chifuta said. He explained that if police discover fresh information on the matter, they will start the matter afresh and go through the normal court process.

Youth and Education Activist  
walusungu silweya