… as widow of the Yango driver who was gruesomely murdered in cold blood on Sunday says while vengeance belongs to the Lord, justice must prevail over her husband’s death.
By Lumbiwe Mwanza
FAMILY, friends, and mere sympathisers wailed in disbelief on Tuesday last week as the casket containing the body of Nicholas Chishimba, the Yango driver who was brutally murdered in Lusaka’s Kabwata Site and Service on Sunday, was wheeled into Libala Winners Chapel for the church service.
Mr. Chishimba, 38, who was a Yango driver, was murdered during his errands by unknown people with his body mutilated as some body parts were missing and as a result of the state in which it was, body viewing was not conducted.
His body was found trapped between a motor vehicle and the wall fence with multiple injuries and speaking to The Scoop soon after the church service, his wife, Alice, appealed to the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of her husband.
She demanded that her husband’s assailant must be brought to book, adding that while vengeance belonged to the Lord, justice must prevail because her family had been torn apart by the painful death of her husband.
“Vengeance belongs to God, but I pray that justice prevails over the murder of my beloved husband. I urge the police to investigate this matter thoroughly so that all those involved are brought to book,” Mrs. Chishimba said.
Meanwhile, Online Taxi Drivers Association of Zambia (OTDA) president Lukas Chanda paid a glowing tribute to the deceased and also emphasised the need for the police to ensure that no stone was left unturned until justice prevailed.
Mr. Chanda said it was unfortunate that the life of a hard working citizen had to be cut short in the most inhuman manner which had left fears of safety among online taxies.
“Police should get to the bottom of this; all those involved in the murder of Nicholas Chishimba should be held accountable and brought to book. No stone should be left unturned until justice prevails. Nicholas was only trying to survive. He strived to feed his family. Who will take care of his family?” Mr. Chanda asked.
He further called on the Government to scale up measures aimed at improving the plight of online taxi drivers especially those that operated at night.
He said that all factors that compromise the safety of online taxi drivers should be addressed to create a more conducive environment for taxi operators.
Meanwhile, Yango Zambia General Manager Kabanda Chewe said that the safety and well-being of drivers should always be of topmost priority adding that there was a need to continuously enhance the existing safety features and technologies on the platform.
“We have many existing safety features on the App for driver safety, including a conflict safety button for drivers and in-app calls between drivers and the support centre. As planned, Yango will continue increasing our demands for the rider’s profile to further enhance driver safety on the Zambian market.
“I call upon the police to investigate the case as a matter of urgency. We are in close communication with local authorities to assist in any way we can and urge members of the public who have further information to contact the Zambia Police Service,” Mr. Kabanda said.
Mr. Chishimba, who is survived by a life and a seven-year-old son, was put to rest at Leopards Hill Memorial Park.