HRW welcomes independent murder detectives

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has welcomed the inclusion of Scotland Yard detectives in the team probing the execution-style murder of opposition leader Paul Tembo on Friday. The 41-year-old politician was shot dead in his bed in the presence of his wife just hours before he was to testify in a corruption hearing involving three cabinet ministers.

Peter Takirambudde, HRW executive director for Africa, told IRIN on Monday that events like the murder could further destabilise the political environment in Zambia, particularly with an election on the horizon later this year. “One is concerned about the serious destabilising implications of events of this nature if they are not adequately and promptly addressed,” he said. “It is very critical that the probe be executed professionally, impartially and quickly. They (Zambian police) have a credibility problem, so we think it is only proper and appropriate to have an independent investigation.”

Tembo, a founding member of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and President Frederick Chiluba’s former campaign manager, left the party abruptly last month to join the newly-formed Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) which brought together former senior MMD officials who were expelled from the party. His murder has inevitably sparked allegations of government involvement.

Even though the Zambian government moved swiftly after the killing, ordering the police to invite Scotland Yard detectives to assist them, thousands of people who attended a memorial service for Tembo on Monday continued to accuse Chiluba and his government of murdering Tembo. Reuters reported that FDD secretary-general Teddy Mulonga, who was among those who attended the service in the capital, Lusaka, had claimed that the government had a hit list which included all key FDD members to be killed before the general election due around October. “We are aware of the plot to eliminate all the key members of our party before the elections,” Mulonga was quoted as saying.