MOZAMBIQUE DRAGNET
…..speculation mounts over reported capture of fugitive JJ Banda
By DAVID KANDUZA
A WALL of official silence continues to surround the fate of fugitive former Petauke Central member of Parliament, Emmanuel ‘Jay Jay’ Banda, following explosive claims that he was captured by Zambian authorities in neighbouring Mozambique last night.
The Zambian Government, State House and the Zambia Police Service were yet to issue a definitive statement verifying or denying the operational breakthrough.
The silence comes less than 24 hours after Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mulambo Haimbe, hinted in Parliament that State security structures had deployed extensive ‘dragnets’ aimed at bringing high-profile fugitives back to face justice.
The silence was broken by Emmanuel Mwamba, chairperson for Media for the Toonse-Pamodzi Alliance, who took to a live broadcast to detail what he described as a swift tactical operation.
According to Mr Mwamba, Mr Banda had shifted his base of operations after a stint in Zimbabwe.
“I can confirm that Jay Jay Banda has been captured by Zambian authorities,” Mr Mwamba stated during the broadcast.
“He was not in Zimbabwe but in Mozambique, where he was hiding. I know he was previously in Zimbabwe, but he had since moved to Mozambique. Three vehicles pulled up at his hideout and took him.”
While Mr Mwamba, a fugitive himself, was certain about the interception, he expressed deep concern regarding Mr Banda’s current state, adding a layer of gravity to the developing story.
“I cannot confirm whether Mr Banda is alive or dead, amid speculation surrounding his reported capture.”
Mr Banda had long been a polarising figure within Zambia’s political landscape.
His time on the run had been punctuated by defiant rhetoric, including public broadcasts where he allegedly directed threats at President Hakainde Hichilema and confidently predicted that the Head of State would fail to complete his term in office.
The former lawmaker had been wanted by law enforcement on a string of serious criminal charges, including aggravated robbery, attempted murder and escaping from lawful custody.
Mr Haimbe’s address to Parliament yesterday appeared to foreshadow the night’s events.
He assured lawmakers that the Government were actively leveraging regional and international mutual legal assistance treaties to track down fleeing critics and criminal suspects.
“We have arrangements for legal assistance in extraditing some of our critics back to Zambia,”
Mr Haimbe stated, reinforcing that the State’s reach would extend across borders.
Despite the detailed accounts emerging from opposition circles, the lack of an official briefing from police headquarters or State House keeps the country in suspense.
The exact coordinates of the reported hideout, Mr Banda’s physical health and whether he was being repatriated across the Mozambican border remained unconfirmed.