Photo: Capital FM

Police have since apprehended two suspects.

SCORERS of taxi drivers yesterday caused a traffic jam in Kabwe as they protested against the brutal killing of their colleague whose body was dumped near Makombe area on Lusaka-Kabwe road.

They drove in a convoy from around 09:30 hours while honking and the procession caused panic among motorists and pedestrians.

The drivers disturbed the flow of traffic as they drove within the city centre to protest and mourn Gift Tembo, 28, who was stabbed in the neck and died at the weekend.

Mr Tembo was the third driver to be killed in Kabwe while another driver was killed in Kapiri Mposhi last month and his body dumped near a disused dam.

Three weeks ago, Mathew Chipili, a taxi driver in Lusaka, was brutally killed and his body parts removed before being dumped in Roma Township.

The drivers said memories of three other taxi drivers who were killed in Kabwe were still fresh and called for protection from the police.

The drivers said while they welcomed the arrest of two people in connection with the death of Mr Tembo, they felt the police should step up their investigations into the killing of other taxi drivers.

Police have since picked up two suspects identified as Julius Nachinga, 32, of Lusaka's Old Kanyama Township, and Elota Lupiya, 28, of John Chinena area in Chibombo.

Mr Tembo of house number 2A 55 in Katondo Site and Service in Kabwe was driving a Toyota Corolla, registration number ACJ 1735, at the time he was killed.

Later in the afternoon, the taxi drivers led a procession around the town centre with a coffin of Mr Tembo as they hooted.