A 21-year-old man of Chamboli Township has told the Kitwe Magistrates’ Court that the ZAFFICO rioters looted a Chinese Supermarket, King Mei, and stole plasma TVs and cooking pots.

Kelvin Bwalya, Boyd Kasuba, Peter Chitabula, Fabian Chengo, Steven Kalunga, Kelvin Sikatali, Dabwitso Njobvu, Bruce Chitalu, Richard Mphande, Harison Mumba, Steven Mambwe, Bornface Kunda, Alex Kamanga and Langanani Nkhata are charged with two counts of rioting and injuring of building contrary to the laws of Zambia.

Allegations are that on November 5, this year, in Kitwe, jointly and whilst acting together took part in a riot by breaching the peace to the terror of the public.

In count two,allegations are that on November 5 this year in Kitwe, being riotiously assembled, damaged King Mei supermarket, the property of Guy Kalumba.

Appearing before Chief Resident Magistrate Yvonne Nalomba for commencement of trial, Victor Mwindula told court that on the material day he received a phone call from his boss that they would not open the supermarket as there was confusion at Nakadoli market.

Mwindula said his boss also instructed to go and man the shop incase the rioters decided to break into the supermarket.

He said on his way to the shop, he found an angry mob that had blocked government road in Chimwemwe Township with burning tires and that they were sending away every oncoming vehicle.

He narrated that as he reached the shop, he found four of his co-workers keeping vigil.

He said shortly after police had dispersed the rioters from the road, they re-mobilised themselves and walked towards the shop.

He recalled that he heard one of the people in the mob say they break down the shop and get some goods.

He said they later started throwing stones at the windows and doors of King Mei supermarket and opened it and got away with goods such as mattresses, pots and dishes.

He told court that he and his fellow workers could not stop the mob from looting the shop as they were too many.

He said he later decided to call his boss and inform him that his shop had been looted and that there were no police officers to help disperse the group of people.

“The rioters threw stones at the supermarket’s windows and doors and when they managed to enter the shop, they got away with DVDs, Bicycles and plasma TVs. We could not do anything about it as they were a lot so we decided to call our boss and tell him about what had happened to his shop.”he said.

Magistrate Nalomba has since adjorned the matter to December 10 and 11 for continued trial.