Family seeks govt help on jailed driver
The family of a Malawian truck driver, Elliot Kapokosa, jailed in Zimbabwe for overstaying in that country has asked the Malawi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to intervene on his release.
He is still at Beitbridge Prison.
The overstaying, according to a family representative Gibson Kapokosa, was because Elliot was in detention for initial culpable homicide charges having crushed to death one of his alleged attackers while in transit from South Africa on Almeida Transport truck.
“The case may require a diplomatic intervention by government talking to the Zimbabwe authorities, otherwise, we will just be going round in circles without Elliot being released and apparently other people are hoping to gain from his misfortune,” Gibson wrote to ministry on August 5 2013.
A Mr M Katemuka, on behalf of the ministry’s principal secretary, acknowledged receipt of the letter which they referred to the Malawi Embassy in Zimbabwe.
On Monday, the embassy’s labour and welfare officer Arthur Ntandika admitted to have done nothing else save for transacting with Elliot’s lawyer. Foreign Affairs Minister Ephraim Chiume on Wednesday promised to take up the matter with the embassy.
Arrested on June 7 20113, Elliot was granted bail only for the Zimbabwe Immigration authorities to re-arrest him for overstaying in the country.
Elliot claims to have on June 7 2013 stopped over around Beitbridge when he was attacked. The attackers, according to the family, wrestled with Elliot in the truck before he overpowered them and speed over, crushing one of them with rear tyres in the process. He was arrested after reporting the matter to Zimbabwe Police.
