Police in Zambezi District have recorded 25 different cases ranging from Assault, Malicious Damage to Property, Arson and Unlawful Wounding that were as a result of a tribal conflict between Lunda and Luvale speakers.
In a statement issued to Diamond News in Solwezi, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Danny Mwale, says the mayhem caused injuries on people from both tribes.
Mr. Mwale says victims have been admitted to Zambezi District Hospital where they are receiving treatment and so far, no arrest has been made as investigations are ongoing.
District Commissioner Simeon Machayi tells Diamond Media in a phone interview, that trouble started when a group of Lunda speakers allegedly attempted to stop a procession of the Luvales from taking possession of a graveyard where the renowned Makishi emerge ahead of the Likumbi Lya Mize traditional ceremony of Senior Chief Ndungu of the Luvale scheduled for this weekend.
Mr. Machayi says as a result of the clashes that occured on the eastern bank of the Zambezi River, 10 people were seriously hurt while nearby properties were set ablaze.
Meanwhile, Police have dispatched Paramilitary officers to quell the tension which frequently occurs due to unending historical territorial disputes between the two tribes, and past governments have failed to unite the two tribes.
Some sections of society that have seen the aftermath online, have condemned the incident by calling for restraint on both sides.
By Dante Bwalya