PUBLIC PROTECTOR CONCERNED WITH REPORTS OF UNLAWFUL IMPOUNDING OF MOTOR VEHICLES BY POLICE
Lusaka, Thursday 4th January, 2024
The Public Protector Mrs. Caroline Sokoni
has noted with concern reports of the increase in unlawful impounding of motor vehicles by some traffic police Officers.
The Public Protector notes that the impounding of motor vehicles by Zambia
Police has increased even in circumstances where the offense committed is not impoundable under the law.
Mrs. Sokoni has observed that in most cases members of the public are law-abiding and are willing to pay fines that go into government coffers.
However, some traffic police officers prefer impounding vehicles as a scheme to solicit
bribes from inconvenienced motorists.
The Public Protector notes that the act by traffic police officers is obstructing
the government’s fight against maladministration and corruption when law
enforcement officers must not be the ones who cause these vices to flourish.
Mrs. Sokoni says as an institution mandated by the law to ensure adherence to processes and procedures in public institutions, the Office of the Public Protector will not allow a few officers under the Traffic Department dent the
image of the Zambia Police Service due to their failure to follow the laid down procedures when carrying out their duties.
She has called on the Zambia Police Service Traffic Officers to be professional and avoid procedural improprieties as they execute their duties that lead to the impounding of motor vehicles without proper justification and victimization of members of the public.
The Public Protector has also appealed to members of the public who havebeen victims of police impounding their vehicles for questionable reasons to obtain the name and service number of police officers and the police station manning the roadblock and report to the Office of the Public Protector or the Police Public Complaints Commission.
Yes well observed, chisamba point is one of the check points inconveniencing motorists with quees stretching over 500 meter while officer’s turn into fitness certificate testers, first thing is your licence when his in possition of the ID then its his time to subject inspection from Jack, fire extinguisher, triangles, spare wheel, number the three disc on the screen. All this is only ends when he or she points to the packing area as another officer is on the stand by to collect the drivers licence and direct the supposedly traffic law breaker to a site office for instant justice, where the offence is read out with the fine it attracts. This issue of been given a ticket is not applicable to bwana mukubwa, who is never wrong. Same applies to speed trap it’s only the office that know the speed limit where his enforcing, the drive you just have to pay the 300. Honest we need these law enforcers on our road but not as financial distortors instead as law and road regulations enforcers.