Why Road Blocks Can Never Be Stopped
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Road blocks, a Syndicate of Corrupt Officers and Home Affairs Officials
A cartel exist that profits from the roadblocks especially against Minibus Drivers.
The cartel collects as high as K200,000 a day.
It’s a properly networked criminal syndicate.
The leader of the traffic police officers is seen buying breakfast and lunch and delivers the meals to offices at Lusaka Central Police and Police Service Headquaters.
Similarly money is shared from Lusaka Central Police , Service Headquarters and Ministry of Home Affairs.
That’s why every directive to stop roadblocks falls on deaf ears.
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu has issued bans against roadblocks. The repeated directives have been ignored-repeatedly!
I remember that everytime we held bilateral meetings with the South African Government, or held business meetings with the Captains of the Industry, the complaint of turn-around time for trucks and rail sent to Zambia and DRC was awful.
For rail it was the aged and poor infrastructure that sees loss of time as trains move at snail’s pace.
For trucks, it was the over 35 roadblocks existing between Kazungula-Livingstone-Lusaka-Kasumbalesa! And the chaos at the borders.
Copperbelt Provincial Minister, Elisha Matambo had to beg police officers not to hold their corrupt exercise during peak hour.
The roadblocks can’t be stopped.
An entire network of corrupt officials benefits from the systematic extortions from members of the public.
That’s why the roadblocks are aptly called;”ATM”.
On this one, Mr. Mwamba is absolutely right. Traffic checks are the cops’ way of extorting money from road users and it is a very lucrative business. Ordinary policemen are an endangered species. Almost every policeman is a traffic cop.
Our Traffic police are thorougly corrupt.
At least for once you have beckoned with truth and how well it benefited your pf government which never once condemned it.
Kudos Mr. Mwamba for once. As a die hard UPND supporter I concur with you on this one. Our traffic cops are disgusting and a disgrace bent on decampaigning our beloved and hard working party. But remember that these are the same junkie police officers which the PF rececruited? I remember seing most of these traffic officers during the PF regime especiallyba Emmasdale na ba Central. The two ladies who always extort drivers by the Lsk Post office traffic lights which deliberately has no signage to direct traffic to Church Road. Those two laddies are thieves in uniforms The best we can do is to retire all of the traffic dept.
No kudos, this was strengthened and encouraged under PF. IF PF came back, nay they don’t stand a chance. Today we experience less than 10% of road blocks we experienced under PF. Mr. Mwamba cannot claim kudos for a problem they tolerated and encouraged.
No need to blame one another Mwebekala chalo. It is Societal Cancer. We are a rotten and corrupt Nation. It is in our DNA. If you transfer the whole population of Japan into Zambia and transfer the whole population of Zambia to Japan, Zambia will be Corrupt-free and Japan will be Corrupt-infested and we will go with our Cholera.
Weĺl said. Mwamba can not speak today on this issue when people like Commander America are in imprison today for the very ressons he cites.
Why didnt Mwamba speak up when Jay Jay was slapping and robbing Policemen? Why didnt Mwamba speak up when Kampyongo was recuriting PF cadres into the Police service? Why is Mwamba on the run, if he believes in the rule of law, yet he is being pursued for assulting an officer of the law.
Mwamba is nothimg but two faced. A hypocrite devoid of any semblance of morals or priniciples. If he did he would be man enough to face the law. Not the coward he is on the run.
Mwamba is one the reasons the cancer Simpo goes on in this country. We have a culture problem. And when a bad habit sets in. People like Mwamba dont speak up. They allow it to fester. Set in. And then use it in their rapporture for their lipservice speaks to seem relevant.
Our police and traffic police are rotten to the core. I’m totally disgusted with these people, I’m proud to say that. This country is finished with this department, the truth is that our leaders have failed completely to bring integrity and order to this department. These men in uniform have more powers than our leaders because they do as they wish. What kind of a society are we when these traffic officers have no pride to wear that uniform? They’re liars who create imaginary charges. Totally disgusting, all they want is money. Mwamba is totally right on this one.