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Mweetwa alarmed by Choma police officers openly soliciting for bribes from motorists

File:  A traffic policeman attending to a motorist at a roadblock near Chikankata in Mazabuka. [1]
File: A traffic policeman attending to a motorist at a roadblock near Chikankata in Mazabuka.

Choma Central Member of Parliament, Cornelius Mweetwa, is alarmed by activities of some traffic police officers in Choma who are openly soliciting bribes from motorists without any fear of the law
Mr Mweetwa says the behaviour of the police officers are tarnishing the image of the police service.

He claimed that the traffic police officers have been using private motor vehicles to pursue villagers coming into town with light trucks and farm produce.

Addressing a meeting of residents in Choma, Mr Mweetwa said corruption is a cancer that must be rooted out of society because it derails development efforts.

The MP, who is also a former police officer, said there is urgent need to curb the illegal activities of the police officers because they are a danger to the nation.

He said he would draw the attention of the police command to the matter.
Mr Mweetwa has urged Choma residents to fight all forms of corruption in public offices.

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Comments Disabled To "Mweetwa alarmed by Choma police officers openly soliciting for bribes from motorists"

#1 Comment By Brainee On September 2, 2013 @ 1:23 pm

More money their pockets. Nomba ninshi?

#2 Comment By Nostradamus On September 2, 2013 @ 2:00 pm

I think Cornelius Mweetwa just missed his job as a Police Officer… jealous.

#3 Comment By KWEKWE On September 2, 2013 @ 2:27 pm

HE IS JUST PRETENDING. IF HE WAS A POLICE OFFICER, WHY IS HE SUPRISED? IS HE NOT ONE OF THEM? HAVE YOU MWEETWA FORGTEN THOSE DAYS WHEN YOUR FINGERS USED TO DIG DEEPER INTO OTHER PEOPLES POCKETS? LT. PLEASE DONT WASTE OUR TIME.

#4 Comment By ndobo On September 2, 2013 @ 2:50 pm

This is crazy… tongas have also learnt nkani ya ka something!!! so no tribe will rule zed corruptionless!!

#5 Comment By Mushota On September 2, 2013 @ 3:57 pm

Too good to be true

Thanks

#6 Comment By Nubian Princess On September 3, 2013 @ 5:18 am

Fake alarm, Mweetwa also takes bribes!

#7 Comment By Masala Market On September 2, 2013 @ 1:37 pm

It is all over not just Choma.This is what low salaries can do.It is the same in Russia for your own info.

#8 Comment By Khomboni Radio Bwaima Bwakosa Bulendo On September 2, 2013 @ 7:55 pm

But wherever we drive its the norm They are corrupt to their bone marrows Rotten monsters

#9 Comment By bryson On September 2, 2013 @ 1:39 pm

keep on high lighting such evils we will eventually get to a better and fair society

#10 Comment By kim On September 2, 2013 @ 1:45 pm

Elyo waishiba?? The Normal police station operation is that the incharge gives a target to the trafic head to collect per day and they share this money daily. Even the president knows this, ridiculous though it may sound. E NOMO!!!

#11 Comment By True son of Barosteland On September 2, 2013 @ 1:55 pm

They are all Bemba policemen and women from Muchinga and Kasama, you can tell from their long fingers, ready to tola fye

#12 Comment By Zebige On September 2, 2013 @ 1:59 pm

I bet the bembas gives you sleepless Nights ha ? Stop hating.

#13 Comment By cozmokaojr On September 2, 2013 @ 2:45 pm

@true son of Barosteland why do you always hide in other people’s tribes,a true son of barostland is always proud of his own. i wouldn’t call you a tribalist because hating bembas is deep rooted in you genes, its not something you aquired on your own otherwise you could’ ve dropped it by now. naumfwa tapali ichigayo mbuli.

#14 Comment By Mutale Chikwanda On September 2, 2013 @ 4:22 pm

I concur with @ Cozmokaojr. Your hatred for Bembas is so deep rooted in your genes that it clouds your thinking. Your thinking is so clouded that you can’t even see the wrongs committed by other tribes. You even fail to understand that not all Bemba speaking people are from Kasama and Muchinga!

#15 Comment By Child of the Sky On September 2, 2013 @ 4:52 pm

I know a lot of Bemba men and women, honourable people toiling to earn a living just like many of us. Yet in every tribal grouping there are rotten eggs. Bemba is pronounced because in the past many used to shy away from their tribal grouping’s tags and claimed they were Bemba. So the number of Bemba thieves seems to be overbloated when compared to thieves from the other tribal groupings.

#16 Comment By Blue Blood On September 3, 2013 @ 8:59 am

All respondents above, my advice is that you should never encourage tribalists by responding to their stup1d tribalistic sentiments. If you respond you are encouraging them to continue to throw dirt on other ethnic groups.

#17 Comment By Twende On September 2, 2013 @ 1:57 pm

In Lusaka they have even gone a miles away by displaying their latest motor vehicles by the side while controlling traffic. check that on kabwe round about, Freedom way junction and independence road near the hindi hall. in as much as we want to develop, how does a police office showcase his Benz with their low salaries. I know we have loans but seriously something interesting out there.

#18 Comment By ZP (Zabwino Palibe) On September 2, 2013 @ 3:51 pm

Anyone on a grz payroll can wallk in bank and get a car loan. You hear that.

#19 Comment By Twende On September 2, 2013 @ 4:16 pm

Ya anyone can but loans are gotten from your net worthy.

#20 Comment By Theorist On September 3, 2013 @ 12:03 am

In Zambia, what people call new or latest cars are those .com’s even dating bk from the 90’s. U can even get a Benz for $1200

#21 Comment By Slu On September 2, 2013 @ 2:16 pm

The IG should move in, Choma residents have suffered at the hands of these police officers.

#22 Comment By Wanzelu On September 2, 2013 @ 2:34 pm

Take pictures and record the activity using secret cameras. These are plenty on the net.

#23 Comment By Gule wamukulu On September 2, 2013 @ 2:16 pm

It is surprising that the MP is only learning about the vice now when it is a well known secret.

#24 Comment By Wanzelu On September 2, 2013 @ 2:57 pm

Are some people here endorsing the police ‘s corrupt practices? If that is the case then there is no need carrying foul when some people get good jobs on wako ni wako terms in government.

For your information, If you want to be a director in government nowadays pay Nchito,kabimba, Membe just K100,000 kwacha, you be given the job in no time.

Sata has redefined the meaning of corruption to mean only those not supporting PF can be corrupt and nepotism is not corruption any more ,but a sacred privilege to be enjoyed by the PF and its supporters.

I strongly support the MP for highlighting this cancer which is the root of unfairness in our lovely Zambia. I want to see definitions of all acts of corruption clearly enshrined in our laws .

#25 Comment By Wanzelu On September 2, 2013 @ 3:10 pm

continued;
I also want to see vote buying to be legalised so that the poor voters can benefit from the lies they are told during campaigns. This will put an end the one sided judgements presided by Chibesakunda when she nullifies opposition MP seats on dodgy grounds of vote buying, and yet the PF and Sata get away with it when they do it openly.
Bad as it may seem but it is the order of the day in African politics. Therefore it is better to legalise it so that it does not give unfair advantage the ruling parties.

#26 Comment By chib On September 2, 2013 @ 2:24 pm

In kitwe there is a police van ZP1925 that is always stationed at Nkana west roborts stoping trucks which do not stop at the rail crossing. These guy are at this junction as early ha 0430. Their job is just to collect bribes and they have no shame to ask the drivers. The IG has concetrated to much on the politicians living her house in disalay.

#27 Comment By cozmokaojr On September 2, 2013 @ 2:27 pm

nothing has changed since you left the cop shop in a mess.however PF is working hard to change things , remember choma was not made in one day…! sorry i meant Rome

#28 Comment By saulosi, mushota & mmembe (yes, small letters) On September 2, 2013 @ 2:38 pm

Very sad

#29 Comment By saulosi & mushota (yes, small letters) On September 2, 2013 @ 2:39 pm

More maneh!

#30 Comment By Jay Jay On September 2, 2013 @ 3:02 pm

So you think if they increase their salaries it will eradicate corruption? A bent copper will always be corrupt no matter what..its just his bribes that will become fatter.

#31 Comment By Kashimani On September 2, 2013 @ 3:09 pm

Mweetwa is a hypocrite, he always likes protecting criminals. In December he protected a thief in his constituency who was supposed to be arrested for stealing money from a couple. Mweetwa promised to pay the money on behalf of the thief and up to this day he has not done so. He knows that villagers from Dimbwe, Mapanza, chikanta etc are always stopped these police officers and money is asked for all the time. What offence is there in carrying farm produce to the market in your light truck? The word CANTER makes police officers restless especially thos that have come from Livingstone when they changed the headquarters. Police officers are having a field day in PF government.

#32 Comment By Jay Jay On September 2, 2013 @ 3:12 pm

In the small country of Georgia, they tackled this issue of corrupt traffic officers by retiring all of them from the head of traffic right down to the constable( in the nation’s interest), then replacing them with better equipped, modern US intensively trained traffic officers – not only are the roads safer but corruption of this kind has been eliminated.

#33 Comment By Jyros On September 3, 2013 @ 12:27 pm

Interesting. I think that would work in Zed as well.

#34 Comment By Satish On September 2, 2013 @ 3:17 pm

This scourge is everywhere! I quaked in my boots when a soldier asked me for ‘kanono’ so that I could go drink at an exclusive officers club at a military base. I asked him if I could play with his ak47 for an additional K100. Are you thinking what I am thinking?

#35 Comment By Twende On September 2, 2013 @ 3:39 pm

Satish now u understand why we have a lot of robberies with AK47. why do we still buy bullets and yet we aint at war with any country. Stock control rules states u only buy something out of stock or any fast moving item.

#36 Comment By ZP (Zabwino Palibe) On September 2, 2013 @ 3:45 pm

Give half of gratuity to cops they will stop begging. That is sata kind of politics. I think we need mmd back and not hollow rhetoric from you chaps. Mmd is tried and tested. No more experiments with these to ma tribal parties.

#37 Comment By Chosembe On September 2, 2013 @ 3:59 pm

With such long grass by the road side, it tell you why there are so many accidents on Zambia roads because drivers can’t see far. Do we need more money to cut grass by our road sides?

#38 Comment By Njalamimba Musonda On September 2, 2013 @ 4:00 pm

If you have information, just like any other citizen you have the power to arrest the culprit and take them to the police. Moreover you are a lawyer and a trained Police Officer.

#39 Comment By ZP (Zabwino Palibe) On September 2, 2013 @ 4:08 pm

Under Chiluba corruption was 80% thats when HH made his money. Under LPM corruption went down 40%. Under Rb corruption rose to 90%. Under sata corruption is 90%. Its done by big guys. Under HH corruption will remain stable at 90% but more sophiscated with offshore accounts.

#40 Comment By The Philosopher On September 2, 2013 @ 4:11 pm

This has been a big problem countrywide for a long time. I don’t know why the police command under Libongani re-introduced roadblocks when Malama had banned the same due to the scourge

#41 Comment By mature On September 2, 2013 @ 6:45 pm

exactly my thoughts.

#42 Comment By Ni-Zee On September 2, 2013 @ 4:15 pm

THIS Cornelius GUY, WHERE HAS HE BEEN ALL THESE YEARS, ONLY TO COME AND WAKE UP TODAY. POLICE IN THE WHOLE SOUTHERN PROVINCE HAVE BEEN AT IT SINCE HE WAS BORN…… *****
WAKE UP Cornelius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#43 Comment By Them! On September 2, 2013 @ 4:23 pm

Zambia icalo caba Christiani! Is it true that Zambia is a Christian Nation looking at all these vices? The run up to 2011 election, I was very sure and confident that Mr. Sata will rootout corruption planted by MMD but to my suprise it has even gone deeper. Awe mwandi. If its on interviews for employment, worse! It is everywhere even in the Mortuary!

#44 Comment By Mutale Chikwanda On September 2, 2013 @ 4:24 pm

@true son of Barosteland, I concur with @ Cozmokaojr. Your hatred for Bembas is so deep rooted in your genes that it clouds your thinking. Your thinking is so clouded that you can’t even see the wrongs committed by other tribes. You even fail to understand that not all Bemba speaking people are from Kasama and Muchinga!

#45 Comment By ZP (Zabwino Palibe) On September 2, 2013 @ 4:35 pm

used petrol cars from japan landing cost is between k25m and k30. Any civil servant can get that loan from zanaco

#46 Comment By Jimmy On September 2, 2013 @ 5:50 pm

Cornelius Mweetwa ex policeman and now whistle brower.So taata timwakazi kuti babbuju mbakabwalala,mwaziba sunu?ok better !! but we hope vonse vima bent cops vizabwelela mukutamba falls .

#47 Comment By Citizen On September 2, 2013 @ 6:16 pm

Iam surprised ex cop Mweetwa is surprised!

#48 Comment By Bushman On September 2, 2013 @ 6:21 pm

Twende, all armed forces the world over use a lot of live ammo for excercises [training]. Try to think a little bit more before posting.

#49 Comment By eeegwetwo On September 3, 2013 @ 6:57 am

Madam Stella Libongani. Corruption has reached unprecedented levels in Police. The worst is the Traffic department. Road blocks have been turned into ATMs. Everything is done in broad daylight. Command has lost control of the cops. Corruption madam breeds lawlessness and a culture of impugnity. Stop the rot!

#50 Comment By eeegwetwo On September 3, 2013 @ 7:04 am

Let us be fair to the IG and give her constructive advice. Madam, almost all road blocks are now used by officers to collect bribes. I have reported this matter to Lusaka Central Police and RATSA. However, there seems to be no will to tackle this vice. Corruption like any other crime cannot be eliminated but it can be controlled. I advise you to speak to Commissioner General of ZRA and also seek help from OP Director General. Your institution is too important to be weakened by corruption.

#51 Comment By Sir jeff On September 3, 2013 @ 8:02 am

M sure LT made a wrong heading. I was expecting something like Cornelius devises a plan to reduce Traffic bribes. Cornelius is the last person that can be alarmed on this as he knows it better.There’s been corruption in govt depts from time immemorial n we all know that. It worsened in MMD n now Critical in PF.So I urge Mwetwa to be objective n not a perpertual critic with no logical solutions. Thats the only way he can get the vote he prays for.

#52 Comment By Blue Blood On September 3, 2013 @ 9:02 am

Looks like the Zambia Police has no reputation worth writing home about.

#53 Comment By ba pompwe On September 3, 2013 @ 9:15 am

???????????

#54 Comment By SGT GUNDUZANI On September 3, 2013 @ 10:49 am

I have a BMW X5 and a mistubishi canter light truck. The reasons for mentioning this isn’t meant to show off my affluence but to drive a point home. Whenever I’m driving the former, I’m given express exit at every road block, no questions asked.

Let me drive a Canter, my Lord! Every road block whether traffic or security, I’m literally ‘stripped’ naked. Now I carry all the ‘paraphernalia’ required of me. Jack, triangles, fire extinguisher, good tyres, you name it. My truck is licensed for 12 months and the fitness certificate is fine. But I was still arrested!

Reason, one rear flap(mud guard) is missing. Second offense, there is no inscription on the door as to the ownership of the light truck!

#55 Comment By mike On September 3, 2013 @ 12:19 pm

ALL those who can not account for their wealth are CORRUPT. There was NO corruption in KKs days because there was an institution called SITET. At the time if you are Cop and yr salary is say K100 per month there was no way you would own property worth K6 million unless you can prove that you got a loan in that Sum or you are in business with proof of invoices. If you could not account for your wealth you stood to lose it. When I become President I will ensure that each one of you account for his/her wealth. Take care….

#56 Comment By yaks On September 3, 2013 @ 1:01 pm

COPs prey on our ignorance. I drove to the farm over the weekend from Copperbelt to the midlands. when I reached Kapiri mposhi’s Mayumbi road block around 7:00hrs. This cop asked me why my lights were on and didn’t switch on hazards/ flashing light as i app. he wanted to take offense, after all was well with the vehicle( all the musoko, driving licence, seatbelt . when I told him that there was no hazard or vehicle coming behind me to warn off my eminent stop, i didn’t need to flash my lights. My headlamps were on because I was driving a black car early in the morning and I needed to be seen. (Safety rule, be seen, be heard or be crushed). when the Cop relised that I was in the know. He simply asked and I quote ( Shani yaka breakfast boss?). I sternly looked at him before giving him ka…

#57 Comment By THE PRINCE On September 3, 2013 @ 2:57 pm

Don’t Pretend You F.o.ol You don’t know that Police ask for brides?? Whom are you trying to impress?? Vi buza chabe. Get serious and put strategic measures to stop this nonsense.

#58 Comment By chile1 On September 3, 2013 @ 6:07 pm

Iwe naiwe ka cornelious finshi ulesabaila?koz even u we kno u r corrupt,kamoneni akapuma

#59 Comment By chile1 On September 3, 2013 @ 6:15 pm

Iwe ka cornelious naiwe finshi ulesabaila?koz even u we kno u r corrupt,kamoneni akapuma