HOME Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani has said Government has set aside more than K2 billion to acquire riot gear for the police to enable it quell riots effectively.
The minister said Government was also trying to secure bulletproof vests for police officers.
Mr Mangani said when he addressed police officers in Kitwe yesterday the inadequate riot gear had put pressure on police in handling riotous situations leading to the use of live ammunition resulting in unfortunate situations of shootings.
Mr Mangani said use of live ammunition had created an impression that the police did not care about human life and that this picture needed to be changed to build public confidence.
Despite working in difficult conditions, he advised officers to work hard and ensure peace in the nation so that people did not live in fear.
He was aware that police officers worked in difficult conditions and were subjected to all sorts of names by the public but urged them to continue working hard.
“There have been unfortunate incidences where police have tried to use live ammunition to scare away crowds but ended up shooting people. This has been due to inadequate riot gear,” the minister said.
And Mr Mangani said Government was trying to improve working conditions for police officers and that he was not happy with the disconnections of water and electricity in police camps.
The disconnections have created a lot of problems and that is why Government wants to introduce electricity allowances to allow officers pay bills for themselves.
He said Government was looking at infrastructure development in camps, which involved rehabilitating existing infrastructure as well as new ones.
Meanwhile, Kasumbalesa border immigration officer in charge Miriam Chiyali said her department lacked sufficient staff to handle the high number of illegal entries because of a porous border.
Speaking when the minister visited the border post, she said there were only eight officers instead of 25 needed to effectively carry out operations.
She complained that while Congolese nationals flouted Zambian immigration laws, Zambians were not allowed into that country without the minimum requirements demanded by that country’s laws.
[Times of Zambia]
misplaced priorities.are we to witness a full police brutality under this regime?very sad development.
The minister seems to be indicating that the governments expects more riots in the Country. One would think that the best approach would be to tackle issues which could give rise to the riots. Preparing to suppress riots, in a democratic Country, is an indication that the government could be running out of ideas.
wHAT A MESS WE ARE IN! THIS ADMINISTRATION IS JUST ABOUT SURPRESSING AND OPPRESSING PEOPLE ARE THEY EXPECTING MORE RIOTS? IS THIS A PRIORITY?
mwapumwa kuli ba buju.
Ye!! you will need these come 2011.
Are we going back to the Kaunda days????
The beginning of Banda’s endgame!!!
Someone ought to remind this minister Mangani that Zambians are not riotous people, sometimes they are just forced into disorder by the foolish and selfish decisions made by the so called leaders. The truth of the matter is that Mr Mangani and his boss want to strengthen and confirm that Zambia is a police state.
WINA AZALI NAMA TEARGAS AYO!
Ba CBU naba UNZA mwafwa baiche. Iye ba Rupiah Banda ee, already back to UNIP. The Party and Its Government (PIG) tactics.
Sometimes these govt officers surprise me.Every year,every new home affairs minister will promise the cops better conditions of service and will do nothing.Then another one will come and say we are doing something.They take advantange that cops don’t have a union.Why not shut up and sleep.
GRZ to procure RIOT GEAR to quell what? This is not a police state or DICTATORSHIP REGIME BUT A DEMOCRATIC ONE. Those cops you intend to arm with riot gear are Zambian parents who dream their children holding better positions than theirs. The cops need that K2B to sort out their utility bills uniforms etc. Why should a govt which is founded on upholding the rule of law resort to brutal methods of dealing with unhappy students etc. That is a stupid priority. Start paying cops utility allowances such water, electricity, meali meal etc straight to their salaries. Those cops are adults and responsible pipo. Get rid of Colonial mentality of treating cops like they dont have brains.Improve the police as a whole not MA RIOT.Even Post Aphartheid RSA has done away with POLICE BRUTALITY- SHAME
You see now; You guys thought RB is a Dummy. He is way ahead and prepared for 2011.