TWO Zambian drivers who operate the long distance haulage bus, Zambia-Namibia, were arrested and detained in Katima Mulilo last week Thursday for allegedly contravening the Namibian Transport Act. A police source said Masauso Sakala and Lucky Mudenda were detained for 10 hours after traffic officers at a road block arrested them for picking up Namibian passengers on the way to and from Windhoek.
The police source also said the charges constitute a fine or imprisonment as the two contravened the permit issued under the Namibian Road Traffic and Transport Act.
“They were taken in after countless warnings on several occasions to stop picking up Namibian passengers,” said the source.
Sakala and Mudenda, who were charged for carbortage, are out on bail of N$5,000 each and the case was postponed to 17 August 2010 pending further investigations.
The Road Transportation Act, Act 74 of 1977 reads: “A person undertaking a public road transport service must have the necessary permit, operating licence or ad hoc authorisation; and be registered in terms of this Act in case of minibus taxi-type, metered taxi, bus-type and coach-type services…” the permit reads.
Some Zambia-Namibia bus conductors, who declined to be named, this week told Informanté that their transportation permit allows them to trade, that is to pick up passengers within the borders.
“There are many foreign buses trading in Namibia but they do not suffer the harassments that befall us weekly when we drive through the town. The permit does not limit us to board foreigners’ only,” they complained.
A tertiary student, Jane Malumo, who boarded the bus when the arrests were made, said the bus was trailed and stopped 20 km before Katima. She said the officers demanded all Namibian passengers jump out and luggage thoroughly checked adding that they were subjected to victimisation and harassment.
“This bus is always searched at the borders and in town every time they drive through. Chaos broke out when the police came and demanded that Namibian passengers dock out of the bus,” she said.
A local mini-bus operator, who declined to be named, said the Zambian Bus is allegedly causing mayhem at the town as they get local customers that they should be transporting to Windhoek.
“The Zambian bus is not profiting us local operators in anyway. The bus boards both foreign and local passengers depriving us of making a living too,” said the operator.
[www.informante.web.na]
And how many years did these guys stay in Zambia during their ‘reberation struggle’? How about the free education that they received at a special Institute of Namibia in Lusaka or at Nkumbi International College ku Central Province. Remember how Zimbabweans were treating Zambian. It seems to be a pattern – help liberate them and then get mistreated when you go to ‘their country’.
# 1 Quiet justified BUT you break the law at your own cost! Being kind to them during the struggle is by no means a ‘passport’ to break their National Laws.
We need to respect the law in Zed…and in the same vein, the laws of other countries that faciliate us to do business in their backgrounds or otherwise…lets remember we represent millions of Zedians whenever we cross or fly into other countries..Here in Norway the only Zedian picked up was pissing in the street-a master student! Never has a Zedian seen red here…we are proud Zedians and people here love us!!!
namibians are !diots whats wrong with giving a lift to non zambians they are so premetive!
Number 2 is right! “When in Rome do as the Romans do!” When will ama Zambians aya Champuka so much learn? Or is it that behind that streetwise and well informed image of a Zambian is a mask of absolute ignorance!
Ubufontini ba Zambia. please adhere to local laws and regulations,.
:d:d:d:d:d
Being Zambian and living outside Zambia, I have come to realise how lawless we are, mini bus, taxi and track drivers and generally other drivers break our own Zambian trafiic laws at will. Now in countries where they respect the law..we start talking about how we helped them back in the day. So can we go in and break their laws and rape their women because they went to institute of Namibia or whatever.
We are a lawless society and we need to change. That is why we don’t develop because we lack discipline. Namibia, Botswana,etc have discipline, obey the laws..theirs and ours hence they move forward. We are lawless from the top (Chiluba..etc)
Each country has its own laws and rules and when you break them you go in for that. Its a pity that in Zambia we fail to follow our own laws starting from the top. Talk of the corruption cases of the top brass guys like kafupi. Thats why we are poor because laws discourage corruption when they are followed or adhered to seriously. I support Namibians to punish these guys for breaking the laws maybe they will be good citizens when they come back home. Sorry to say that but we have to adhere to the laws of the countries we visit. If you are not sure ASK!
No 2 Slave mentality will never leave you.Can you reread the story.You are too quick to blame zambians at a drop of hat
Its a stupid law id it exists.Am not sure if everyone should be carrying passports at bus stops to identify themselves if they are Namibians or not.With globalisations being the main thing at the moment how can you enforce this law without inconviniencing innocent people
Zambia: Namibian nabbed for trafficking four Zambian children
For those of you who think Namibians are angles thry were not breaking the law because these were Zambian children who one can do whatever they like as long as they are foreigners???????Ask yourself which one is a greater crime????????
The main problem I am seeing here is that the Bus owner is loosing a lot of revenue that is unaccounted for. I am sure all the passengers carried within Namibia are either issued with unofficial tickets or no tickets at all. Whichever way you look at it these drivers are at fault.
These coaches are not MATOLA that they should be stopping anywhere at will, they have designated station where to stop and pick passengers. Unfortunately the Zambian mentality of both passengers and drivers is VERY BAD – We stop and board a bus whereever we want. The traffic poilice are corrupt so the scourge goes unchecked.
As #6 says in Bots and Nam they have well paid and disciplined cops. I was passing through one police station in Bots and saw it full of new Vehicles parked not on crime but for Cops.
Number 8 First and foremost discuss the issue…its a mark of mental advancement.
For sure local operators must have dealt with the police to get our boys (i think…) but it still remains to be said tht our boys no doubt have been operating outside the agreed terms thus breaking the law…no slave mentality here my good sir…or is madam
Number 10
A wrong is a wrong, it doesnt matter what degree…it will have to be dealt with to the full extent of the law…generalising is also a wrong! I dont think all Namibians are bad people…i pray we get our children back and restoration comes forth…
Namibians and Ma Tswana look down on Masholi. The problem with Zambians is that Busholi is ingrained in the DNA. The lawlessness starts from Plot 1 to the Kaponya in the street. Just look at the choice of Zambian leaders. Sata, Alaa Bee, Chiluba! My God!
If it was a Namibian Driver detained in Zambia, he could have bribed his/her way out because our corruption levels are just too much. The lessons for Zambia are plenty, but we never learn. If you take it emotionally, it hurts to be treated like that in a foreign nation. However, we too have our own country; though our leadership and or police would be more brutal to you, the Zedian, than a foreigner. The PHD (pull him down) syndrome is evident in everything: sale of Zamtel, KCM, Lumwana, and the list goes on. We now have our own people out of employment while companies have been advertising for well paid positions in Zambia using foreign media. Where is the pride of being Zambian? Where is the patriotism from the nation? Sorry I have diviated a bit from the issue at hand.
Zambia- ichalo chaba Christiani, kusenaba from the top to the kids. Does our God hear our prayers while we work hard to better our nation?
This is about more than just breaking the law. Being a US citizen, having lived in Namibia for several years & having traveled this route (although not on this bus line which is a newer service since late 2007 and has direct service to lusaka–I left 2 months before this service was introduced) The practice of getting passengers along the way is nothing new for these big bus lines. Great if they want to enforce law but the article mentions issues about non-Namibians traveling via these bus lines, (mostly Zambians, central and east Africans use these services often to make connections to other services)… I sense some xenophobia here which in my opinion can be quite common in NAM. I love Namibia, my son was born there but this is not a black an white legal issue… Surely there is more it
In response to some comments here, Namibia has been trying to police human trafficking… (I have met refugees in Osire Camp that were trafficked and dumped not intending to become refugees) There was also a serial killer in Namibia called the B1 butcher who murdered people and left them along the travel corridors and highways…Since then I had noticed they really policed the roads and not just border posts and check points…
Namibia is becoming a lot less corrupt with certain issues especially home affairs issues but then again it also depends on who you are and who you know. However Namibia is not free from corruption just as the US or any other nation is not free from corruption. The gov’t in Namibia is trying its level best to deal with these issues though.
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