Friday, March 29, 2024

Curb rampaging Jerabos

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Some Kitwe residents in the centre of town

By Pauline Banda

KITWE and Copperbelt residents are under siege from a crime gang with a menacing name—the jerabo unit. I thought sharing space with a criminal gang in itself is a bad thing. I never imagined the gang would be so daring as to storm a kitchen party and make off with money and gifts.

But lo, they did just that last Sunday as a young bride was basking in the glory of hosting family and friends at a bridal shower at Kitwe Basic school. I think that is just so unacceptable and we can’t have gangs acting with such impunity.

It shows that the gangs feel accepted by their communities, otherwise they would not be so blatant about their deeds.

I am told the name jerabos is a corruption of the English term jails boys, convicts who have left jail and mobilised idle youths to rise against their communities. This is a serious problem which we cannot afford to take lightly.

The reason the jerabos have gained this level of notoriety is because we seem to have a tendency as a society in general to glorify wrong-doers. If you go round Kitwe and the Copperbelt, the jerabos are the new kids on the block. In some circles, they are heroes or some kind of cult figures.

You cannot put criminals on a pedestal and treat them like demi-gods. That is totally wrong. It is such attitudes which elevate gangs to high places where they do not deserve to be. We are making the work of the police extremely difficult by glorifying criminals.

[pullquote]I am told the name jerabos is a corruption of the English term jails boys, convicts who have left jail and mobilised idle youths to rise against their communities.[/pullquote]

Ten years ago, we had no clue about the jerabo unit but now, they are literally ruling Kitwe and some Copperbelt towns, which situation should never have been allowed in the first place. The tragedy is that we knowingly or unknowingly mould these gangs and make them almost acceptable.

It is evident that over the years, we have been developing a culture of embracing thugs and looking down on orderliness and the rule of law. Otherwise where do thugs get the impunity to storm a kitchen party and literally turn an orderly gathering upside down?

Tragically, many of us do not realise that criminal gangs are our own creation. We hear of gangs being formed and we applaud them all the way. We laugh about their deeds and before we know it, we have created a monster.

I know that the jerabo unit is probably no match for the Copperbelt police crack squad headed by Dr Martin Malama but the truth is the police could have had more restful nights if communities did not get entertained by thugs making the lives of some people difficult.

[pullquote]It is evident that over the years, we have been developing a culture of embracing thugs and looking down on orderliness and the rule of law. Otherwise where do thugs get the impunity to storm a kitchen party and literally turn an orderly gathering upside down?[/pullquote]

I know that sometimes recreation can be in short supply but cheering thugs is the last thing we should ever do because we all end up being terrorised by the same monsters we unwittingly create.

I don’t care whether one of the jerabos was jilted by the young lady whose bridal shower the gang stormed. That is no justification for thuggery. What has the dumping of one man got to do with all the women who lost their handbags containing valuables?

This is not to say the thugs should have specifically targeted the girl or her family. I mean she had a choice. No one should be bamboozled into marrying anyone. There is absolutely no justification for anyone to harbour criminal thoughts for being ditched.

It might be painful to be dumped because we know men and their ego problems but what does it benefit a man to mobilise a gang to attack innocent women just because a woman has made a democratic choice to marry someone else? Who knows, maybe the story of a jilted lover could have just been cooked up to justify a criminal act.

There is no end in sight to the ‘ingenuity’ of thugs. They can do anything to justify their thuggery but they can’t fool all the people all the time. They know and everyone knows that there is absolutely no justification for criminality.

[pullquote]It might be painful to be dumped because we know men and their ego problems but what does it benefit a man to mobilise a gang to attack innocent women just because a woman has made a democratic choice to marry someone else?[/pullquote]

Nobody can stand in court and plead justification for robbing someone. A wrong is a wrong, there is no way of justifying it. What we are reaping now from the jerabos are the seeds we have been sowing over time.

We have created fertile ground for gangsters and it would appear that if we don’t move swiftly to change our attitudes, the worst is yet to come. How do you explain the conduct of a group of thugs invading a bridal shower? This is unprecedented and it should not be tolerated.

I know that attitude change does not happen overnight. It takes some time but we would do well to start now. We should stop giving tacit approval to vices, until they develop into something unmanageable.

It does not help us to start trying to do something about criminality when it is already out of hand. I am glad that the Copperbelt police chief is in no mood to brook any nonsense. DrMalama has sent out a clear message that he intends to cage the jerabos and send them where they belong—to prison.

We need sanity in our communities. We are already plagued with social problems and we cannot afford to invite more ills. We should loathe crime from the very beginning. Crime gangs are formed within our own communities and we know exactly who is involved but we usually just turn a blind eye to them until they attack us or our own children.

[pullquote]What example are the jerabos setting for young people who are easily influenced by what they see in their neighbourhoods? With the high rate of unemployment, it is easy for youths to look up to criminal gangs.[/pullquote]

We don’t all have to be Dr Malama to reject crime. I believe every citizen has a responsibility to protect themselves and those around them from vices. Dr Malama is merely showing the way by refusing to treat gangs with kid gloves. That is as it should be.

If we keep nodding the conduct of thugs, we will have more gangs and life will be unbearable. It is best to nip the problem in the bud right now. This thing of cheering law breakers should come to an end.

I think the directive from the Minister of Home Affairs for the jerabos to be brought to book immediately is helpful. It shows some political will to contain crime and I just hope and pray that the mob which traumatised peaceful women at a kitchen party in Kitwe is brought to justice.

What example are the jerabos setting for young people who are easily influenced by what they see in their neighbourhoods? With the high rate of unemployment, it is easy for youths to look up to criminal gangs.

This is why this problem should be curbed right now. We are sitting on a time bomb which we can only ignore at our own peril.

78 COMMENTS

  1. cops wu speak aginst them die misterious death.cops grolify gerabo coz they are bot lunch.govt does not knw this group can easily be turned into mecinaries or rebels.wait 2011 election.donchi kubeba that thr slogan nt PFs

  2. I wonder what dandy krazy thinks about all this! After all he’s quoted jeraboh unit in some of his songs.

  3. I am a man with ego like every other man, but to attack a girlfriend or her kitchen party is totally unacceptable. This is  brutal crime. To use an ego as an excuse is a lie. Nobody is safe in Kitwe now. The same situation is actually happening in Kabwe. Former prisoners are terrorism residents.

    There is a common cause for this. Look at our prison system; criminals are not rehabilitated into useful citizens instead the system puts emphasis on punishment, making a criminal more hardcore and fearless. When  criminals are out of jail usually are not useful to society in Zambia, today. 

  4. Well articulated article,Some political loser says its boring,probably he is a beneficiary.Just as the author has pointed out correctly,where is this culture of glorifying criminals coming from.Late Levy tried to change that mindset now today awe sure.

  5. Jerabos are not even common thieves. They are Copper thieves. Chaps who steal copper from the mines or hijack trucks of copper. They have too much money and drive most of the expensive cars on the copperbelt. The police know all the big jeraboz and their means of living. If anything most senior police officers on the copperbelt live in affluence because of the kickbacks they get from these jerabos. Problem in Zambia is that it has to take a politician in high office or their relatives to be attacked for action to be taken. So until the jerabos make a mistake of that sort they will continue to rule the copperbelt.

  6. Point of correction. Jerobo is no a corruption but a contraption of the words Jail Boys. Well intended article though.

  7. @Lundazi, spot on mate. You really know what is happening in kitwe. These ***** are helped by our corrupt cops to be waht they are today. The other thing that has made the succesful is the govt’s attitude of allowing chinese traders to operate freely within our borders. They are the ones who buy the stolen copper with hard cash thus empowering them. All this is well known by the police. Some of the officers are even communicating with the culprits.

  8. Why was Antoniel Mutentwa,former CB commanding Officer so quiet about these barbaric Jerabos? He knows something about them and he needs to offload data to Dr.Malama so that these criminals can be dealt with once and for all.

  9. I live in kitwe and disagree with the author of this article.she didnt do an extensive research on the matter.I am against all forms of violence and victimization of citizens and I condemned the act in strongest terms.the police should see to it that,all evil doers are visited by the wrath of the law.however,lets get back to the issue of jerabohs.if I may ask,who are jeraboh?,are they well established with ranks and structures? who is the leader for the group? when did it start? what are they up to?

  10. in zambia the problem is the police service the eat with them, poor police service we have in zed this so called jerabo are not even pipo who suppose to be so scared of some of us we even met the guys around here in kitwe so its up to the police

  11. The big Jerabo in the name of FTJ Lazo Chiluba is being praise by your RB and is their consultant. What do you expect from the general populace? Not until you stop hero worshiping the big white collar Jerabos that things will normalize.

  12. Breaking News. Mass riots have broken out in Ndola’s town centre leaving 17 policemen dead. 12 Jerabos have been gunned down. Kitwe is also under siege with 10 policemen battling for their lives. The assassination plot on the commander may take place today.

  13. @ ku mindolo, I agree the article is thin and devoid of detail, but it expresses the truth. I live in kt too and we all know the existence of these gangs and their links with the police. These are the people who beat up people with cases not reaching the courts. One guy was assaulted at his own house in the presence of his family just because he shared a girlfriend with a jerabo. I know its not right to have chicks wen you are married, but violence is unacceptable

  14. This is the so called PF boys. Zambians be warned if you bring pF in power the jerabos will be in control. Lawlessness, PF kamponyas!!!!!!!!!!! viva UPND, viva HHHHHHHHHHHH

    • @21 .No wonder you are a black man’s child why do you go off track? we are not discussing PF here infact it is MMD who have failed to control the Jerabos because they also have Two Thugs William Banda and Chris Chalwe..Period! if you are a UPND lost sheep who brutally beat people in Mufumbwe? nkafonkola pamala i will deal with you youngman..

  15. Black Man’s Child, why can’t we stick to issues at hand than always want to politice everything. What has PF got to do with the disrupted bridal shower. Is this what you HH and UPND sycophants are all about. No wonder why your political matrimony with PF turned out sour and more reason why our RB is sliding to victory with aresounding majority.

  16. ‘The reason the jerabos have gained this level of notoriety is because we seem to have a tendency as a society in general to glorify wrong-doers’. The biggest Jerabo is free and walking the streets with a tag of consultant around his neck! He has a stolen wife by his side, attending govt and party functions at top hotels.

  17. Why are people complaining if they glorify the jerabos. Let them reap the rewards for worshipping the gang. If I were Malama I would even look the other way. The CopperBelt is one place where if you are criminal you are respected and admired. So why should people complaign when they get killed and robbed. Infact the jerabos are not doing enough.

  18. The jerabos are not small time guys as other bloggers are putting it.They are copper thieves and drive expensive hammers.they have fleets of public buses and have built flats in high residential areas.I have witnessed Jerabos having their expensive cars washed in the middle of the high way road,independence Road off free town road in Kitwes’ second class and causing traffic jam.They pay K 500,000($110) to have their cars washed.These are boys who at one time walked into shoprite Kitwe and went away with a trolly full of gloceries without paying in full view of security and shoprite Manager Mr.Muwowo.No one can dare to arrest them.They dont observe traffic lights in Kitwe.They pass in Red causing confusion

  19. The tendency to respect, glamorise and glorify criminal activities stems from the govt. The write should have directed the article to rupiah & his govt.
    This is what our people get when they are being governed by criminals themselves… lawlessness!

  20. I remember when the group leader of Jerabos Yangson Kalobo was arrested last year for rape caes charges and reminded at Kitwe Central police,Jerabo unit went with 20 vehicles to ferry mattreses and food to central police.The whole station was turned into a party and the Zambia police officers were seen benefitting as well.He was taken to Mufurila by then Copperbelt chief,Antonnel Mutentwa and the situation got worse,the Jerabos were ferrying food to feed the whole mufurila police compound.He was taken to Kamfinsa prison and the Jerabos started feeding the whole Kamfinsa with food.Jerabo boss had access to 5 star hotel standards whilst in prison.He was released in unknown circumstance.Most of police corps benefited from 100 corrolas which jerabos gave out on xmas to people

  21. We need change of Government in Zambia.The Jerabos are well known,they dine with Police chiefs.what cant they be probed to know their source of funding?Most of them have now registered their dirty company with PACRA(Patent Company registration Authority)as metal dealers.They have been given licences.PACRA,why dont you scrutinise these criminals before issuing a licence?It will be diffcult for police to arrest these Jerabos as they have licences to trade in copper.Most of Jerabo members supply stolen copper to big Jerabos with licences.This had made small boys in Kitwe becoming richer,owning shops in town,hammers and loose pocket money.These are the same boys who are now misbehaving in town.Most of the Jerabos have been recruited as police reserves in Kitwe to curb night residential crime.

  22. The Jerabo are people who do not respect law and order. There trade started in 1997 when the Copperbelt lost it’s glory at the time of the failed coup. At that time things where so bad such that you could even count how many cars where in the town of kitwe. 

    This was a difficult period in the history of the Copperbelt as this was the time now chiluba started thinking of privatising the mines. In anger most of the assets of ZCCM started missing from the mines prompting thieves and all those with long hands. As time went on it was now the Copper people started going for , for they knew very well that the mines where going to foreign hands.

    After privatisation 1998/9 a number of smelting plants started mushrooming in kitwe. At that time most of them where the so called Scrap Metal…

  23. Most of the scrap metal dealers started changing there business to exporting stolen copper from these mines now in foreign mines. People accepted this because most of the people on the copperbelt where unemployed at the time and they feasted with these gentlemen who had found a hole in the mines.

    As time went on a number of entrants started falling in the business of dealing in copper. As the prices of copper raised the guys would shine in the kitwe town as they could afford to buy expensive cars. Some of them who had some brains they started now forming small fake companies suppling air to the mines. At the time the mines had a poor procurement system so they were finding there way through.

    As most of the companies where caught up in 2004 under mwanawasa government

  24. remember the news we had sumtym back about an accident on the rail crossing on the kitwe kalulushi road,2 policemen died on the spot after the car they were in was hit by a mopani copper mine train,the pajero they were in belonged to “shi mumbi”the Godfather of the jerabos!!jerabos are not petty thieves,these guys are a highly organised copper stealing gang with more money than any of us can imagine,the police in kitwe have benefited,police men in kitwe own mansions,drive expensive cars..they know these jerabos..come to kitwe and ask anyone bout these jerabos they’l give u the top names..in a group of 10 men from kitwe,7 have been attacked by these guys before!!u never go out in kitwe we a view to enjoy,u go out with the fear of being attacked!

  25. They shifted there hands on copper. Because of good copper prices they started now building mansions and buying expensive vehicles. The city of kitwe even changed economically as they even found places where they could drink from.

    That’s how Monalisa Pub was even expanded to proportions to accommodate cars and people. Parklands shopping centre became the capital of there dealings and most of our sisters found their way their at XTC. The trade expanded to levels that a new entrant to the business had to have only a muscle t-shirt and could insult. That’s how now our sisters in parklands, riverside and nkana east had to fall for the guys. They started getting married to these guys because of money because they could afford anything at any cost. 

  26. Most of them they where either Grade 12 drop out at chamboli secondary but now they speak english because of the money and the technology they are using in communication. This is how these so called Jerabo Unit came about. They are people who are very strong who can just change there ways and become useful youths and entrepreurs in our country.

    On the issue of the failed Kitchen party – My sisters, Don’t just eat money from a jerabo you  will pay heavily for it, just chose your match! 

  27. I think my sister has’t done enough research when writing this story of the Jerabo’s. This trade has’t just started now it has been there around.

    Who has forgotten about BA KAJAMU ! This is what used to happen those days! I am born and bred in kitwe and I know the history and culture of that city very well!

  28. It is irresponsible to associate PF with Jerabos.Let us apply reason and never share our useless feelings and ignorance on the internet.

  29. #41 please dont compare ba kagem to jerabos……? i dont think the kagem guys terrorised anybody! illetrate yes they were… but not gangsters.

  30. If you want to know who these chaps are in order of hierarchy just listen to Dandy Krazy’s “Techi” or whatever it is called. Kitwe needs Malama and the commando to clear these thugs. The die has been cast. I would happily shoot Shi Mumbi in the head.  :)>-

  31. Chisokone market have run out of Dandy Kranzy first album Jerabo Unit. People want to find out who is a Jerabo honestly cos they think there names have been mentioned there!

  32. Jerabos or not, the COPPERBELT is just known for its lawlessness. That is even why CB citizens hate Lusaka because they can’t fit with civilisation and order. It has always been like that…the shimaini gene is at work. All those notorious former criminals like Nervous Spoiler Kapenda and all the rest impregnanted a lot women, majority of them through rape, and left a lot of their children when they died. Some of these children are a part of all this commotion – there is a lot of the criminal gene in CB – especially Kitwe. Kitwe is notorious: robbers, rapists, thieves, opportunistic miners, former kagems, killers and serial killers – all these chaps over the years have born children in Kitwe…it’s trouble! Good luck but don’t come to Lusaka please!!!

  33. The JERABOS have even put a big banner at nkana east/west robots welcoming RB into kitwe.it is sad,the police are after the jerabos but meanwhile they are in front welcoming RB.befor RB leaves kitwe he will instruct the police to abandon their mission on the jerabos.wait and see.

  34. Imwe What is your problem leave our husbands alone nichani jealouse?Some of your are broke ass brothers just because tu nam mikanane ni sour grapes and for your information am a beautiful Tonga woman and not a Bemba Bi…….h.If you are poverty stricken thats your business as Tonga ladies like good life So go get a life ma destitute mu despora or ba kaponya ku lusaka of CB.Tyeni Uko

  35. #52 (Mrs jerabo)……shut the **** up…or go suck jerabo d.i.c.k maybe that will help you keep quiet.

  36. The article articulates very well the attitude of glorifying the negative aspect of life. People become descanted with what is noble, peaceful and real but get attracted to what is negative. Some media have read the situation and will deliberately sensationalize issues to make their news to sell. A whole community in an area can be hoodwinked to believe and glorify all the wrong things. Surely we should all condemn these acts of hooliganism and thuggery.

  37. awe sure wats happening to our beloved cooperbelt..ilyashi ya nchekelako yalatwipaya mwebantu..even the security elite are in the jerabos pockets awe kanshi twasanswa..

  38. Abena Ndola do you remember the days of the notorious Masala Boys?Well the rest is history.jerabos are just thugs whose belong to executed in Chichele forest by the flying squad.

    Happy Easter!

  39. It was during the reign of Mr. Mutentwa as a CB Police Chief when thses guyts came to prominence. My first encounter with the Jerabos was very shocking. The guy was driving his ill-gotten Hammer along the PEP Stores coridors in full view of teh Police men without them taking any action. All what police men could say was that those are well connected to teh top bwanas. Remember the accident that took place at teh rail crossing on Kitwe-Kalulushi road. It was reported that there were two police officer; ans that velhicle belonged to a Jerabo guy. As residents we have somehow contributed to this lawlessness because of our inaction and complacence even when things are not ok.

  40. Jerabos are very corrupt young men with excellent connections all over. Not all are from prison, there some with prison experience but some have never gone there and will nerver go there but know whats there. They are smart and master minders never found at the scene. For those attacking kabwe residents i believe that they are just poor ex-prisoners with no plans and abit of connections with poor police officers. This is what corruption can do in our communities.

  41. Yes indeed the Jerabo guys are very very powerful gangs in kitwe. Are u aware that the Farmhouse ( a popular drinking place along kitwe Ndola Road belongs to a Jerabo?)

  42. kitwe is fully messed up the onli story ppl av is jerabo jerabo,, yall betta jus pray nd sop wasting time for ur kitwe coz al the shit nd arguments ppl here are having are worthless.. it wont change one bit.. nd only God can restore kitwe not eni police or goverment or watevaa.. and KITWE police officers need to be wiped out coz they are greedy *****s that eat money off enibody and forget to help the community.. why protect a criminal and put iinnocent lifes at risk ??? aahhhhh justice will prevail!!!

  43. believe me its even the highest leaders in the police force that get paid.. yall think its these ordinary police men…ptsssh hem big big ones the make speeches ati we want jerabos gone we gna get rid ov them.. its a lie they jus do it for a while nd agree with jerabos ati stay in prison for a bit nd willl let u out coz they av to show ppl they makin progress ataa everi1 jus blames jerabos.. well if the goverment was very serious nd didnt tolerate tis it wuda neva happend.. a poor man with no qualifications or no opporunities to get money sees an pportunity to make it big wat u think ?? they gna leave the opportunity ?? this is why jerabos keep taking advantage they are to respected for nuthin.. ine teti i rather get beaten nd killed than stand befoe a jerabo nd say BIGYMAN..techiiiiii

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