HOME Affairs Minister Davies Mwila has appealed to motorists to be demanding receipts from police officers manning roadblocks.
Mr Mwila said yesterday that this was to prevent extortion of money by police officers at the roadblocks.
The minister said any money which was being collected from the roadblocks by police officers after charging motorists should go to the treasury not in individual pocket.
“First and foremost, any amount of money which is being charged at the roadblock no matter how small it should be receipted by police officer, so that the money can go to the treasury,” he said.
The minister said Government was encouraging genuine roadblocks to be mounted by traffic police officers.
Mr Mwila said Government would not condoned unnecessary roadblocks from police officers.
He observed that some roadblocks were inconveniencing motorists saying there was need for police officers to mount genuine roadblocks.
Mr Mwila has since cautioned police officers against engaging in any form of corrupt practices.
The traffic police have a private receipt book which doesn’t go to police office. Whether motorist demand a receipt the money’s don’t go to govt coffers but end up in their pockets.
The police should never be allowed to touch money especially at roadblocks.
Let them issue an infraction ticket and let the traffic offender pay into a govt account at the bank.
Ba minister its called a ticket. Pay the police good wages and you will see a reduction in corruption. Very simple arithmetic
Unnecessary roadblocks.
The best way to go about it is for the police to start issueing infringement tickets to victims who should pay for the offence at zanaco or post office within 30days or any period you want and give a stiff punishment for failure to settle the same. Police should never be allowed to touch public funds or collect any monies. I think if we go this way we will see no corruption on the roads.
I wish someone with authority is reading this. Good point you have put up
Hon. Minister,
I am absolutely amazed at your admission that You and Your Deputy Ministers and the rest of Ministry management structure have reached point (by Your own admission) when you need help of the victims to control unruly criminal extortionist gang within the rank and file of police officers.
Are you admitting that you are not anymore in control of Your own Ministry?
Instead of assigning part of your duties to the victims of extortion, can You PLEASE show the victims and general public any tangible action take by You or any member of Your management team in combating this scourge within the ranks and file of Zambian Police.
Proverbial “bucket” stops with You Hon. Minister. We, the People pay you to do necessary that the law and order are maintained in the Country.
Why not have one of those swiping machine so the money goes straight to the GRZ account. We can use out debit cards!
The minister seems to have no problem with Police mounting roadblocks, except they have to be genuine. The minister should have helped the public by defining what a genuine roadblock is. By defining what constitutes a genuine roadblock, the public would be better placed to identify and ignore “fake” ones meant for cement fund raising.
These roadblocks are money-minting machines. Here, we have tried all what the minister is saying to no avail. We even introduced roadside courts ( 24/7) but all flopped. This is an exercise in futility, enriching already self-enriched fellows.
Drivers’ licences are issued by RTSA, why cant’ RTSA be responsible for traffic offences? RTSA do not hide in the bush and are reasonable in the manner they perform. Police Traffic officers must not handle money if anything let Government involve ZRA and ACC officer at every traffic road block. For sure Boma is losing money through unaccounted for money. I would like to know by district how much money Traffic police collect and remit into government coffers. Any idea?
@Gono spot on! I have also always argued for paying these coppers well- it will bring pride to their jobs and not forgetting that there will always be bad elements! For this there must be some kind of Internal Affairs Department which will investigate from within the system. And educate the public- remember it takes two to tango!
The issue is not about us motorist failing to collect receipts from law enforcement officers but penalty charges RATSA has are too high.A situation were your fitness is expired then an officer tells you to pay k180 for the offence so that a receipt can be issued, I mean this is absurd coz that fitness cost only k28 so what would prevent a motorist from corrupting an officer with a k50?
My view Mr minister to cartel this scourge of corruption on road blocks is for RATSA to reduce these penalty charges. Consider the offence as well so that there is no exploitation on motorists. Only a corrupt mind will not see sense in this. On estimate out of expounded 10 vehicles only 1 may pay the fine with a receipt.
Stupid Mwila how do you expect me to demand for a receipt when i have paid less than what I should have paid to govt ? people have no money in their pockets . why should i pay K 284 FOR DEFECTIVE indicter when the police officer is asking for K 20 ? people want man in their pockets as you promised . Police officers get peanuts and you expect them to take every thing to you corrupt Govt ? Grade 7 wamupamba iwe ,
@Jokoto, spot on my dear, the major problem is that the fines are too high. Sometimes police officers even exegerate the fees e.g using hand held phone while driving, the officer would say the fine is K600, to let you off the hook, you should pay atleast half the amount. The govt should come with reasonable fees that can be paid by motorists or tickets that can be paid within 7 or 14 days.
Exactly penalty fees are too exaggerated. Please reduce, otherwise you won’t reduce corruption on road blocks. Even you hon minister you wouldn’t pay such fees. It’s not the issue of being patriotic Zambian but the genuineness of such fees.
Why pay the officer in the first place at the Roadblock, so long as officer are handling cash corruption will never end…this reckless govt is borrowing close to $192m procuring useless Chinese junk instead of 5% of that computerizing the whole system so as police officers are eliminated from handling cash and its paid directly to the City council…how are you going to demand a reciept if the officer tells you the fine is K200 and he will accept K80 without a receipt.
We need leaders who are progressive not these empty tins…you can ask your so called “corporating partners” to help you with setting up ICT systems.
Wake up Davies!!
….bwana minister..you preside over the policemen…it is just right that you address them instead of us…..tell your employees to be issuing receipts/tickets for whatever they receive…not telling us to be demanding for the receipts….
…as it has already been alluded to above…exchange of cash at roadblocks or police station for any offence must cease….usually its very easy to corrupt some-one who may anticipate an inconvenience or some-one who may foresee a huge benefit as a result of any transaction about to take place…motorist usually find themselves in such a position at road blocks…the inconvenience of detaining your car..the benefit of remaining with some of the money of which going by the book it would have left your pocket…you just succumb to the wrong..
..the other reason why motorist succumb to the ‘wrong’ is lack of confidence in politicians and govt officers…a lot of motorists would want to help reduce or wipe-out the infamous corrupt practices at road blocks by paying the charged amount in full and demand for the receipt (those govt receipts with a seal)..but when you think of how the money you are paying will be utilised…15% of that money may go to hospital requisites, 10% to schools, another 20% to other institutions and finally the 55% will find its way to some politician’s personal accounts…with that in mind you just do what is right for you at that moment period… otherwise, in this era of smart phones, one can easily record/secretly film the transaction and report to higher authority……but why the ‘hustle’…
@jayjay
We are offering alternative solutions here not derogatory remarks against anybody. Can you once try to debate without insults. It’s just cool and smart to express yourself with a clean mind and people may take you serious. If you don’t know you dilute you good points when you mix them with vulgarism demeaning statements.
Afyalwa nensele- no culture at all
All registered vehicles in Zambia are on RTSA data base. With this in mind offending drivers can pay at an point of their choice within a given period of time failure to which the driver can be called to appear in court. My driver was involved in a hit and run in another town and my vehicle was traced to me by way of contacting RTSA who gave ZP my name, my address and the vehicles I own. It can be done but due to love of money by our officers this appears to be impossible.
The Minister is right. Especially female police officers are canning. I have been a victim on two occasions, the first time was on Freedom way last year. I did not realize that it was not allowed to make a U-turn. I was made to pay K50. Another instance was on Lumumba road at the City Market robots again it was a female police officer. Even on that occasion I was asked to pay K100. In both instances no receipt was given!
Road blocks is money spinner to the police traffic officers! The way they furnish their homes cannot be compared to the police officer who sits at the desk waiting for assault cases. Ba Minister if you will manage to stop ‘umutuulo’ at road blocks you will be crowned a great man. Normally, one officer sits in the car waiting for umutuulo from offenders. Each one of the offenders gives a story in order to be excused or pay less in form of a bribe due to huge penalty fees!
How about Indian and other Asian shops here in Chipata that don’t issue receipt ?
Bwana Minister, the solution here is to reduce the fines for all these stupid offences like talking on phone, expired road licence, not carrying drivers license etc to say K20 to K30. The reason why these traffic police force is so corrupt is that the fines as stipulated by your government are stupidly excessive that its better to pay k50 to a Cop than K400 to the state. It’s a win -win situation between cop and driver but huge losses for the government.