THE Zambia Police Service has warned motorists against attacking traffic officers on duty, saying it will not hesitate to arrest anyone who attacks the men and women in uniform.
The warning comes in the wake of attacks on traffic police officers in Lusaka, Ndola and Solwezi.
Police spokesperson Charity Chanda said in a statement yesterday that the service was concerned with the attacks on its officers who had been left with injuries.
Recently, four officers were attacked in Lusaka, two on the Copperbelt with the latest one being that of a Solwezi-based officer which happened on Thursday.
Ms Chanda said traffic officers were not on the road to harass or intimidate but to ensure that motorists adhered to road traffic rules and regulations.
“We would like to warn all motorists to desist from attacking officers on duty because police will not hesitate to arrest and take to court anyone who will attack any officer on duty,” she said.
She appealed to members of the public aggrieved with the conduct of any police officer to contact the respective officers’ supervisors so that appropriate action could be taken instead of taking the law into their own hands.
And a 27-year-old taxi driver of Solwezi has been charged with attempted murder after he injured a traffic police officer.
North-Western Province police commissioner Lackson Sakala said the driver, who was arrested on Thursday, appeared in court yesterday.
Mr Sakala said the driver of a Toyota Spacio, registration number ACM 9785, Justin Shuki, sped off at the first checkpoint and tried to escape the second one where he dragged the officer who had one leg in the suspect’s motor vehicle.
Meanwhile, a taxi driver of Matero Township in Lusaka has been murdered and his body was discovered in his car with multiple head injuries.
Ms Chanda confirmed the killing of the unidentified taxi driver aged between 25 and 30 years.
The incident happened around 01:00 hours yesterday after a report that there was a road traffic accident involving a Toyota Chaser, registration number ACL 9331 which had fallen into a drainage.
Ms Chanda said police had since apprehended a 22-year-old man of Lusaka’s Lilanda Township in connection with the death of the taxi driver.
“It was brought to our attention that the suspect was the one driving the vehicle. He is currently in custody while investigations into the matter have been launched,” she said.
Hahaha.Buju had one leg in the car, and the driver sped off!! Yaba am sure he cried like a baby in Tonga!
The big question is: what was the policeman’s leg doing in someone’s car? Maybe Munganga should have tried to enlighten the nation. I too would speed off if a “stranger” tried to jump into my car. Whether the stranger is in police uniform or not does not matter. You cannot just trust a stranger trying to force himself into your car
Police officers must also learn and stop intimidating motorists else they will finish.
They even escort people to the ATM!!
Hahahaha dats an owsom story coz vikapokola vimasakili munthu kafukwa more easpecially wen there brok he gut nothing left at home.ukupwalala
It is just a sign of our times, people are tired of being harassed by the police day and night.
Look at that selfsame spokeswoman carrying about 3-4 mobile phones in her hand …talk about disorganization. ZP need to wake up; reform and modernise this is a sign that people have had enough of your harassment and your fleecing …the whole of traffic police needs to be retired and recruit new officers with new an modern technics.
just watching
That’s what happens in society when people entrusted with upholding the law become law breakers.
Like someone has said our police needs to modernise. Introduce ticketing, cameras, etc. We know where money paid by the road side end up. Why have these guys resisted their minister directive to cut on road blocks? Or why do they fight RTSA? Its because the latter aren’t thieves.
Even criminal policing is still stone age. The guy believed to have been driving the ‘murder’ car might be innocent but since our police depend on torture to extract info I can only feel for him.
Ha ha ha ha
Police spokesperson with 4 phones at her farm in uniform driven by a police vehicle, govt fuel, govt driver and claim lunch allowance after the days work.
Change please
Its regrettable situation, the officers don’t deserve this brutality. However, the Police have invited it themselves. They have lost their worthiness by their behaviour of soliciting for money each time they come in contact with motorists. If your opponent knows that you are just looking for money before you meet, can he give you any respect? The only crime a Zambian can commit is road traffic offense. There is no warning in their minds, souls, spirits, hearts even for small offenses which is more deterrent than bribes. For them everything is nimulandu, we are impounding your vehicle unless you pay right now. That’s why those with money don’t have any regard for you and do anything in your full view like blocking traffic the way mini bus and taxi drivers do. They can even park at…
They can even park at road junction because they have money to pay the Police. And most of these traffic officers are fake pastors using our Lord’s name in vain. I witnessed one gentleman who refused to be interrogated or charged because they were wasting his time to make money. He just threw kwacha notes at them, refused to go to the roadside office and sped off telling them “Why should I waste my time just because you are looking for my money. I better go and look for more money to give you.”
The solution is very simple, police should not collect payments leave that to the municipal council…the govt need to invest funds in a database, put all vehicle registrations on the system. Traffic Police need to retired starting from the senior officers to junior officers who are the cancer of all this..they have the audacity to take a motorcycle from junior officers so they can ride around and collect weekend money from motorists…they is one in Lusaka a fat chubby officer. Train new officers and consult your so called corp-orating partners to help with training in modern policing methods. Equip Police cars with cameras and computers so as when a vehicle is stopped the is a reason to do so and its on camera.
Solwezi taxi drivers 90% are upnd and 90% of police officers are tonga,lozi or lunda very corrupt they spend time chase driver.
Please transfer these and balance tribes in police service.
*introduce modern techniquinics which should include intelligent police unit.
*solwezi has less than 4 registered taxis the rest 500 or more just pirate and are owned by op,zp, officers making it difficult for traffic officers to work.
…while attacks on guys in uniform cannot be condoned, it all bow down to the sky rocketing cost of living…people are bound to do anything to put food on table including driving unsafe vehicles just to save a little to buy food…fail to licence their vehicles, deliberately contravene traffic rules and all sorts of negative devices just to make ends meet…
…the other reason is that they observe how the PF cadres treat the guys in uniform with disrespect and follow suit…
It is a known fact that police are corrupt to the bone. We all know, even children are aware. People who are injuring police are not murderers but are simply fed up and frustrated. Please home affairs ministry MODERNISE. Restructure training to cope with modern trends. Ba buju please stop this embarrassment and intimidation!
Charity Munganga Chanda,you must also warn your traffic police officers to stop treating us motorists on the road like criminals!!I HAVE NO KIND WORDS FOR OUR CORRUPT TRAFFIC OFFICERS!!THEY HAVE MADE LIFE FOR MOTORISTS HELL!!SO WELL DONE TO THE PUBLIC FOR PROTECTING OUR RIGHTS FROM THESE CORRUPT TRAFFIC POLICE OFFICERS!!
The whole system is rotten and in need of URGENT ROOT AND BRANCH REFORM because the corrupt officers are tolerated by the good officers meaning that there is no where to complain to since high command will just isolate you as it is the norm. This is similar to those US officers who watch their fellow officers mistreat blacks; they are also participating in the crime by turning a blind eye.
The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) has been sleeping for so long such that the Police has taken them for a ride. They fear no one. That is why in most neighbouring countries, Police Officers only demand bribes on foreigners because they are 100% sure that those foreigners can’t belong to Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) equivalent organs. But in Zambia they demand from any citizen because they don’t care whether you are ACC director or not.
Surely the ACC can not arrest the whole constabulary…the Police is ingrained with corruption, that’s the culture we have to accept that before we move forward; we need a radical approach and modernizing from top brass address the governance issues to bottom the training and equipment – completely new guidelines to tackle corruption.
Police you started it now find means to end it. If the weapon of the oppressor is in the hands of the oppressed, I guaranty you it becomes a real situation.
You are in for it, that I can assure you Zambian police officers. Guys you are corrupt to the bone enjoy the ride and all the best cops.
Madame, this is a wake up story. We the people are tired of paying traffick police on the roads with false charges etc. No receipt is ever received and police are now building mansions and buying taxis and mini buses from the money they rob the travelling public. Please go undercover and see the misbehaviour of your officers. It is embarrassing at the behaviour of these cops. For sure Zambia has become a lawless state and we are being lead by Robin Hoods.
Its true they even boast about it, we make money and solve our problems “ngatankala pa road block” who doesn’t want money? we all need it. please repent, than to mistreat your fellow zambians
They corrupt and useless id10ts who solicit for bribes without shame. Actually the ZP traffic cops are every driver’s nightmare.