The ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) in Ndola district on the Copperbelt has accused police officers stationed at Kasumbalesa Border Post of conniving with traders to smuggle mealie-meal into neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UPND District Spokesperson, David Zimba, expressed concern over the sudden rise in mealie-meal smuggling into DRC and questioned how the smugglers managed to cross the border without being arrested by the police stationed there.
Mr. Zimba called on the relevant authorities to investigate police officers deployed at Kasumbalesa, where smuggling is rampant, as they appear to be compromised. Meanwhile, Ndola district has experienced a shortage of 25kg mealie-meal bags in most retail outlets in the last four days due to rampant smuggling. The anti-smuggling team impounded over 3,000 25kg bags of mealie meal destined for DRC in the last five days in the district.
However, Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Peacewell Mweemba has dismissed the allegations made by the UPND that some police officers manning Kasumbalesa Border Post are compromised. Mr. Mweemba said that the police are conducting regular patrols to control the situation and are on top of things.
In related news, the anti-smuggling team in Ndola impounded 3,197 bags of mealie-meal destined to be smuggled into DRC. Mr. Mweemba said that on Monday, March 27th, 2023, the anti-smuggling team impounded a light truck in Chiwala area of Ndola loaded with 201 by 25kg bags of mealie-meal. On Tuesday, March 28th, 2023, the team impounded a Blue Scania Light Truck loaded with 400 bags of mealie-meal at Miami Garage Masala in the industrial area. On Thursday, March 30th, 2023, the anti-smuggling team, during patrols, managed to impound two Sino trucks laden with 1,896 bags of 25kg of mealie-meal, which were concealed for the purposes of being smuggled to DRC through Chiwala area. On Friday, March 31st, 2023, the team intercepted a tipper truck Toton Auman loaded with 700 bags of 25kg mealie-meal.
Mr. Mweemba reiterated the police’s commitment to ensuring that smuggling of mealie-meal into DRC is curbed through routine patrols. He added that the police have identified and sealed all points being used to access DRC.
If this Mr Zimba knows the policeman who’s abetting smuggling of mealie meal why doesn’t he report this individual instead of generalization. Our police officers are not magicians who can guess where, when and how the commodity is being ferried out of the country. You the citizens can help a lot by identifying the culprits.
NOT SURPRISING KNOWING OUR POLICE FORCE
MONEY IS NEEDED IN EVERY REPORT TO GET THINGS DONE,
REPORT A CRIME THEN SAY THIS IS FALSE
Nothing new. From the last century we have always known Police of Colluding with Traders to Smuggle Mealie-Meal into DRC
After all an MoU was signed to export the commodity to the DRC.
When are some of our Motherland people STOP segregation of our own, simply because of the Colonial Boarder Lines? Do you release that Motherland was divided by some self centered WS who invaded our Motherland? Tomorrow could be people needing the same assistance or something else. We are one people & not “Congolese”.
From Nakazwe M-Beenzu Namwiinga Nakazwe
The Congolese don’t complain when items are smuggled from there into Zambia.
What are WS?
But this upnd government is full of fo.ols honestly when are you going to learn to take responsibility why the blame game! You have been exporting maize grain which you did not even grow, it was strategically for the period of 2022-2023 season, foolis.hly the upnd government started exporting the grain to Tanzania and Kenya, to make the matters worse distribution of farming inputs was s.hit. This year Zambia will experience serious shortages of mealie meal..yet we have idio.ts who boast every day without positive impact or result.
I lived in Ndola, and saw this first hand in the days of KK. There would be shortage of mealie meal but as soon as it was delivered to ZCBC, all of it would be put on minibuses and be on the way to Kasumbalesa within the hour. There is a simple solution. Subsidise the farmers and not the consumers. This will mean that the only people who will have an incentive to export will be the farmers. The millers would find themselves at a competitive disadvantage to the farmers if they tried to export maize. Subsidising farmers would also boost the yield of maize
Although most of our police officers are compromised, the statement by David Zimba is an admission of failure. When a parent fails he calls on the police to arrest his wayward children. That’s what Zimba has done. His fellow members threaten the police officers with dismissal if they don’t allow them to do what they want. Why hasn’t Zimba talked about the mukula that’s being harvested and snuggled. The UPND are doing exactly what their PF counterparts used to do. Both are shameless criminals
But this upnd government is full of fo.ols honestly when are you going to learn to take responsibility why the blame game! You have been exporting maize grain which you did not even grow, it was strategically for the period of 2022-2023 season, foolis.hly the upnd government started exporting the grain to Tanzania and Kenya, to make the matters worse distribution of farming inputs was s.hit. This year Zambia will experience serious shortages of mealie meal..yet we have idio.ts who boast every day without positive impact or result.
Iam extremely disappointed with upnd for failing to take responsibility. It’s always a blame game you are not fit to lead this great country.
2026 out…
we are back to the days of KK and guys be careful or else you will see kkkkkkk.sure aka bunga as far as k290 in the corridors and k500 at the boarder.Stop blaming Police Officer and check your policies that you have put in place.You have given permits to people to export maize and mealie Meal and now you blame other people.