A video is trending on social media whereby Copperbelt province minister is seen confronting a police traffic officer mounting an illegal check-point on a busy road as his colleagues scurry away in different directions like frightened mice! The cop briskly salutes non-stop as a visibly upset minister gives him tongue lashing. The cop definitely deserves a place in the Guinness book of world records for saluting a record times within the flash of an eye.
“You want people to go late for work? People are going for work at 07:00 hours and you are putting a roadblock? You want to make this government unpopular!” Matambo, affectionately referred to as the Lamba Bull in the Copperbelt, is hyperventilating and seething with anger.
What’s our take on this?
If we may call a spade a spade, traffic check points are no longer a precautionary and safety measure on our roads…..it has become a thriving enterprise to mint gold! The traffic police don’t even have to worry about rushing to Mufumbwe as the rest of us are doing…..they simply have to mount check points and laugh all the way to the Bank at the end of their shift!
When they waylay you for exceeding the speed limit on the highway or stop you for whatever reason, they slap you with hefty traffic fines. You are left with two options; either pay through the nose and get a receipt or grease their palms and drive away without a receipt.
Why should we continue allowing the police to be cashiers on our roads? Isn’t this abetting bribery and corruption? Where’s Hon. Jack Mwimbu, the Home Affairs & Internal Security Minister?
If you took stock of activities of the traffic police officers on our roads in every city, you’ll establish that they deliberately ignore the minibus and taxi drivers who are the major culprits of traffic violations but instead concentrate on ordinary motorists. Why is it so? Thanks to corruption, traffic police officers are now the ‘big bwanas’ in the public transport sector!
One of the many reasons why people booted PF out of power was the arrogance and nuisance of the traffic police on our roads. For instance, within a short span of 40 kilometers from Kitwe to Chingola; motorists would be inconvenienced by at least 5 roadblocks – Kitwe Central police at the Eye clinic, Riverside police at Kitwe Central Hospital, Mindolo police at the Copper Hill Mall, Chambishi police at NFCA mine and Chingola police around Lima Motel!
Why have we allowed the traffic police to sneak back on roads and continue harassing the motorists and extracting bribes? We expect Hon. Mwimbu to immediately crack the whip and restore sanity back on our roads, for once and for all!
Prince Bill M Kaping’a
National Coordinator
HH Mpaka 2031!
Iwe mwaiche. What do you about the law? Kwalibapo Law that starts at 10:00 hrs? So, it means even thieves must be allowed to steal before 10:00 hrs. Ba Matambo chikopo. Law is law. It does not matter who it gets and when. You cannot allow criminality and cars that are not road worthy on the roads because people are going to work.
I am sorry. I do not agree. The minister was grandstanding. He has no authority over police operations. This is where we Zambians have gone wrong. This is why politicians in office get away with crimes until they leave office because we make them to rise above the law and order the police about. He behaved no different from JJ when he abused the police. Crime is crime and it does not matter what time it is committed, it must be brought to book. Next, you will be telling the police not to arrest a thief while he is sleeping.
Traffic police are a nuisance. It’s true they contributed to PF’s loss in 2021. Several surveys by TIZ has found them to be the most corrupt institution with local courts coming in second place.