Southern Water and Sewerage Company has slapped a K 5.5 million penalty on police in Choma for illegal reconnection of water supply after a disconnection.
And the water company has also disconnected water to the district commissioner’s office housing , several government ministries and departments to recover outstanding water bills.
Company public relations manager Liversage Mulinda who confirmed this said police also damaged the main meter in their quest to illegally reconnect water supply yesterday.
Mr. Mulinda explained that Choma police station and camp was disconnected yesterday for an outstanding bill of K 26 million but some police officers decided to reconnect the water supply .
He disclosed that the police in the province owe a total of K 125 million in unpaid water bills to the southern water and Sewerage Company.
He said it is a criminal offence under the water Supply and sanitation Act number 28 of 1997 for any person to interfere in any way with the utilities’ facilities.
Mr Mulinda said the Act prohibit any one including the police service from interfering with any water disconnection or installation.
Southern Water and Sewerage company director of operations, Charles Shindaile, said water supply to Choma police camp will only be restored upon settlement of the outstanding water bills, reconnection fees and the penalties in full.
In a letter to police officer commanding also copied to the inspector general of police,
Mr Shindaile warned that the utility company reserves the right to uproot the service lines if the outstanding amounts are not paid in full.
But police officer in charge Victor Mateyo said that police officers and their families were being punished for things that are beyond their control.
Mr Mateyo said payments for utility bills is centrally being done in Lusaka and wondered why officers in Choma who do not control the funds should be inconvenienced.
Meanwhile, the southern water and sewerage company has withdrawn water supply from the district administration in Choma in a bid to recover outstanding amounts in unpaid bills.
Company public relations manager said the district commissioner’s office had been given several reminders prior to the disconnection of water supply but that there had been no positive response.
He said withdraw of service had been the last resort.
ZANIS/CM/MKM/ENDS
[-x nzelu zaukawalala izo.
Shame, if cops are doing this whatmore muntu chabe
Ba Buju, What a shameful example to the public. Parade them to shame them all. This is a bad example to the general public who get affected with water disconnections.. They will simply follow suit. Send these Buju’s to Jail!!
This is really shameful to the Police force and the country as a whole.
By the way, no one is above the law.. let justice prevail in this case…..
why do you people wait until it reaches to such a huge amount?
I am pretty sure if it was any other institution, the water company would have taken that institution to court, now that it is the police, they are “begging” them to pay. Kabonde has just been confirmed in his position as the PIG, let him show salt buy sorting out the said bills. Nearly all police camps have some sort of bill outstanding; electricity, water and telephone. We know times are bad, but these bills have been there for some time now. Pay the bills!!!
What is Rupiah going to do about the Choma police… “close it by the debt it owes” as he said with the Post I guess. Lets wait and see.
Pa Z! mwatusebanya ba buju
Boma pa boma, nkhani yalula!
Hello bloggers! Iam really shocked.Law enforcers in the forefront of breaking the law.Who is going to discipline these guys coz soldiers have the MP?
Why couldn’t our strategic services be provided with free utilities. By strategic services I mean public medical centres, police camps, military compounds/barracks, and the like?
Payments within paying among GRZ institutions **==
The police are busy breaking the law.
LT ,You are at it again.Why are moderating my posting.Yesterday i challenged you to give me an explanation as to why You keep moderating my postings to which you failed to respond.Coz as far as Iam concerned my comments aint in bad taste.LT just come out in the open and tell me your motives.
Ba Sharp Shooter, ni shani? Whats up with you and LT kanshi? As for the story, i mentioned last time that when the police commit crime its not news. Its news when they dont commit a crime in a week! I can bet you next week the police will be in the papers for smuggling mealie meal!
More of such culprits (1,500) wil be recruited.Get used to them…
# 8 From the Terraces. You are the people who are reducing the office of the President to that of a cashier’s or a clerk. Its like asking Obama to look into the issue of malfunctional traffic lights in some urban roads in Oregon. Why do you have to hold RB accountable for water problem in a police camp or at a Buju’s house? Why not ask if the accounts office at the ZP HQ if it has been sending Choma Office their share of funds for electricity & water bills? If they have not been then the question should go to the PS Ministry of Home Affairs affairs and not straight to RB.
Ba Moze LT anivuta maningi!
Imwe, what do you expect the police to do? If the government can not even pay for water bills for these people what more their salaries. It’s such a shame, ba kapokola balibe manzi sure, how can people work without an essential necessity{water} Anway kaya pa Zed.