Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani has that Home Affairs Minister Davis Mwila did not ban roadblocks in the country but had directed that they should be reduced because it was would be risky to completely disband police check point.

Responding to perception that road blocks on Lusaka roads have increased, Ms Libongani said the police had reduced roadblocks across the country in conformity with the directive from Mr Mwila.

“We have reduced the mounting of roadblocks across the country in conformity with the directive from the Minister. It is not true that the Minister had banned the mounting of roadblocks but had directed that they should be reduced,” Ms Libongani said.

The Daily Nation reported that Police in Lusaka have defied the directive by Home Affairs Minister Davis Mwila to stop mounting road indiscriminate blocks, causing anger among motorists.

Instead Lusaka Traffic Police have intensified their roadblocks and speed control checks, mounting these in major road arteries joining Cairo Road in Lusaka and on the Great East Road.

The roadblocks are mounted at peak traffic hours causing congestion, especially along the Great East Road where a speed check and almost permanent road block has been established near the Mulungushi Conference Centre where motorists are made pay or receive charge sheets, but often times motorists prefer the “easy” way out and pay to avoid inconvenience

Last Saturday and Sunday police officers on motor cycles assisted by patrol officers mounted moving road blocks in the heart of the city checking for fitness licenses and road taxes and in the process causing major traffic jams.

The main targets of the roadblocks in many cases are minibus drivers who were made to hand over keys and driving licenses until they made “peace”, many times in full view of passengers in the buses.

Lusaka motorists were however yesterday incensed that while Police were manning an impromptu roadblock on Kalambo road near the Zambia Revenue Authority; traffic had come to a standstill on adjacent Lumumba Road following an accident in which a truck carrying crates of beer spilled part of the road leading to a stampede of looting.

In the absence of traffic officer who were mounting a roadblock motorists were forced to control and marshal into single lanes.

Early this year Mr Mwila directed the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and Police to stop mounting what he termed unnecessary roadblocks because they were nothing but an inconvenience to motorists and a source of corruption.

The motorists have now appealed to Mr Mwila to consider taking action against police officers who were mounting roadblocks and harassing motorists apart from demanding bribes.

They have also called on the Anti-Corruption Commission to undertake surprise checks at roadblocks to stop open corruption.

Game Rangers International (GRI) has announced that Cosmas Mumba, Project Manager for GRI-Zambia Primate Project (ZPP), was one of three finalists in the prestigious Tusk Conservation Award supported by Prince William of the United Kingdom.

Mr Mumba is the first Zambian conservationist ever to be short-listed for this award.

Under Cosmas’s careful stewardship, and in collaboration with Zambia Wildlife Authority, over 500 yellow baboons and vervet monkeys have been successfully rescued from illegal captivity, rehabilitated and given a second chance at life back in the wild.

Mr Mumba was born in Petuake to a rural family with a strong passion for nature and wildlife.

In 2002, he was asked to help release rescued primates back into the wild as part of the pioneering animal welfare project ZPP, established with critical support from the Born Free Foundation in the UK.

Starting as a casual labourer, Mr Mumba has been working his way up through the ranks to his current position of Project Manager.

ZPP has grown to become one of Africa’s most established and successful primate release programmes.

Managed by Game Rangers International and with the ongoing support of the Born Free Foundation, its mission is to rescue and rehabilitate injured, orphaned and illegally held vervet monkeys and yellow baboons for release back into the wild in Zambia. Primate survival rate 12 months post-release currently averages a remarkable 95%.

President of the Born Free Foundation in the UK, Will Travers OBE said “Cosmas is one of Africa’s unsung conservation heroes. His extraordinary work in remote parts of the Zambian bush rescuing and returning primates to the wild is not a job for the faint-hearted and speaks volumes about his dedication and commitment to the cause. I am delighted, on behalf of Born Free, which has supported him and GRI-Zambia Primate Project for thirteen years, that he has now received due recognition for all his effort and I hope he will inspire others around the world. We can all do something and Cosmas has shown us how.”

Mr Mumba attended the glittering award ceremony on November 24th at Claridges in London.

The overall winner of the award was Emmanuel De Merode for his work with protecting Virunga National Park in DRC.

Mr Mumba and the two other finalists had the great honour of meeting Prince William, a well-known advocate for conservation and patron of the Tusk Conservation Award, in two private audiences prior to the ceremony to brief him on their Projects.

Also present during the awards ceremony were, amongst others, comedian Rory Bremner, famous entrepreneur Deborah Meaden, TV presenter Kate Silverton and Bafta winning actress and founder of the Born Free Foundation Virginia McKenna.

During the award ceremony, Cosmas reflected over what the nomination means to him: “Growing up in a rural Zambian village I never dreamed that one day I would be meeting the future King of England to talk about my work rescuing primates in Zambia. Things like this don’t happen to people like me I thought. Being a finalist in the Tusk Conservation Awards 2015 is really humbling and will raise awareness of the bushmeat and illegal pet trades in primates in Africa.”

The world-renowned Tusk Conservation Awards, developed by Tusk Trust, celebrate excellence in conservation and highlight inspirational conservation work in Africa – ranging from the protection of endangered species and threatened habitats, to the promotion of environmental education and the development of community driven conservation. The awards are sponsored by Investec and Land Rover.

A THIRTEEN- year- old girl has appeared in a Kitwe magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing a school bag from Shoprite checkers.

The girl, was charged with theft after she allegedly stole a school bag valued at K 64.99 property of Shoprite checkers on November 19, this year.

According to the record, the girl went into Shoprite around 18:40 hours, picked the bag but was intercepted at the exit point by a security guard who noticed that she did not pay for it.

The juvenile offender appeared before magistrate Ruth Kapulo, where she pleaded guilty and said she wanted to use the bag for school requirements.

When asked if she understood the charge, the girl admitted the charge and informed the court that she had no claim of right to the bag because she did not pay for it.

She said she knew that her action was an offence but that she was in a confused state.

The court matter was adjourned to December 2, this year for a social welfare report.

A ZAMBIAN is believed to have fallen to his death from a multi-storey building in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The body of the deceased, who has been identified as Ezekiel Banda of Lusaka, was discovered around 04:00 hours yesterday.

The circumstances under which Mr Banda met his fate still remained unclear, but people at the scene narrated that around 04:00 hours, the deceased was believed to have left his apartment on the sixth floor before he died.

This was according to a statement issued by the press secretary at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa, Nicky Shabolyo.

Security personnel at the apartments building situated on Kerk Street, central Johannesburg, were said to have alerted the deceased’s colleagues after the body was discovered caught up in some bars on its way to the ground.

Police and the fire brigade managed to retrieve the body hours later. The four, believed to be employees of a construction company based in Lusaka, were said to have come to Johannesburg about four days ago to attend a short course and were scheduled to return to Zambia today.

Zambia Association in South Africa (ZASA) president, Ferdinand Simaanya, confirmed the circumstances in which Mr Banda died, pointing out that the matter had been reported to the police who would now institute investigations.

Mr Simaanya said ZASA was trying to raise part of the fees required by the undertaker to prepare the body for repatriation to Zambia.

Chairperson Paul Moonga said chiefs Monze, Sinazongwe and Hamusonde allegedly want to do everything possible to demonise PF secretary-general Davies Chama and President Lungu.

“I am Tonga myself and I originate from Chief Chongo’s chiefdom, but I want to say that attacks on Mr Chama are unfounded and have no blessings of the Tonga people,” he said.

Mr Moonga was speaking at a press briefing at the PF secretariat in Lusaka yesterday.

Mr Moonga said attacks on Mr Chama are being perpetrated by one of the chiefs in collaboration with the United Party for National Development (UPND).

He said the mobilisation team has been observing for some time now how some chiefs have always been commenting on Mr Chama despite having had audience on the matter with the head of State.

Mr Moonga said apart from that, Vice-President Inonge Wina apologised in Parliament to the people of Southern Province over the alleged offensive remarks by Mr Chama.

“Under normal circumstances, Chief Hamusonde should have declared interest when he was picked to chair the Davies Chama/Tonga impasse meeting because his interests are known; he is a UPND supporter,” Mr Moonga said.

Mr Moonga also appealed to chiefs in Southern Province to refuse to be used by their colleagues who have partisan interests.

“It is not normal in our culture; when the head of State has met chiefs that some of them could start issuing press statements on the same issue. Even us, the subjects [people] have been quiet for some time. But now, we have no choice but to speak through the media.

“The silence of Mr Chama does not mean that he is guilty, he is not. He is quiet because the head of State has taken over the matter and the Vice-President apologised on his [Mr Chama’s] behalf in Parliament,” he said.

He said there are serious developmental issues in the country that the chiefs could dwell on instead of attacking Mr Chama. Mr Moonga cited foot-and-mouth disease, child marriage, HIV and AIDS among other issues that require a lot of attention from traditional leaders.