Zambia and Mozambique have expressed concern and worry over the increased threats of transnational crime such as drug trafficking, smuggling of minerals and poaching among others, along its common border.

The countries have since pledged to remain committed to the implementation and explore of new areas of cooperation in order to strengthen the existing relations by the two sister countries and improve security of its respective citizens.

In a joint communique issued at the just ended three-day meeting, the Joint Permanent Commission says that the two countries have continued to face threats of transitional crime such as drug trafficking, smuggling of minerals, poaching among others.

This is contained in a communique released at the just ended Zambia -Mozambique 11th Session of the of Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security held at Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka today.

The Joint Permanent Commission has agreed that the two countries should continue to devise new strategies aimed at curbing the vices.

The Joint Permanent Commission further underscored the need for the defence and security institutions of the two countries to strengthen cooperation in the areas of training and sharing of information.

It equally noted progress in boundary reaffirmation and the creation of a one stop border post at Chanida and Cassacatiza.

And in his closing remarks at the just ended Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security, Minister of Defence and Internal Security, Ambrose Lufuma noted that the defence and security institutions of the two countries have recommitted themselves to address threats that have continued to undermine the security of the two countries.

Mr Lufuma advised the Joint Permanent Commission to ensure that the resolutions are implemented in the just ended meeting.

He noted that the two countries should enhance togetherness in order to achieve the set targets.

The Mozambique team was led by that country’s National Defence Minister, Cristovao Chume.

Former Rwandan refugees have complained of the challenges they are facing to be formerly integrated in the Zambian society.

This is notwithstanding that they have stayed in Zambia to closer to three decades, more than twice the number of years required for a foreign national to acquire citizenship of another Country.

The Rwandese refugees in question are those that were declared former refugees in 2017.

Regardless of this declaration, it is a requirement, by the Zambian government, that those former Rwandese refugees seeking to be integrated, must first obtain passports from their country of origin.

This requirement has, on the other hand, being viewed and felt to be torturers by former Rwandese refugees staying in Zambia.

Former and Current Rwandan Refugees Association in Zambia -FOCURRAZ Coordinator Innocent Rukundo explained that former Rwandese refugees have refused to obtain passports from a regime they consider as an oppressor.

Mr. Rukundo who is a former Rwandese refugees himself, has disclosed that his fellow former Rwandese refugees feel tortured each time they told to get passports from their home Country under the Paul Kagame administration.

He has lamented of how former Rwandese refugees also feel that the Zambian Immigration Departments is treating them harshly.

The FOCURRAZ Coordinator claims that the Zambian Immigration Department is making it difficult for former Rwandese refugees to get the required documentation, for instance, for employment, for opening of bank accounts and sending their children to school.

He laments that former Rwandese refugees are further being treated like any other foreign national or investor, by asking them to pay US$ 250, 000 before they could start any business in the host Country.

Mr. Rukundo has noted that this in addition to the K14, 000, they have to pay annually.

He has wondered where, former Rwandese refugees, who entered Zambia under critical circumstances, could find such kind of money.

Mr. Rukundo adds that former refugees are equally facing challenges in putting their children into school or enabling them to access scholarships, owing to the documentation being required from them to present.

He says former and current Rwandese refugees are however grateful to the Zambian government for the efforts being made to ease their stay in the Country and integrate them in the Zambian society.

And Commission for Refugees in Zambia Prosper Ng’andu has assured former Rwandese refugees, staying in the Country, there are plans to either reduce the documentation fees or scrap them altogether.

Dr. Ng’andu has disclosed that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security and relevant stakeholders are already in talks on how this is will be done.

He has acknowledged that his office is aware of the many challenges former Rwandese refugees are facing and how keen they desire to be integrated.

Meanwhile, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Movement of Promoting National Values and Principals Joseck Kunda has called for the amendment of Refugees Act of April 2017.

Mr. Kunda has argued that the current Refugees Act is restrictive, oppressive and archaic.

He feels that the Act, in question, leaves nothing to be desired as it does not address the many challenges refugees, staying in Zambia, face.

Mr. Kunda has wondered how, for example, a refugee visiting a fellow refugee, with a business permit, should be arrested for just being in their colleagues’ shop.

He is also displeased that a refugee can currently be arrested barely after an hour of their permits expiring and kept in remand for a period of about five months.

Mr. Kunda adds that his organisation is further concerned about the killing of Rwandese refugees staying in Zambia on the guise of mistaken identity.

He believes that the such killings are being orchestrated by the current Rwandese government because it allegedly fears that its people who fled Rwanda, to reside in other friendly Countries, could rise against it.

Mr. Kunda is however hopeful that challenges being faced by former and current Rwandese refugees will be resolved given the political will coming from the Zambian government.

He has disclosed that his organisation has already had an audience with the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Jack Mwiimbu, who has promised the amendment of the current Zambian Refugees Act of 2017.

In separate development, the Geneva based UNHCR assistant commissioner – protection Ms Gillian Triggs was welcomed by banners objecting to the mandatory of acquisition of a Rwandese passport.

The government says the fragmented nature of laws around gambling in Zambia make it difficult for effective regulation.

Tourism Minister Rodney Sikumba said the gambling sector is currently regulated by six fragmented pieces of legislation and administered by different ministries such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ministry of Tourism.

Mr. Sikumba observed that the fragmented pieces of legislation made it extremely difficult to monitor and supervise the sector.

He said the continuance need for legislation has been necessitated by the growth of the industry in Zambia.

Mr Sikumba was speaking in Lusaka in a speech read for him by Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga during the launch of Bwin sports betting in Zambia.

“The gambling industry as is commonly referred to in Zambia was first guided by the Lotteries Act in the early 1950’s, and was pronounced widely in 1992 when the Casinos Act Number 13 of 1992 of the Laws of Zambia was introduced. A quick research will reveal that significant amendments to these pieces of legislation have been undertaken and further policy introduced such as the Betting Act of 1994,” he said.

Mr Sikumba said the growth of non-traditional industries’ and their undeniable contributions to our socio-economic development require holistic view of their unique contributions to the country.

“You will agree that there is still a lot of work to be done for us to declare sanity in our gaming and lotteries arena but today we have the Gaming Board of Zambia that was established to help us optimise the positive socio-economic benefits of the sector,” he said.

He added, “I would also encourage the media to take an interest in appreciating the role of the tourism enterprise authorization and licensing committee under my ministry whose mandate extends to gaming and casino operations. Technology has been described as one of the greatest equalisers of our time. The accelerated access of gambling portals even in extremely vulnerable communities brings concern to my office, however, the opportunities of job and wealth creation if properly managed give us hope in initiatives such as this one.”

And Entain Africa Chief Marketing Officer Spencer Okach said the coming in of bwin means that customers in Zambia will now have a fantastic opportunity to experience First-in Class unrivalled bwin service.

Mr. Okach said the company’s investment in Zambia demonstrates their confidence in the Zambian economy and the business friendly environment that has been restored by the UPND administration.

“In addition to enjoying bwin’s incredible portfolio of sports betting and gaming products, customers are promised a smooth user experience thanks to a seamless interaction with the platform’s deposit and pay-out processes – all made straightforward thanks to the integration of the services of local partners Airtel and MTN,” he said.

“bwin also brings to Zambia its rich brand history that has seen it partner with some of the biggest names in world sport. bwin is the Official Partner of the both the UEFA Europa League and Europa Conference League as well as being the Official Partner of the German Football Association and national team.”

The Zambia Police Service Lusaka Division Headquarters have recovered various items in an operation that took place in Lusaka. The items recovered range from mobile phones, television sets, laptops, and motor vehicles and parts.

The Zambia Police Public Relations Officer Rae Hamoonga stated that the Police have been conducting patrols in Lusaka inline with the directive given by the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu.

“And so far, from the operations conducted by the Police, we have recovered 91 assorted laptops, 40 assorted CPUs, 30 assorted mobile phones, 23 assorted computer monitors, 7 pairs of assorted shoes, 1 pair of headsets, 2 television sets, 5 assorted bags, 1 hairdryer, 1 printer, 2 jackets, a grinder that was used by the criminals to break into buildings,” he mentioned

Mr Hamoonga who is also the Zambia Police Spokesperson added that 15 suspects are being held in Police cells, adding that there are two groups of breakers, the first group of 12 suspects are specialized in breaking buildings by cutting the rooftops, and the second group of three climbed walls and gain entry mostly through windows which are left open or any opening to the building, investigations are still ongoing.

“We also recovered the following items from the operation, a Gold Toyota Vitz with registration number ALL 5333, assorted motor vehicle parts for different motor vehicle models, 77 bales of second-hand clothes (salaula), 1 Samsung 32 inches television set, 2 LG 55 inches television sets, 1 Samsung 90 inches television set, 1 Echo 55 inches television set, 1 sewing machine, 1 keyboards, 1 subwoofer, 1 big speaker, 1 Radio with 3 speakers, 2 deep freezers, 2 AK47 Rifles which have been submitted for ballistic examination at Police Service Headquarters, and 2 pistols,” he said

He disclosed that the Police have detained three 3 suspects for theft of motor vehicles in connection with the dismantled motor vehicle parts of different motor vehicles, adding that two suspects have also been detained by the Police for breaking in, in connection with the 77 bales of second-hand clothes (salaula).

Mr Hamoonga said that at Chelstone Police, two notorious burglars have been detained, the two are also ex-convicts identified as Kennedy Simwanza aged 24 years of unknown house number in Kabanana compound, and Richard Daka aged 42 years of unknown house number in Mtendere, the two are believed to be behind the spate of breakings in Chelstone and surrounding areas, and they were recently nabbed in Garden compound after vigorous investigations.

He further said that the two suspects are also involved in breaking into Boarding Houses especially for females, and so far, recoveries made from this are 2 laptops, 4 plasma television sets, 6 assorted cellphones, a Toyota Corolla and 2 Toyota Vitz registration BAG 4257, and ALG 2788 and a Toyota Allion registration number BAT 181, which are believed to have been stolen and used to transport the stolen items of which other assorted items have since been claimed by the rightful owners.

“We have since calling on members of the public that might have lost items in these areas to go to Chelstone Police to identify their items,” he said

Mr Hamoonga noted that a Pistol has also been recovered with a rubbed serial number identified, from one notorious and dangerous criminal identified as Onole Muchemwa aged 28 years of unmarked house number in 13 Miles, also a Congolese national who was recently shot dead by the Police.

He noted that the investigations at Chelstone Police are still ongoing to recover as many items as the Police can.

Mr Hamoonga has since appealed to members of the public to cooperate with the Police as they are conducting their investigations and operations, as policing is about defending human rights and that’s what the Police stand for.

“We want to earnestly thank the members of the public that have so far cooperated with us the Police, to have this success story today of recovering items, but the Police can do better than this and a lot more if more members of the public cooperated with the Police, especially now that we are going into the festive season, as this is the time that criminals up their game thus, you also need to up your cooperation by working with the Police so that we get rid of these criminals in our society,” Mr Hamoonga stated

HOME Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu has challenged traffic police officers to reflect on how many lives could have been saved if they stopped accepting bribes from motorists with vehicle defects.

Mr Mwiimbu has also directed the officers around the country to deal with traffic offences in the open and not in the confines of bribery.

In a speech read on his behalf by Defence Minister Ambrose Lufuma during the launch of the the ‘No bribes, but fines campaign’ in Lusaka,Mr Mwiimbu said many lives have been lost due to bribes being accepted on the roads.

“We have lost lives which could have been preserved had it not been for that erring motorist who offered a bribe to an officer to be allowed to proceed even when their motor vehicle was not roadworthy. we have lost lives which we could have been preserved had it not been for that traffic officer who received a bribe to overlook a traffic breach. in addition to this, we have lost property and government revenue at the detriment of economic development,” he said.

He said corruption among motorists and traffic officers is not a mere perception ,but it is empirically proven.

“The findings of the 2019 Zambia Bribe Payers Index which show that the police (traffic section) are still ranked among the top with higher likelihood of taking bribes at 40.7 percent,” he said.

Mr Mwiimbu said the campaign marked the beginning of an era where corruption shall no longer be condoned by police traffic officers and road users alike.

“As such i must commend the zambia police, the ACC and all the stakeholders who have contributed to making this anti-corruption intervention possible. it is long overdue. the new dawn government is resolved to ridding this country of corruption in all its forms, and regardless of who is responsible for it,” he said.

He further warned motorists that such behavour shall no longer be condoned and then directed the Zambia Police Service to closely work with the Road Traffic Safety Agency and other stakeholders to ensure motorists strictly comply.

And the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has also since called on Zambians to say no to being bribed, but that they should instead pay the prescribed fine for the traffic violation offence.

ACC Director General Gilbert Phiri said ACC recognizes and appreciates the will to enhance transparency and uphold the rule of law amongst all road users.

“From today, Zambians must refuse to pay any bribes. It is as simple as this.Report anyone who solicits a bribe to the Anti-Corruption Commission and we shall take action.

Almost every non-roadworthy vehicle is on the road because of corruption. Unlicensed drivers are driving on our roads because of corruption.

We have uninsured vehicles on our roads because of corruption. Corruption has contributed to the carnage on our roads leading, in most instances, to needless loss of lives as a direct consequence of corruption,” he said