Government has directed RATSA to immediately stop mounting unnecessary roadblocks saying they are incontinence to the traveling public and recipe for corruption.
Newly appointed Home Affairs Minister Davis Mwila made the directive in Lusaka today when he toured Chelstone Police station. He said there were so many roadblocks citing Lusaka, Kabwe Road.
” The people have complained that there are too many roadblocks, forinstance after at 1o miles (Great North Road) you find a Roadblock, you drive for five minutes another roadblocks, five minutes another roadblock. You find that by the time you reach Kabwe you would have passed through 10 roadblocks,” the Minister explained.
Mwila has directed that Police stop unnecessary roadblocks.
Good ba minister.
Ku Maamba it is worse they hide in some bushes and ambush suspected motorists. No beacon is placed on the road. At times they divide themselves, patrol village roads and conduct door to door inspection just to make some money. They are ruthless fault finders except a woman traffic officer. The reserves just mount road blocks anywhere and at any time they feel like. They say what are we going to eat if we don’t hunt and charge you.
The Pemba scum bags man Maamba/Batoka road everyday even on weekends.
You think Iam lying, just go to Maamba with a cab or canter truck you will also have a story to tell.
Insaka is just one of these scum bags.
Very soon these unnecessary road blocks will be a campaign issue. We are ready to support anybody against useless road blocks.
The government should produce a lot guidance if possible write small books with charges and how when to pay let those books circulate like the high way code . Police officers are benefiting more than the government. As for roadblocks is too much the even ask for elegant things.
We all know that roadblocks are a mine of corruption, and only succeeds in destroying the image of the police. Even lilayi graduates can’t wait to get to a roadblock. Why? Let us modernise the police and it’s practices. The current culture is not only counterproductive, it is an inconvenience and embarrassment to Zambia. Roadblocks are the instruments for lazy and corrupt officers.
look at the stretch between kitwe and chingola honestly do you need 10 roadblocks, well done bwana minister
Am not a PF supporter, but looking at the few pronouncements coming from the Lungu, there appears that the man wants to drive the country in the right direction. People of God the issue of police roadblocks has been a thorny issue during the MMD admimistration and later the Sata administration.the truth is that the poor constables manning these roadblocks are given targets to take to their district commands and later to to their respective division commands hence the increased levels of corruption among traffic officer. The only way out of this is to first deal with the police command if Hon Mwilas directives are to work.
let them reduce the charge so that people can afford and pay small little amount direct to the govt by getting a reicept……270 is just to much for an ordinary zambian better wamuchekwilako 50pin
This is a very good move. However, as long as the officers (RATSA/Police officers) who conduct this roadblocks still get money and issue receipts on the roads side it is very difficult to avoid corruption.
But why can’t we think of using the system of give the offender a ticket and within 14 working days he/she should deposit the money in the Bank account so that money can go into the Government account and see if we will continue having the same number of these roadblocks.
In an event where the offender chooses not to deposit the fine money and RATSA should recover the fine with interest through the time of renewing the road licence.
DON’T JUST BLAME POLICEMEN.
THERE IS A POLICEWOMAN AT MTENDERE POLICE STATION WHO HAS GONE VIRAL WITH CORRUPTION.
SHE IS A TRAFFIC INSPECTOR, MA MINIBUS DRIVER BAFWA AND ALL MOTORISTS PULIZ BWANA MINISTER.
JUST TRANSFER HER SOMEWERE SIR
why transfer her????..FIRE HER!!!!!!!!
Mr Minister sir, I think you are on the right track on this one BUT may we urge you to dig deeper. There is so much corruption in this area:
1. Road Block officers are not interested in issuing proper receipts BECAUSE they are primarily interested in pocketing the charges! If one insists on paying the fine and obtain the official receipt, you will see the Officers employing delaying tactics just to frustrate you so that you give up and pay a less amount which they pocket without issuing a receipt! If at all they issue you a receipt, chances are that they will give you a fake one!
2. Sometimes they will charge you a wrong amount for an offence which should attract a lesser amount UNTIL you challenge them! The general public should endeavor to have an official copy of traffic offence charges.
3. These officers will usually look at the driver and harass those they can see that they are NOT educated OR they will check all sorts of things just to find a fault!
4. These officers are more ruthless towards month-end when they are most broke.
5 These officers are very rich, they have built mansions and own mini-buses from the corrupt charges.
In general you find more police officers manning road blocks than are necessary or than on any other police duty!
When Sata became president, he immediately appointed Dr Martin Malama (who was then Copperbelt Police Chief) as Inspector General. The first act that Malama did was to stop the roadblocks. He was criticised and lost his job. Let’s hope this time around it works since it has come from the “political establishment”
THE WORST ONE IN ZAMBIA IS KAFUE CHECK POINT IN KITWE -ZAMTAN AREA.FOREIGHN TRUCKS HAVE MADE POLICE TRAFFIC OFFICERS RICHER THAN BILL GATES . PLEASE INTERGRATE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT TO GENERAL DUTIES SO AS TO PROVIDE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IN THE POLICE SYSTEM THAN THIS ANIRMAL FARM.
people you should different because RTSA is not police. police are the ones who like doing the Road blocks and not RTSA. sometime we should appreciate this people they do a good. RTSA officers are not corrupt like the police. Corruption is about two people and it’s you people to avoid corruption. If you are impounded why not just pay for the offense committed than starting to negotiate for reduction. The offense for K270.00 you want to be charged K100.00.where do you think a police officer will get K150.00 to top up in order for him to raise a receipt of K270.00 because he will be asked were I took the money because the act does not permit anyone to change the amount for charges. Its us people who are corrupt and not the police. If we start doing the right things and observe the traffic rules, corruption will be history. whenever you are impounded just demand for a charge and sign it. If you are going for long a distance, just ask the officer to give you a charge so that you can pay any time but that should be within 14days.A traffic offense is supposed to be paid for within 14days.so it does not mean that when impounded, you have to pay there no. you can pay at any police post and make sure that you are given a receipt{GRN].A receipt should be a general receipt which is a government receipt and not those city market or bus station receipts. shalom shalom and remember to put GOD in everything because Zambia is christian nation and we if are, why talking about tribalism.
My brother, which police officer will allow you to proceed without
paying? The first thing they do, is to get your Car Keys and your driving lisence,
so that you should now start negotiations.
Corruption always starts with a Police Man.
Inshaka, you are right. People are ignorant. They think they are suppose to pay there and then. NO! Show the police officer that you know your rights. Let them give you a charge and you pay at the nearest police station. The minister should not allow private vehicles to be used for road blocks. Remember what happened in Chipata when the minister (Malozo Sichone)caught traffic police officers ready handed? The system has started again on the road to Malawi – after the Lutembwe bridge, Please let us check these silly cops. The problem is that most taxi drivers on this road are used to breaking traffic rules and so they are used to paying cops bribes. One day I will plant a camera at that Mubanga tree so we record what the cops do.
I wish you can educate your fellow policemen on what you have said,
your friends they don’t want to give any chance as you have siad it, all what they do is to charge you 300 kwacha, when you say I don’t have it right here, then they will tell you to leave the car and go look for money.
They will try by all means to put you in an awkward situation where about you will have no option but just to give them what ever you have.
2. them (police) they just dream and give you any charge, all what they know is dangerous driving, they don’t know careless driving because they know the charge for careless is 150 and they know that nearly everyone can afford that 150.
3.two to three weeks ago I overtook on the solid line and the traffic guy saw me and he told me “this is dangerous driving and the charge is 3000 kwacha,” what can you do if you are ignorant with their charges?
4. what the government was supposed to do in this matter, in order to reduce corruption among these traffic cops is that, when you are a victim of any traffic violation, NO cash any type of payment must be done to them or their office, they can just charge you,and if you have accepted the charge you should just sign in their book, and payment can only be done to the RATSA offices at the time when buying your new road tax or fitness disc.
Please some one can give me the contact details for the top ranks official in government so that I will be reporting these men to the higher authorities as well as advising the government.
The author of this is a RTSA officer. Very deffensive. Rtsa staff are very corrupt starting from the CEO soko. After beating a malukula when his mother died we thot he will be dismissed from rtsa but the guy just went on leave and is back at work. Where is the board!! During the campaigns he alleged thatministers were trying to change the grz numbers to private ones so that they can use grz facilities. He used the watch dog. His thinking was that upnd will win so that he can maintain his job at rtsa but did not work out.
Kuya bebele ba mwisho
Can the minister also stop the corruption involving Traffic Police Offices who hide in private cars at Fridays Corner. when Traffic lights are not working they don’t go there but when the traffic lights are working they hide to get money from motorists who beat traffic lights. They charge offenders and share money and no receipts are issued.
True these cops are just a pain even the road at Veep resident just opposite ndeke hotel. These longacres cop. -independence Avenue near woodlands shops the always put a road very corrupt woodland police station is the worst . Ba minister mwila sort out these guys. Another one is always. Mounted near hill top hospital its woodlands police station again . The other one is mounted leopards hill road another one twin palm near ZAF all these is woodlands very corrupt I wonder wat goes on with the commanding office of this station. One station having more than 4 road blocks . Are they all field workers?
On the spot minister, abolish these unneccessary roadblocks!
Davies, tell your police officers, those roadblocks, only ask for money, especially , the lands corner one, watch these guys, and those RTSA, from Kabwe, always at the same place, writing fake receipts and collecting money for their pockets.
zikomo a MWILA Tate, otizunza ngako aba bakapokola ise opita kuma farm kuseeni pobwerera ni nchito mwandini… tabeba kuli anichekeleko.