Illegal police check points irk minister

I WILL soon embark on impromptu check-ups on police across Zambia to stop illegal road blocks, says Home Affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo.

But Zambian Republican Party president Wright Msoma said the impromptu visit should first start with Lusaka where the vice was rampant.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Kampyongo said those who will be found mounting illegal check points will be dealt with according to the law.

Mr Kampyongo said he will not allow bad characters to dent the name of Zambia police, but ensure that they followed law because they were the custodians of law and Zambia was governed by laws. He said that police officers have convened in all divisions across Zambia in revisiting the schedule on police check points that were created before the invocation of the threatened state of emergency.

He hoped that after going through the list that was initially announced during that period, officers would follow the directive from their command or else would have themselves to blame. Mr Kampyongo said some checkpoints would be cleared all together so they reverted back to the measures that had been put in place by his ministry. He said revocation of Article 31 should not put Zambia in chaos, because there were other existing laws that would be enforced to ensure that peace and stability continued to prevail. Mr Kampyongo said he was happy that the acts of sabotage had been put under control following the invocation of Article 31 by President Edgar Lungu, and that the situation in Zambia was stable.

“Where there is breakdown of law and order no one is spared so we have a responsibility to make sure that the peace that we have been enjoying since independence is maintained,” he said. Mr Msoma said the check points in Lusaka are exaggerated and denting the image of Government. Mr Msoma said some police officers were too hungry for money because they were mounting irregular checkpoints just to get something from motorists. He said it was too much of traffic police officers, therefore the move by Mr Kampyongo would help curb illegal check points. He advised the minister to realign police officers so that they began to work for Government and stop pocketing the money in the name of roadblocks.