Matero MP calls for neighbourhood watch
… pledges to provide patrol vehicles
ZAMBIANS by nature are not killers and police need to do thorough investigations to ascertain who was behind the ritual murders in my constituency, Matero Member of Parliament Lloyd Kaziya has charged.
Mr Kaziya has also asked residents to form neighborhood committees which he would provide with patrol vehicles to curb escalating crime and ensure security of the people and properties.
He stated that because of the deteriorating security situation in his constituency as evidenced by recent suspected ritual killings and other numerous reports of theft being recorded, there was need for members of the community to form neighbourhood watch committees.
He said with the significant rise in crime, there has never been a time like now to re-introduce neighborhood watches.
The Matero lawmaker has suggested that police should investigate all possible leads including suggestions from some members of public that no one should be ruled out, including some foreigners.
Mr Kaziya notes that an increase in population in Matero as well as influx of foreigners could be the source of atrocities afflicting his area.
In an interview with Daily Nation yesterday, Mr Kaziya charged that both locals and foreign nationals could be behind the grizzly killings in which human body parts were removed, cooked and eaten.
Mr Kaziya said Zambia has never before experienced barbaric acts where human body parts are cooked and eaten.
Mr Kaziya added that by nature Zambians were not killers but could be used to do it for money due to poverty levels.
“We have been heavily infiltrated by bad elements that are perpetuating these killings,” Mr Kaziya charged.
He said the sophisticated crime needed concerted efforts from all stakeholders to bring culprits to book.
He said with the significant rise in crime, there has never been a time like now to re-introduce neighbourhood watches.
Mr Kaziya appealed to the community to form neighbourhood security teams as part of efforts to stem increased attacks by criminals.
He bemoaned the escalating levels of suspected ritual killings in Lusaka, saying the scourge could only be tackled when the community worked together with the police in setting up the security watch teams.
Mr Kaziya said he was ready to provide vehicles to enable the neighborhood watch and police conduct patrols across the constituency.
“We have vehicles that we can give out to help with patrols to ensure criminal activities such as suspected ritual killings in Matero constituency are curbed, but there is nothing an MP can do if members of the community are not volunteering to form neighborhood security teams.
“I appeal to the community more especially unemployed youths to form a voluntary community neighborhood security teams with the aim of partnering with the police to tackle all forms of criminality across the constituency and we can probably recommend them for military trainings so that they are employed in the security wings,” Mr Kaziya said.
Mr Kaziya said every neighborhood watch will have an armed police officer to ensure the group is well equipped and enhance security.
He explained that neighborhood watch forms part of PF government policies to fight crime in the local communities.
In line with the vision of the PF government to create an enabling environment for economic activities to thrive in the state, he said, a voluntary community policing group in the community known as neighborhood watch is essential.