K60, 000 allocated towards Mufumbwe police rehabilitation

MUFUMBWE Town Council has allocated about K60, 000 towards rehabilitation of the Mufumbwe police station which was burnt by a mob early last year.

Mufumbwe Town Council chairperson Elijah Munyompe confirmed the development in an interview yesterday.

Mr Munyompe said the funds are part of the 2018 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which was recently releases by government.

‘We have allocated some funds towards the rehabilitation of the police station which was burnt down last year.

“The project is one of the 17 projects approved by the council which will be funded under the Constituency Development Fund,” he said.

He said the local authority decided to allocate some funds because it has realised that the security of the people and property is at stake after burning of the police station.

He disclosed that the community with support from the Chizela Royal establishment and other stakeholders have mobilized other materials such as building sand, blocks, stones, cement and iron sheets towards the project.

“So, we are on course and determined to making sure that we reconstruct the police station,” he added.

He called on other well-wishers to come on board and help in any way possible.

In 2017 Mufumbwe residents burnt down Mufumbwe Police Station following an attempt by police to stop what was locally called”chikondo”, a traditional belief meaning “a moving coffin” from taking place following the death of Matha Mingochi of Kakilufya area of Mufumbwe District, a Grade 11 pupil at a local secondary school who died on 13th October, 2017.

When Police advised the people to stop the practice, the mob began throwing stones at Police Officers, a situation which led the Police Officers to retreat to the Police Station but the mob followed and finally burnt the Police Station and in the process, two vehicles and office materials were also burnt.

The mob was following a suspected wizard who they accused of causing the death of the deceased but by then, he had not yet been found.

Two motor vehicles, a canter belonging to Inspector Kalunyange and a Toyota Noah , property of Nkinke Nelson which was parked at the Police Station by Court Bailiffs were also been burnt.