‘TIGHTEN SECURITY AT ‘POROUS’ KANGILI BORDER’

KANGILI residents in Mkushi have bemoaned poor security at the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Kangili area on the Zambian side.

The residents have appealed to the Immigration Department in Mkushi to send officers there to enforce laws and tighten security at the porous border for sanity to prevail.

The residents said security at the border was porous as there were no immigration officers to scrutinise Congolese entering the Zambian side.

Speaking in separate interview, Evaristo Musonda of Kangili said, Government through the Immigration Department should come up with measures to improve security system and examine Congolese entering Zambia.

Mr. Musonda said the situation was worrying because there was a high influx of Congolese freely entering Zambia to do various businesses but that was not the case on the DRC side.

He said some Congolese men were even marrying Zambian women, drunk beer and did whatever they wished to do at will without legal immigration papers.

“The security system at Kangili border is porous. Congolese freely enters Zambia and go back without scrutiny as opposed to Zambians crossing to Congo DRC. On their side, officers ask for permits and we are harassed.

“Here, Immigration Department officers are doing nothing. Government should strengthen the security system," Mr. Musonda said.

Another resident, Mr Julius Musonda appealed to government to the establish immigration check points along routes Congolese use to enter Zambia to improve security.

Mr. Musonda cited an incident where a Congolese swindled his relative out of K1,000 plus 11 goats and sold him a faulty motorbike.

And Mr Dainess Tuyu said something should be done to stop illegal Congolese immigrants from marrying Zambian women in the area as they could transmit diseases such as ebola which was still ravaging parts of that country.

When contacted, Mkushi District Commissioner Luka Mwamba said the situation was serious.