Why Road Blocks Can Never Be Stopped
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Road blocks, a Syndicate of Corrupt Officers and Home Affairs Officials
A cartel exist that profits from the roadblocks especially against Minibus Drivers.
The cartel collects as high as K200,000 a day.
It’s a properly networked criminal syndicate.
The leader of the traffic police officers is seen buying breakfast and lunch and delivers the meals to offices at Lusaka Central Police and Police Service Headquaters.
Similarly money is shared from Lusaka Central Police , Service Headquarters and Ministry of Home Affairs.
That’s why every directive to stop roadblocks falls on deaf ears.
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu has issued bans against roadblocks. The repeated directives have been ignored-repeatedly!
I remember that everytime we held bilateral meetings with the South African Government, or held business meetings with the Captains of the Industry, the complaint of turn-around time for trucks and rail sent to Zambia and DRC was awful.
For rail it was the aged and poor infrastructure that sees loss of time as trains move at snail’s pace.
For trucks, it was the over 35 roadblocks existing between Kazungula-Livingstone-Lusaka-Kasumbalesa! And the chaos at the borders.
Copperbelt Provincial Minister, Elisha Matambo had to beg police officers not to hold their corrupt exercise during peak hour.
The roadblocks can’t be stopped.
An entire network of corrupt officials benefits from the systematic extortions from members of the public.
That’s why the roadblocks are aptly called;”ATM”.
On this one, Mr. Mwamba is absolutely right. Traffic checks are the cops’ way of extorting money from road users and it is a very lucrative business. Ordinary policemen are an endangered species. Almost every policeman is a traffic cop.
Our Traffic police are thorougly corrupt.