FORTY-TWO Congolese nationals on a human trafficking mission to South Africa have been intercepted and detained by the Immigration Department in Lusaka.
Immigration Department public relations officer, Mulako Mbangweta, said in Lusaka yesterday that 26 of those arrested in Lusaka last week were yesterday repatriated to the Democratic Republic of Congo while 16 were still in detention in Kabwe.
“We could not detain the Congolese nationals who were arrested in Lusaka because most of them are women with children as young as six months old,” Ms Mbangweta said.
She said the ones in Kabwe would remain in detention until the department completed its investigations. Those repatriated were arrested in Lusaka’s Kanyama Township some five days ago.
“From the interviews we have conducted so far, they look like they were being trafficked to South Africa. When people are being trafficked, they do not know where they are going and where they are,” she said.
Immigration officers arrested 16 Congolose nationals in Kabwe last week and picked up leads from them that another larger group had proceeded to Lusaka.
An unknown group of human traffickers is behind the scheme to move the Congolese nationals to South Africa.
Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs, Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha, has warned immigration officers against engaging in corrupt practices because it frustrated Government’s efforts at improving the country’s economy.
Speaking at a senior officers’ workshop at King Fisher Lodge in Lusaka yesterday, Lt.Gen. Shikapwasha said the Immigration Department was among the Government wings that were involved in the embezzlement of public funds last year.
“I would like to warn you that I will not take kindly to those embezzling Government funds. I am urging officers to examine themselves in terms of corruption in the rank and file of the department by ensuring accountability,” he said.
He was happy that the Immigration Department had raised significant revenue within a short period following the abolition of visa waivers in January this year.
He urged regional commanders to ensure accountability for revenue collections by controlling banking procedures and observing banking regulations among subordinate officers in order to stamp out corruption.
He urged the department to ensure that revenue collections did not dwindle.
He called on the officers to be disciplined because their department was a security wing of Government.
The minister directed the Chief Immigration Officer, Ndioyi Mutiti and regional commanders to strategise and help the country to be on time with the milestone economic achievements it was recording.
Gen. Shikapwasha said the country had embarked on economic revival ventures such as the multi facility economic zones that were attracting investment.
The minister commended the officers for performing well last year and for their intensified operations that sustained security of the country.
“The worst thing is to have foreigners harassing local people. You should continue with the operations but with a human heart. Zambia is a Christian Nation,” he said.
And Ms Mutiti said her department had continued to perform well despite transport and other logistical obstacles.
Immigration officers have flushed out undesirable immigrants. They detained 2,843 prohibited immigrants and deported 2,759 while 494 were prosecuted in the courts of law.
Ms Mutiti said the prevailing conducive environment had continued to attract investors into the country.
This has resulted in the department issuing 234 self-employment permits to investors, especially in the manufacturing industry. The department also issued 3,471 work permits last year.
She said the department collected over K57 billion against the targeted K24 billion last year.
Ms Mutiti said the tourist inflow has continued to rise and the department collected about K8 billion from five border controls in Livingstone.
“I wish to report that the same border controls have collected K1.7 billion within a five week period this year,” Ms Mutiti said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Share
12 COMMENTS
Comments are closed.
Read more
Arrest these baggers!u shud have no mercy and i hope our laws have been ammended to make sure such chaps are arrested coz there was no law against human trafficking.
We need to put in force tighter immigration laws, we didn’t even know how long these people were in the country or what other crimes they may have committed in our land.
Let us come together and protect the little integrity that’s left of our nation.
please tell their government(congolise) to teach their pipo how to sell vegetables, tomatoes, aples, oranges and other things like the zambian pipo do, not selling pipo.at the end they will start selling us or even selling our country becouse we even dont know how they are entering our country in such a way,what are our immigration doing.!!!!!!!!! look at this please.
Number 3..! go on youtube and search for “coltan wars” or “mobile phones wars in DRC?” your perspective about the congolise nationals shall change if at all you have conscience? or simply search for the “unreported world DRC.”
we are our worst enemies….african politicians…greed. Are you even aware that civil war is happening in congo right now…militia’s backed by Rwanda and Uganda? others backed by Jean Biemba? Are you even aware that their was a large protest in France “trying to expose the fighting that is happening in DRC.” I forgot you spend more time on myspace and HI 5 downloading pictures of yourself wearing the best make up and attire?
Number 2..! The people that were rounded up are simply victims or refugees trying to get away from the misery inflicted by those they entrusted with the nations wealth (politicians).DRC is one of wealth nations on this planet? billions of dollars in mineral wealth and yet the majority live in absolute poverty. check on youtube ” curse of congo”…..? watch how the wealth is being looted by militia’s backed by kabila, Rwanda and Uganda.
Number 5. Mob Justice,
We understand they may be victims of war. But the people behind it all, this thing about selling other human beings are the ones we are saying should be stopped!
What if they start selling off their own Africans to some druglords and the like? We know there’s war there but it’s not an excuse for them to do such things.
Number 3 passed an innocent comment but you’re very affected Mob Justice. Maybe you have some Congolese background? Some Congolese blood?
Before you judge a man, try walking in his shoes? iam not in favour of the human peddlers? All I am saying is that ….seek out your own knowledge before you speak. I am true zambian national….can even cite verses from the national anthem? otherwise i have nothing againist number 3? our immigration officers are so corrupt? they only target those without money? trust me, if those poor people had something on them they would have been let scot free?
Yes we know that seeking our own knowledge will help us better understand this situation. But this is all just in response to the facts presented here so far.
As the story has it, there is a conducive business environment in the country and it should not be tainted by individuals such as these “human traders”.
Indeed most of our departments are corrupt and money-loving but there’s obviously some truth behind this trafficking investigation.
Mob Justice, have you ever googled human trafficking? Some of the articles are very touching. It’s a very serious issue.
# 8 You are spot on. Thanks. If there has been such happenings and people responsible got bribes, they were wrong and this should be discouraged.We shouldn’t subscribe to such activities as a nation. Here, we are not judging. All we are saying is that trafficking human beings is not acceptable.Officers involved, please refrain from such activities.
I understand the depth of human trafficking? It is sad that DRC is blessed with so much wealth and yet it’s citizens do not benefit from it. I do not know what is wrong with our african politicians (leaders). where is our humanity?
3471 work permits when we have galo graduates and school leavers loafing. This is were the indian and chinese show there true coluors. They only employ their own, now legally under sikapwshas big nose.
Whatever happened to the African Union thing,thought as Africans we were going to be free to move around our mother land Africa. Hope this union will work out ways for Africa to be for all Africans and not only for politritians having diplomatic passports.