President Rupiah Banda has reaffirmed government’s commitment to enhancing the welfare of police officers and other men and women in uniform countrywide.
ZANIS Ndola reports that the President reaffirmed government’s commitment this afternoon during the inauguration and handover of 283 houses to the Zambia Police at Masala Police Camp.
President Banda explained that police officers were working under very difficult and challenging conditions.
He said it was for this reason that government had embarked on a programme to increase the housing units for police offers and to further rehabilitate the existing infrastructure.
He said the housing units that he handed over today were a clear testimony of government’s commitment to help the police deliver quality services to the country.
President Banda said the 283 housing units in Ndola were part of the initial 500 units constructed under phase one of the 1,500 units constructed in Kasama, Chipata and Livingstone at a cost of K156 billion.
Mr. Banda revealed that the construction programme was an on-going exercise and was aimed at accommodating a large number of police officers who were struggling to provide shelter to their families.
He has since advised the occupants of the newly built houses not to let the houses get into a state of disrepair before they are rehabilitated.
And speaking earlier, Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde urged the police officers not to disfigure the houses by putting up makeshift shops, chicken runs and backyard gardens.
Mr. Kabonde said police officers were expected to work extra hard now because they accommodated properly.
He further pledged total loyalty to government because of what it was doing to the police service.
And Kabushi Member of Parliament Lombani Mschili appealed to President Banda’s government to renovate the old housing units so that other police officers could occupy them.
Mr. Mschili further called on government to address the issue of water, sewerage and lack of electricity in the area.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani thanked government for building a number of housing units for the police service and commended government for the mealie meal allowance that has been introduced for police officers.
President Banda, who was seen off by Copperbelt Province Minister Mwansa Mbulakulima and several government officials has since returned to Lusaka.
ZANIS
Yaba ba officer nabalalam.:(
Yaba ba officer nabalala.:(
Yaba ba officer nabalala.:(
RB is john walker. i thought he was in southern province ,
police ali na nsala. how is he (a 15 kg malnourished chap living off katapa and kapenta) meant to catch ba bobby (a heavy weight thief, 100kg, living of michopo, steak and sausage). if anything this police officer will be chased instead and arrested for the thefts. umutwe kuyuma
Good move govt. keep it up. We need more of such.
I we ***** Nalakutafya inchto,How can you sleep when am adressing you on living in povery while in live in Statehouse?:d:d:d:d:d:d:d:d[-([-([-([-([-(
Iwe Chikala, you are fire for sleeping on duty! I will not even accomodate you because you like sleeping Panse.Webwa iwe.MALABISH[-([-([-([-([-(:d:d
“And speaking earlier, Inspector General of Police Francis Kabonde urged the police officers not to disfigure the houses by putting up makeshift shops, chicken runs and backyard gardens.”
There is nothing wrong in having a chicken run and a backyard garden. Otherwise the government should provide allotment land where these police officers can grow their own vegies. Sorry IG, every Zambian household with a 5 m by 5 m back garden should use the land productively.
Mr Kabonde should be the one to encourage them to put up chicken runs and backyard gardens so that they have something to fall on in these bad times.In the absence of that they will be levying people on road blocks just to make up.