THE Zambia Police Service has maintained that the ban on parking of motor vehicles at all police stations and posts countrywide is still in force.
Zambia Police Spokesperson Ester Katongo said in an interview that the ban was never lifted from the time it was made by then Home Affairs Minister Davis Mwila last year.
Ms Katongo said that all police officers across the country were expected to comply with the directives given by the Home Affairs Minister.
“That ban is still on, at no point was it lifted because there was no communication to the effect that the suspension was lifted. All officers are expected to comply with the directive that was given,” she said.
She disclosed that only vehicles that were under investigation or in a road accident were allowed to park at the police station.
Mr Mwila said Police stations were created to enforce law and order and not to be turned into car parks.
Last weekend during his visit to Livingstone, newly appointed Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo re-emphasied his predecessor’s directives and urged Police officers to stop the practice.
“What my predecessor directed still remains in force because it is not the responsibility of the police to look after people’s vehicles at their areas of their operations mind you a police station should have a conducive environment for them to react to various eventualities,” Mr Kampyongo said.
He was responding to questions from journalists who wanted to know if the ban was lifted as some police posts in Livingstone still had number of parked vehicles especially in the night.
Even police vehicles that have been in accidents and/or under investigation should not be parked at police stations. The volume of vehicles on the roads in most of the cities in urban areas (all of Lusaka and Copperbelt) is such that there is sufficient justification to setup impound lots. On the same basis that some enterprising individuals have been able to setup overnight car parks that customers use at a fee.
These impound lots can be managed and funded in conjunction with insurance companies. Insurance companies have a stake in seeing that vehicles involved in accidents or under criminal investigation are well secured.
So enforce the regulation and private sector will step in with a solution.
This is part of the corruptive matters to which the unprofessional PF police ‘feed’ by illegally charging citizens parking their vehicles at the incompetent police stations of PF.
The PF police can’t follow the rules of banning patrons parking their cars because Edgar Lungu FAILED to follow and respect the constitution. Therefore, one doesn’t expect the police to respect the rules, as Edgar set up a great riddance for disrespecting democratic principles.
If you want law and order, first Edgar and PF minions should for the first time, respect the constitution by giving power to the speaker, for it is a requisite to the fundamental principles of justice. Once this is done, then surely and maybe, the incompetent & corrupt PF police can try to respect the rule of law. For now, its…
…where the PF police bandits hiding in uniforms can fraudulently make money from vulnerable victims. The money PF police makes from charging opposition political party members on tramp charged cases is not enough, KZ and Edgar are the beneficiaries. So the incompetent PF police depend upon this loophole where this illegal PF doesn’t respect rules.
Its a worry! Edgar must give power to the speaker, therefore and maybe the country won’t be the third hungriest country on the universe. Poverty, Zambia is number one in the entire world because of the visionless and violent PF.
GO TO WUSAKILE POLICE STATION. POLICE THERE HAVE TURNED THE STATION INTO CAR PARK. CHINESE BUSES,TRUCKS AND OTHER VEHICLES PARK THERE AND PAY TO THE OFFICER INCHARGE. THE POLICE STATION IS IN A MESS.
Friends this has nothing to do with PF because this thing started long before the party was formed. We accuse others of corruption but forget that we also somehow partake in this rot. It’s up to you not to “park at the police station “
Why can’t Police have car pounds where impounded vehicles can be stored. Even accident vehicles or vehicles being investigated must not be in the receiving bay of a Police Station. There should be a designated area for such vehicles. Accident vehicles whose case has been cleared and have not been claimed must be surrendered to crashers or salvage yards. The owners can pick them up from there after paying a storage fee. If not claimed, the vehicles can be crashed and sold as scrap metal according to disposal regulations.