The government has expressed concern over the high levels of corruption among traffic police officers.
According to the 2019 Zambia Bribe Payers Index (ZBPI) , the Zambia Police traffic section is still ranked among the top with a higher likelihood of taking bribes at 40.7 percent.
in a speech read for him by Assistant Secretary Clement Chilembo to launch the ‘No Bribes But Fines Campaign’ in Chipata on Wednesday, Eastern province minister Peter Phiri described the current situation as unacceptable.
“This situation is unacceptable. This situation is unacceptable. This corruption cannot happen without the involvement of a motorist,” he said.
However, Mr. Phiri commended the Zambia Police, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and all the stakeholders contributing to curbing traffic corruption.
He said Government is resolved to ridding the country of corruption in all its forms regardless of the perpetrators.
“The dangers of corruption on our roads are well known. We have lost lives which could have been preserved had it not been for that erring motorist who offered a bribe to an officer to be allowed to proceed even when their motor vehicle was not roadworthy,” Mr. Phiri said.
The campaign is aimed at securing the commitment of various stakeholders to refuse to receive or pay bribes and instead pay requisite fines when found wanting.
And ACC Eastern Province regional manager Nkandu Chipinda said that it is the legal demand of the ACC to prevent corruption in both public and private institutions in the country by promoting enhanced accountability and transparency in institutions.
“For this reason, the Commission partnered with the Zambia Police Service, the Road Safety Transport Agency (RTSA) and various other stakeholders like the Association of Truck, Bus and Taxi Drivers—who have joined us today—to undertake this activity as a way of preventing corruption and related malpractices and also to strengthen the processes in dealing with traffic offences,” he said.
Earlier, Public and Private Bus Drivers Association (PPBDA) Vice President Joseph Phiri advised the police and RTSA to stop the use of lay-bys because it is where traffic corruption is mostly committed.
Mr Phiri commended the Anti-Corruption Commission for coming up with the initiative targeted at fighting illegalities on the roads in the Eastern Province.
Stop maligning the police…; they only take chump change!
The most corrupt and biggest thieves are in the legal/judicial profession. For instance, Lungu has never been a police officer, but can police officers come even close?
Its not only Traffic Police who are corrupt. The entire police force should be examined. There is no traffic police officer at the passports office but bribes are openly solicited by a very high ranking officer at the entrance there. The top police officers know this but they all look the other way. If we had a strong media they could have revealed this long time ago.
Corrupt Police officers – as evidenced by lavish lifestyles warned – April 11, 2012
Home Affairs Minister Kennedy Sakeni has warned corrupt traffic officers that the law will soon catch up with them. He says his office is concerned at the continued reports of corrupt practices among some officers which was evident with the…
The whole system is rotten without exception. ACC will only act on instructions from the sitting government, but will not act on other cases, ZP will ask for something from the accused. A court clerk will make a case file go missing. The list is endless not forgetting a shop assistant who gives you an expensive shirt at a quarter of the price.
Our police officers were trained to eat SAUSAGE . Sausage! Sausage ! bambi munani.
This is a big problem, yesterday coincidentally somebody was alleging that some cops at a roadblock between Mkushi and Kapiri can make up to 10 thousand each a month, if if this is true, then this is day light robbery. I still think there is a way these chaps can be caught or alternatively bring down the statutory fines to what these chaps are demanding, this will not mean failure but will allow time for reorganization until we find saints
Will it be right to say it is the society which is corrupt because they willingly pay bribes to the Police, or it is a question of affordability, it is much cheaper to bribe a cop than to pay the stipulated fine when one is found on the wrong side of the law. Then how do we cure this cancer which is almost beyond redemption now.
To cure this cancer we must reduce the fines to affordable levels
This is the only solution. In addition to that erring motorists should be given a specific time to pay up at the nearest point.
The police use terrorist methods to extract money from us….they grab your driving license and car keys to send you in panic mood. These are not necessary unless it’s proved that the driver or the vehicle are a danger to the other road users.
In other countries police do not take payments of any kind the local council does…reducing fines just encourages repeat offences
6.2 Tarino Orange I was very impressed with our friends (police)behavior. Very polite. They give you the time limit and point of payment… advise you to be careful (in this case my host was stopped for over speeding). No intimidation or incoherent ranting we wittiness here.
Good idea, and to avoid repeat offenses. There could be a limit to how many times one is caught over-speeding in a calendar year. Exceeding this limit would lead to temporary suspension of driving license. This could easily be tracked using a system that keeps record of offender’s driving license number.
Just retire them all in the nation’s interest especially Traffic police…then recruit UNZA and CBU graduates plus no police woman should wear a skirt not even senior officers. You can not fight crime with a skirt in the field.
That corruption by traffic officers will never be eradicated until the penalty fines are reduced from K450 to K100. Let’s face it, who would want to pay K450 when he or she can easily give an officer a K100?
I can see the thumbs down are coming from police officers.
One easy solution is to revise the traffic laws and get rid of archaic ones as well as those that are circumstantial. After this, you will see that the reasons for roadblocks will be very specific. When I travel through most neighboring countries the most a cop will ask for is my driver’s license. Basi. They will not start going around the car to find out whether it has silly things stuck on them or if wipers are working. That is where corruption sets in.
So why is the government complaining about itself to the media? You know there is a problem, why are you not reporting the solution instead of telling us what we already know?
we were told under the PF police officers were the most corrupted in zambia now under the UPND people mindsets have charged now including ( police officers ) today ati the most corrupt ,
(According to the 2019 Zambia Bribe Payers Index (ZBPI) , the Zambia Police traffic section is still ranked among the top with a higher likelihood of taking bribes at 40.7 percent.) why refer to a 2019 report so kuli report which was done between 2019 and 2022 december
Zambia police is so corrupt that they don’t know life in any other way
Sack them all and send them to live with Thier god father LUNGU
Traffic police and motorists have a symbiotic relationship. They help each other.
Reducing the fines wont solve anything. Police will still demand bribes even if they be lower. Operationally speaking no police officer should receive payment. They should just issue tickets and motorists can pay at police HQ city council offices or centres and bank tills. To an extent I agree with Tarino’s solution: Just retire them all in the nation’s interest especially Traffic police…then recruit UNZA and CBU graduates. Lilayi needs to be cleaned up. Bring in tough instructors who understand human rights