Government has condemned the use of live ammunition on street vendors by police in Ndola on Friday.
Local Government Minister Professor Nkandu Luo says it was wrong for police to use live bullets on harmless street vendors.
Prof. Luo was speaking to ZNBC news in an interview in Lusaka on Saturday morning.
The Minister says while government appreciates police assistance in moving vendors from streets, the exercise should be handled in a sober and careful manner.
She says her Ministry has instructed all councils to form task forces to handle the removal of street vendors.
Prof Luo says the program also involves sensitising vendors on the negative effects of street vending.
On Friday The street vendors fought running battles with the Zambia Police Service and Council police deployed in the city centre to enforce a ban on street vending by the local authority. Business was paralysed as most shops located on Chisokone Avenue, Blantyre and President Avenues including Shoprite were closed for fear of being looted.
Copperbelt deputy provincial assistant commissioner Milner Muyambango and NCC public relations manager Roy Kuseka confirmed the operation to rid the Ndola streets of vending. Mr Muyambango said police threw tear gas canisters at the protesting vendors.
He, however, said there were strict instructions that no officer should carry any firearm during the operation. Mr Muyambango said one unidentified man sustained a broken leg during the fracas but it was not immediately established how he injured his leg.
He was not able to disclose the number of vendors picked up in connection with the riot as the officers were still patrolling the streets and had not furnished him with information.
Mr Muyambango said police had, however, managed to restore calm.
Police were deployed in the city centre as early as 05:00 hours yesterday to ensure that no vendor disobeyed the council order. And Mr Kuseka said the council had managed to achieve its objective of removing the street vendors and warned that those resisting the order would face the law.
He said the vendors had shown disregard for the law by rejecting the seven-day ultimatum issued last week. “We did not ambush them because they were fully aware of the resolution that they should not conduct any street vending as from today.
“This is in keeping with Government’s directive for street vendors to leave the streets by December 2 this year,” he said.
ZNBC
It is more money in the pockets or streets.Viva self employed this is the government you voted for.
Commission of inquiry? If you live in a glass house don’t throw stones.
Is using live ammunition not attempted murder? You don’t criticize you arrest the officers involved and put the commanding officer on forced leave, pending investigations.
Wr are going to a problem as a nation because Sata is terrible lie. He promised them Jobs and more money in the pockets within 90 days.
This is the lame leadership that derelict duty, and whine foolishly instead of, at minimum, appear to attempt to get on top of the ‘mishap’ (mishap?- no, its textbook modi operandi).
The foolish police did not steal the live ammunition from the official sources, it was duly provided- on what orders? To go use it on the un-armed.
Who gave the orders to open fire, and under what manner of trigger or provocation? ….. and small Luo’s wish to have us for such fools as to accept that police carry live ammunition for use as they wish or choose? If you are the authority responsible- request to be fired NOW, for the imposter that sits above you is not bred to the law, all he knows best is to rule by decree.
The President should constitute the Commission of inquiry on who was at fault just like the BRA Commission of inquiry.Thank God things have started to unfold
Hallo! Ba zimandola na PF, mwayamba kusobela bwanji Kansi? How are you going to fill money in your pockets is you start playing hide and seek?
why are there so many incidents of police using excessive force nowadays, is it that policemen are above the law or is it that system which is so biased. Looks like policemen can break the rules as the please and yet no punishment of some kind imposed on them. you might as declare “BOMA SACHIMWA” where is this nation heading. Lets not brainwash people that our nation a is christian nation when there are so many violent acts perpetuated by people who are supposed to maintain peace.
Dontchi ukudabwa ba Ndola
Dont just condemn the police what measures have been put in place first.police are also pipo who need to live’buy rubber bullets 4 them.BOMA NI BOMA MWANA
Sata ordered the shootings being commander in chief for all armed forces just like R.B ordered the shooting of those two Lozi youths in Mongu. Politicians are the same everywhere.
CoI
There is a saying that “When things change, they remain the same”. But in this case, things have changed and got worse.
YOU *****S YOU DON’T JUST CONDEM,CARRY INVESTIGATION AND ARREST WHOEVER DID IT, I HAVE NOW COME TO BELIEVE THAT POLICE OFFICERS ARE ALLOWED TO KILL OR SHOOT A PERSON WHENEVER THERE IS AN UPRASING FOR THE SACK OF PUTING THE UPRAISING TO A HAULT.ONE OF THE SENIOR IN THE INTELLIGENCY TOLD ME TO FREE FOR MY SAFTY FOR IT IS MANDATORY TO KILL.
Policemen just need to be fired. Drop CB police commissioner or commanding officer. period.
Why????? You must put down your reasons. How do we support you if you just say fire. meaning what?????
I think that it is wrong for the police to use live ammunition in the process of crowd control, and this practice should cease immediately. On the other hand, most of the comments above are misplaced. All urban areas in Zambia are dirty and disease outbreaks are an annual occurance primarily because of the lack of order in the country to which street vendors are a big contributor. How are you going to erradicate the annual cholera outbreaks if you are going to be consuming food prepared and sold in dirty conditions? Which toilets do you think the vendors use when selling their wares? Zambians need to learn to accept that the country will only be at peace with itself when its citizens learn to follow laws and regulations.
The use of live ammunition on harmless street vendors is criminal. The ones who fired must be arrested. The police command who gave orders must be fired and arrested. We are no longer in the MMD regime where human rights were disregarded. This shows that there is need to cleanse the police force to rid it of criminal elements who toll the line of MMD criminal regime.
Commission of Inquiry is needed in this Ndola shooting!! No ways.Where is Chongwe?
I always use live ammunition when sleeping with girls so what is wrong this time. Pipo dont be mistaken that police wanted to kill street vendors , what the journalist means is that the policemen looked for female street vendours and demanded live wire . Koma Nkandu luo is fat and ugly.
Prof Lou you are just an old cow and your party is all made of expired politicians who should all be in a pension home.
MMD SHOT PROTESTORS IN MONGU YOU SHOT MISHANGA BOYS TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING.
GESTAPO GESTAPO GESTAPO
I wonder what Mmembe & the pro PF NGO goons will say about this. Similar thing happened in Mongu and everyone was screaming blood on RBs hands. Bloody hypocrites; anyway this is good since the same vendors voted for Cobra and they’ll get a taste of their own vomit. How do you chase vendors before providing them with an alternative place to sell their goods? There is massive unemployment in this country and we should be grateful that these young men are trying to earn an honest living on the streets instead of stealing and murdering!
seems like the head and the legs are not coordinating. call the commission of expiry.
the streets needs to be clean come oversea and see how clean streets here are . street vending has always been against with law.
ba pf, we wise men from the east say. ‘chaona munzako chapita mawa chili paiwe’. “the misfortune that has befallen your neighbour today will pas, yours is coming tomorrow”. classic case batata. did u not condemn RB when police shot people in mongu as if he was there? was michael sata directing police to use live ammunition? mukazinkala nanzelu..
Sata is responsible u fool. This ugly fool should be told that they are now in govt not in opposition. she just yaps without thinking. Is she still dreaming RB RB RB on top of her …maybe she will bore a clever boy!
You cheated pipo and now we shall see . . . . chase them from the streets. its good for you.
The start of things to come and quite early just 2 months live ammunition on street vendors existed even when Sata was Lusaka Governor in antient times. The cobra then was under strict watch 24 hrs now he has access to ammunition uses it at will. Next should turn to Lusaka vendors and there will be mourning in the city. More money in the pockets? yes but at a cost or Sata is a liar noy to be trusted.
I can’t agree more that the use of live ammunition was wrong. However, I have some reservations with this policy of removing street vendors without creating “real job” opportunities for those affected. We should not overlook the fact that these people need to be doing something to make a living, otherwise leave an energetic man with no money and nothing to do and you create a receipt for crime. And as much as disagree with the presence of street vendors, I would rather have them than see an increase in crime. But at the same time as moving these vendors Government should be looking to create jobs for them to move into
Next time aim for the b.a.l.l.s so that chaps know how to behave
Where was the local authority when the street vendors started selling clothes from their vehicles? and so it happened when others saw that all was well, they got loans from CETZAM, and got on the streets. Now they are chased how do they pay back the loans? Ha! You have taken long to react imwe bene ba ma authorities, just engage them nicely and find an amicable solution.
If the building has a design fault then it is NOT THE FAULT OF THE PASTOR. It is the fault of fake, dull, clueless Zambian Engineers who can’t seem to be able to build anything in this country. Even the footbridge over Great East Road at University of Zambia, I remember that it took our local Zambian Engineers TWO years to build it and it still ended up looking like a shanty compound structure. It had to take the then Minister of Works and Supply to give the contract to a Chinese to finish the job properly. You Zambians, even on this blog, you talk too much and produce NOTHING. Zambians are the loudest least productive population on the continent, just FULL OF JEALOUS against people who work. Even so-called loud Nigerians are extremely resourceful and productive.
Good afternoon
This medieval mindset of using live ammunition on helpless citizens needs to change. Police are supposed to be safe guarding the welfare of citizens and not violating their human rights.
It is poor governance and lack of opportunities that forces people to take to the streets as the only means of survival. Street people are the more susceptible to crime but they chose not to steal but rather to earn a honest living. They need to be empowered and not to be treated like criminals. It is time for the government to visualize a collective, progressive programm for vendors. Most of them voted for a better life under PF after all.
There was no need for the commission of iquiry in Mongu riot.The command shud have fired the I.G of that time and drop the minister and compensate those who were injured without realy causing damage to any property.We know the cause of the fracas in Mongu.The government can just deal with it once and for all.We know the problem of street vending the Government can deal with it once and for all.The Government which was there from 1991 to 2001 destroyed the economy of this country hence the problem of street vendning.those who were in government at that time should apologise to the nation the misery which the youth have found thelmslves to day.Levy Mwanawasa tried his best(MHSRIP) other wise Zambia could be economicaly doing badly to day.
Why condemn the police…they only have two weapons at their disposal: an AK 47 and Teargas canisters complimented with poor outdated training from 1950. Modern crowd control methods are being updated and tweaked everyday without the need for use of live ammo as was evident in the New York protests and the UK riots a couple of months ago. Modern Crowd Control Methods are freely available all the government has to do is request for such assistance from other experienced Police Services in this field eg The British Police and The South African Police etc.
So we shall have another commission of inquiry or extend the TORs for Roger Chongwe? Less than 90 days in office and we start shooting innocent kaponyas who put us in power on the promise that they shall reign supreme on our streets. Wasn’t it too early to condemn our predecessors?
there was no live amminition used, i was there hounarable minister.
The 90 day reference to everything does’nt make sense at all. President Sata never said he will turn Zambia into paradise. All he said was that within, 90 days the country will notice some change taking place.Please leave the man alone, so he can do his job. Atleast he is not a butterfly flying to every part of world like RB. Am sure you will agree with me that, change is taking place which the majority of zambians are appreciating. Don’t just be difficulty for nothing, just to be heared in the media. It’s being foolish and unreasonable.
Ba Kabaso wat change is there to appreciate? the only change most of us see is a central bank with no Governor, a nation being forced to divide itself along tribal and religious lines, poor citizens being shot at for trying to erk a living on the street, money being wasted on commisions of inquiry which already have predetermined conclusions, capable people losing their public service jobs and being replaced by a family tree, youths being ignored despite putting the govt in power, the police being used to persecute and silence those in opposition etc. that is the change we see ba kabaso; wat do u see?
Kapoma Kabaso
Which change is taking place
Maybe in your imaginative mind.
You dont throw people out of the streets without putting proper measures in place. How do you expect them to feed their families. Do you want them to steal.
This Nkandu Luo IS SO THEORETICAL in the manner she handles issues though she seems to be good at HIV/AIDS issues.
we need a commission of inquiry into the ndola saga
There should be a Commission of Inquiry to probe the Ndola shooting, with immediate effect! The Mongu Commission is to become the Ndola Commission, with immediate effect…
#37, maybe he should be a butterfly like RB, that should keep him busy and save us the anguish of his “poor appointments”, to quote the Post.
I am glad i am not in zed anymore
sad indeed …dont kubeba working against the same people who shouted it the loudest…you kill by a sword you die by the same…sory bitter lesson for the kaponyas,there frend is now there enemy
A precedent has been set, anyone trying to bring about social or public disorder should be taught a lesson, We have people watching every corner of the country. As for some tribal ngombes advocating treason the ORDER is shot to kill, bonus per kill if we can shot our own supporters why will we spare the ngombes????? Ask yourself
Yet you are the same cows who complain about street vendors and filth in our city centres, loss of any life is unacceptable but the police certainly have an explanation for this: look at the long term benefits; cleaner streets, 20 years of MMD corrupted thinking capability of your brains!!
Most Youth were born yesterday and have never seen clean streets except on TV and magazines, you just sit back and watch this space kids!!
Street vending is all over the world even in Obama’s backyard. It must just be control and regulated properly by the powers to be. There are even street factories in other countries where mayuya goods are coming from. Copying of terminologies is bad. By the way what can we call ‘STREET VENDING’ in our local languages, if ever it existed? It is foreign to us hence failing to have a solution for it. The people who go out and then come with such words or phraises which they fail to sustain. Fili uko tuya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
” IN EVERY ELECTION,THE REAL LOOSER IS THE VOTER”
Ba kapokola balikwata ichilaka chakulishapo infuti pantu inchito shonse balabomfya ama tools yabo.EG teacher uses chock, nurse uses needle ,machenics use spanners even minors use explosives without anyone to complain, so they also want to use guns as their too.give them chance mennnn.
King Cobra & donchi kubeba @ work no size…hahahahaha
Street vending is not a Crime tell Sata to stop protecting the Retail Store owners whom he promised to eradicate the Street Vendor when he comes in Office.Zambia refuse and reject this harassment and abuse by the Sata Govt.
There is Street vending in New York,London,Amsterdam and Johannesburg
Just becoz others are breaking the law doesnt mean you have to aswell. Just becoz americans are at war in Iraq, then we should also attack Zim.
Chisokone Market has empty stalls yet they are street vendors all over. I would not hesitate to shoot if somebody is throwing stones at me. By the way police officers are only human. So i will keep my gun away as long as you dont throw stones. Imagine you are passer by and your car is damaged simply because u were using the raod.
Gadahffi saw NATO attack when when he used live amo on his citizens. Should we watch out for NATO — wait, we have no oil!
Carry on.
How many died? The story does not say. This Asst Commissioner Muyambango is a disaster – he should have killed a few of these Bemba kaponyas they way the Bemba cops killed Lozis in Mongu earlier this year. We should learn to fight fire with fire. The war has started.
What is this Professor Ugly Monkey on about? This is the real world.
Sata needs these people removed from the street as post 90days there are bound to discover the truth that there is no such a thing as more money in their pockets without sweat.
Timing is right for him for now
Kaza mutundila uyu munthu manje manje kakolwe!
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