A MOTORIST is said to have produced a gun at a checkpoint mounted to screen drunk-drivers in Lusaka’s Chilenje.
Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) director Zindaba Soko said in a statement yesterday that the driver of registration ALF 1550 started unnecessary hooting at the officers on Chilimbulu Road.
The driver was identified as Melvis Shamakamba, Deputy Chief Parliamentary security officer at the National Assembly of Zambia.
Mr Shamakamba is alleged to have been in the company of an identified woman.
He allegedly produced a gun after he was interrogated by the RTSA officers and sped off from the checkpoint but the woman jumped off the car.
Mr Soko said the woman escaped unhurt and refused to give any details to the RTSA officers.
He said RTSA officers followed Mr Shamakamba and managed to intercept him along Yotamu Muleya Road after he hit into a RTSA patrol vehicle.
The officer later secured the firearm and handed over Mr Shamakamba to Chilenje Police Station.
The alcohol test results for his blood sample are yet to be released from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
Mr Soko has bemoaned the high levels of motorists who have continued to deliberately flout road traffic regulations.
“For some time now, the agency has been running programmes aimed at sensitising people on the importance of obeying road traffic regulations.
“We warn all motorists that the agency will not allow any driver to take the law into their hands regardless of their social standing,” Mr Soko said.
He said itis disheartening that the driver in question is a Government worker, who in fact, must be enforcing the law.
I still think PF cadres are above the law.
They’ll freely march to wherever the dam n please whenever the d amn wish.
Stop pretending.
Stupid RTSA.
That’s attempted mudder He must face the mighty of the law
While drunk driving is a danger to road safety, RTSA do nothing to warn motorist about other dangers such as potholes, absence of road markings, clear and visible signs…..etc.
All road safety issues must be given the serious attention they deserve if driving on Zambian roads is to be made safe
Very irresponsible indeed for man at his level working for a high respectable house such as Parliament…shame on him let him face the weight of the law…. and thanks to RTSA for their brave quick move.
Let his case be an outstanding example for would be offenders.well done RTSA.
And who was the girl ??????
Irrelevant
@ tripoli,
My guess is the wife of Mr. Melvis Shamakamba, Deputy Chief Parliamentary Security Officer at the National Assembly of Zambia may be asking the very same question!
They should have slapped his face. Foolish person.
ENZE ANA TOWING’A CHIMU TALIBAN….
When they cage him for life at ‘bana mulowa!’
Ever since PF assumed control of government there has been no rule of law. Everyone is seeing how the PF are breaking the law with impunity and nothing happening to them and thinking that it is normal. Worse things are yet to come. If the president can breach the constitution, and the supreme court twist the law to suit the appointing authority, who is RTSA to enforce the law! These things all stem from the top. Don’t be surprised that an officer of the law behaved the way he did because there is no discipline in the PF government today. You can do whatever you want, as long as you are connected to the PF, nothing happens to you. The law only applies to those in the opposition and those that do not agree with the PF. Zambia has degenerated to vey low levels.
He is a civil servant not a cadre. He could have been at parliament even b4 PF came into power. His behaviour is linking him to the frustrated opposition such as UPND.
I though the government had bought breathelisers for officers to check the Blood alcohol content, which is supposed to be immediate. Why wait for results at UTH when results can be obtained immediately. There might be need to buy latest equipment for the traffic officers for them to do a good and efficient job.
If i remember correctly,in MMD era they said they had acquired them unless they have been diverted elsewhere.
Yes they used breatherisers which only give an indication that the alcohol in your blood is above normal but it will not give you the concentration levels. Since this is a court case, his blood samples must be submitted to a recognised lab for reliable analytical results. hope this helps
@Questionner . thishabit of blaing the government for everything needs rethinking. how is the government responsible for reckless drinking of an individual? the next thing you will be blaming the government for not sweeping your house.
First of all, what happens in my house happens in my house. What happens on the street happens in public!
With that in mind, government clearly IS responsible for enforcing drunk driving laws. GRZ is also responsible for licensing of drivers and for ensuring that vehicles comply with standards of road worthiness.
Not to mention, Melvis Shamakamba, Deputy Chief Parliamentary Security Officer at the National Assembly of Zambia has an implicit responsibility to set a good example in abiding by the laws of Zambia! Instead, he apparently chose to move around drunk, to hoot his horn as if he were above the law and better than the officers doing their job, and then wielded a gun at police officers all in the company of a hooker.
And this you think is OK?
The PF are responsible for setting a bad example. They break laws and some idi.ots who support them think it s normal and so they copy.
Use breathalysers please, RTSA. You know they work. Why do you dilly dally? Are you all drink drivers and are afraid of entangling yourselves? Then leave the service to those who are ready to serve and protect Zambians from drink drivers who are killing and maiming innocent people on our roads!!
@Trigo, I stand corrected. I work in A & E department. I agree that RTSA have the breatherlisers they will check if someone has consumed alcohol above the legal level but those creatherlsers you are talking about are not used to check blood samples to confirm how much the person has consumed.
That is left to the police to request for a blood sample from the person and pathology will do their thing and present the blood results as requested.
The police over here use very sophisticated equipment to enforce the the road traffic law,
Everything here is connected ie, Driving Standard agency, Driving vehicle Licence Agency, Metropolitan police. Once you go on the road, immediately the road traffic police spot you, all they do is there have technlogy in their cars which will check, If te…
There is one short ugly and pompous RTSA man at Kazungula border. I wish one drunk driver could run over him one of these days..
I know mr shamakamba very well & he belongs to upnd.
There is no way he would have been that job if he is UPND. He must have done a sebana wikute.
How does the production of a gun by a drunk person become the responsibility of the government????
relieve the chap of his duties..
Shams please conduct yourself honorably.
Shamakamba dont mess up your preciouis life and career. you have already lost a good wife and you wanna lose your job too. muchinje baaba
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