Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Mr. Jack Mwiimbu has clarified that the government through the Zambia Police Service removed traffic road blocks that inconvenienced motorists and not the security checkpoints dotted around strategic points across the country.
Mr. Mwiimbu told journalists during a tour of the Rusangu-Chikuni Road rehabilitation project in Monze on Monday, that the road blocks which were removed following complaints from the citizenry were those being carried out in an impromptu manner by police officers.
He said, therefore, the decision to stop these impromptu road blocks was made in response to the cries of the people, especially those who had complained that they did not want such road blocks. Mr. Mwiimbu described most of the halted road blocks as an inconvenience to the travelling public.
However, Mr. Mwiimbu said the government had not removed all the traffic road blocks as security checkpoints have been allowed to continue in existence through the police, who have been legally granted the right to conduct snap checkpoints around the country.
He explained that the continuation of snap checkpoints was to ensure that criminality does not reign in the country, further urging those officers managing the authorised road blocks, such as the one at Kafue Bridge along the Lusaka-Livingstone Road and other major locations, to operate in a manner that does not breach the rights of the people.
And Mr. Mwiimbu revealed that the New Dawn administration has embarked on the construction of an ultra-modern police station to accommodate the police command and other ranks in Monze town. He told journalists that the contractor for this major project was already on site and he expressed hope that construction works will commence immediately after the rainy season.
Mr. Mwiimbu further disclosed that another police station will, for the first time, be constructed at Chisekesi area of Monze Central Constituency, to replace the police post that was gutted recently, and in fulfillment of the development pledges made over the last five years.
