Kawama residents warn cops against corruption

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 14:57:36 +0000

By ROGERS KALERO

POLICE officers who will be accommodated in the newly constructed 24 houses at Kawama Police Station must not engage in any corrupt activities, residents of Kawama Township in Kitwe have warned.

And Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Charity Katanga has also warned police officers who would be accommodated in the new houses to maintain cleanliness and take care of the houses.

The residents were speaking in an interview on Tuesday when the Copperbelt Police Chief visited the site in Kawama Township where government had constructed a police station and 24 houses for police officers where eight were medium cost, while 16 were high cost houses.

Speaking on behalf of other residents, Jane Katowa told the Daily Nation that they were grateful to the Government for constructing a police station and 24 houses for police officers, but warned police officers who would be accommodated in the houses to ensure that they did not engage in corrupt activities when handling various cases.

Jane Katowa said the residents were expecting the police to be fair and deliver justice according to the law so that the members of the public could have confidence in the manner they were carrying out their duties.

“If the police are carrying out their duties professionally and in a transparent manner, members of the public will have confidence in them, but if the actions of the police are raising suspicions in the manner they are handling cases, then people will lose confidence in the police.

“While we are grateful to the government for constructing this Police station and houses for police officers, we would like to urge the police not to engage in corrupt activities when handling cases, but apply the law fairly to everybody,” Ms Katowa said.

And Ms Katanga said police officers who would fail to maintain cleanliness in the new houses risked being evicted from the houses and that they would be given to those who were ready to guard the infrastructure jealously.

“To the officers who will be accommodated in these new houses, I must warn them that they will be evicted from these houses if they fail to maintain cleanliness.

“Yes, they will be evicted and the houses will be given to those officers who will be responsible enough to guard the infrastructure jealously and maintain cleanliness,” Ms Katanga said.

Last year in May, government through the then Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila commissioned the construction of 24 houses for the police station at Kawama Police Post.