Police need to be motivated, says MP

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 10:40:37 +0000

By Justina Mulenga

POLICE in Kanyama must be motivated by the Ministry of Home Affairs if they are to curb the high rates of crime in the constituency, Kanyama Member of Parliament, Elizabeth Phiri, has said.

Speaking at a business workshop held at Kanyama police grounds yesterday, Ms Phiri said Kanyama compound had a population of over 150,000 people and was contributing greatly to the City of Lusaka.

She said that despite not receiving the Constituency Development Fund, Kanyama had to be worked on by partnering with different business men and women in the community.

“We will not wait on funds from Government to get the works done in Kanyama because we believe that through the little we organize, something can be done even as we wait for those funds to be availed,” she said.

Ms Phiri said that all those having businesses in Kanyama should support the community by offering jobs to youths in Kanyama to curb youth unemployment.

She said that among other issues affecting Kanyama constituency was poor drainage system, poor water and sanitation, bad health services, bad roads and many others.

She said that there were high rates of crime in the community due to lack of motivation among the police officers.

“Police officers operate under unhygienic and pathetic environment – no toilets, no housing units and no vehicles to use whenever there is a call for duty,” she said.

She said that Kanyama was a big constituency that could qualify to be a district.

She said that she would lobby for Kanyama to be made a district through the Office of the President.

Meanwhile, Lusaka Province Police Commissioner, Nelson Phiri, said that the Ministry of Hoe Affairs was working hard to ensure police officers had at least 24 housing units as their houses were an eyesore to the community.

He said that the police was happy to partner with the MP to bring about sanity to the community.