Police command canes overzealous ‘shishita’ officers

THERE is no order for a national curfew’ anywhere in Zambia for Police to demand admission of guilt fees from suspects they lock up in custody for their safety, Police spokesperson Charity Munganga has said.

But some Lusaka residents have complained of being victims of what they described as police brutality and forced to pay K55 for loitering after being apprehended by the Police recruits deployed in most parts of the townships in Lusaka following a rise in killings.
Ms Munganaga said the Curfew, pupolarly known as ‘’Shishita’’ is illegal and no longer exists and Police recruits have only been deployed to safe guard the lives of innocent people in communities.

She said patrols were aimed at safe guarding people’s lives and their property in townships and not to take advantage of them by charging them after keeping them for their safety. “If someone is found at a late hour without giving a proper explanation of where they are going, the police can apprehend them for safety reasons and keep them in the police cells and release them the following day at no charge,’’ Ms Munganga said.
She said officers had a duty to escort any person found close to their homes for their safety.

But one of the Victims Joyce Phiri complained that the officers arrested her when she was trying to book a taxi to take her home.
Ms Phiri added that she tried to explain to the officers that she had just disembarked from a vehicle and was dropped at the taxi rank to get a cab but the officers could not listen to her explanantion.

She narrated that the Police officers took her to Kalingalinga Police Post and the following day one of the officers went to the holding cells and told the inmates that anyone with a K 55 should report to the inquiries and pay so that they could be released.
She appealed to the Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja to intervene in the matter.