Chirundu, a border area is one of the new districts and once used to be Zambia’s major revenue contributor to the national treasury. Chirundu border is the busiest in the SADC region as it sees a truck volume of about 15000 per month.
The major money-making activity by local residents in Chirundu is through both registered and unregistered clearing agents.Illegal money changing is also commonplace. These two activities epitomize the main ‘industry’ in this border area.
Politically, Chirundu district is opposition UPND stronghold. This development has resulted in the DC for Chirundu district, Mr. Maxwell Shamalimba and the Chirundu district PF Chairperson, Mr. Brian Champo, establishing a malicious symbiotic relationship with the illegal money changers and clearing agents in the name Youth Mobilization.These two groups of people masquerade themselves as PF cadres with full knowledge and support from the DC and the district PF Chairman.These two cronies receive huge amounts of money from these illegal money changers and clearing agents in exchange for support for the continuation of illegal money changing and underdeclaring or undervaluing of various imported goods respectively.
There is a lot of smuggling going on at Chirundu border. The ZRA officers connive with clearing agents in the undervaluing of goods.The ZRA Assistant Commissioner, Mr. M’simuko also endorses too much of the so-called ‘special deliveries’ on imports and thereby playing a big role in low revenue collection at the border.
Chirundu police station with the new command has embarked on a corruption-fighting implementation programme in line with the PF manifesto of creating a corruption-free Zambia. The main objective of this police programme is to ensure that the Zambia police service cleans its tag of corruption and ultimately plays a custodian role of making sure that the Customs Department collects adequate revenue to run various government projects at national level. In August, 2013, Muvi TV aired two trucks which were cleared by ZRA at Chirundu border but each carried 75% of undeclared beverages. Chirundu police officers managed to impound the the two trucks.
This move by Chirundu police has given birth to threats of transfers by the DC and the PF Chairperson especially to the Officer-in-Charge.These two people have also been giving false reports to the Provincial Political and Administrative Offices that the current Chirundu police Officer-in-Charge, Mr.Jefferson Mubita is not collaborating with other security members in the district, and futher that the Officer-in-Charge is conducting a-one-man show in the fight against corruption.
The truth of the matter is that I know Mr. Jefferson Mubita personally. He is highly principled, God-fearing, and deeply dedicated to duty.He says no to corruption and he means just that. If you want to prove me right, go to Chirundu and use any tactic possible that is intended to lure him into any immoral act and you will be greeted with integrity and credibilty. People like him are a rare species and are real police officers who do not tolerate policing of appeasement. In June, 2013, he ensured and saw seven most corrupt police officers transferred from Chirundu police station to other stations in other provinces. He wants to work for the poor and the voiceless in society. I have never seen a person in uniform like him in the police service. Never!
These above stated attributes of the current Chirundu officer in Charge have made Mr. Maxwell Shamalimba and Mr. Brian Champo hate Mr. Mubita to death. The duo are fighting the Officer-in-Charge left-right-and-centre by also purporting that the Officer-in-Charge is fighting PF cadres who put president Sata into power. You may wish to know that Mr. Brian Champo is also a ‘Chimutengo’ clearing agent who thrives on illegally undervalued goods at the border and has been doing that since 1993.
As for Mr.Maxwell Shamalimba,his name is not new in the realm of corruption and is synonymous with the illegal selling of traditional land and trading in government trophy. Remember that this is the same DC who wrote to the high authorities in Lusaka to have the former Officer-in-Charge for Chirundu police station (Mr.J. Muluwa) retired either in national or public interest, but only a transfer to Mbala was secured. This DC is extremely evil.
If the PF government is to gain momentum in this UPND stronghold, the duo MUST be replaced with people-centred and not belly-centred politicians. Together, let us rid Chirundu border of corrupt, propaganda-proliferating, and intimidation-inclined leaders.
By Concerned Zambian