• A team of DEC officers recently carried out their usual routine operations aimed at combating drug abuse in Chibolya Township which resulted in some people (above) rioting.

By MIRIAM ZIMBA –

HERE have been recent media reports quoting the Green Party president Peter Sinkamba, who says his party has plans to legalise marijuana (cannabis) cultivation, processing and trade for the purposes of income generation for the poor.

However, from time in memorial, marijuana, locally referred to as chamba, ibange, mbanje Lubanje and many others has been illegal.

Its illegality extends to trafficking, being found in possession of trading in and concealing any such substances classified as narcotic or psychotropic substances.

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) draws its mandate from Cap 96 of the Laws of Zambia-that is the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act.

This piece of legislature aims at consolidating the law relating to narcotic drugs psychotropic substances; incorporate into Zambian law certain international Conventions governing illicit drugs and psychotropic substances; control the importation, exportation, production, possession, sale, distribution and use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; provide for the seizure and forfeiture of property relating to, or connected with, unlawful activities involving narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; repeal the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1989; and provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.

Recently, a team of DEC officers carried out their usual routine operations aimed at combating drug abuse in Chibolya Township.

Some sections of society have referred to this exercise by DEC as a failure, especially after news about the escape of 13 suspects from Chibolya Police Post the next day.

Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk programme last week featured DEC commissioner Alita Mbawe, Police Inspector General Stella Libongani, Home Affairs Deputy Minister Stephen Kampyongo, and chief Immigration officer Moola Milomo.

Ms Mbawe vehemently dismissed public assertions that DEC’s round up exercise in Chibolya was a failure.

“I would not call the operation we had in Chibolya a failure. We went to Chibolya with a plan and we executed our plan and picked up the people we wanted to pick up. We left the area with all our officers safe as and our motor vehicles safe as well, with no damage recorded to our vehicles,” Ms Mbawe explained.

She said the clean up operation exercise in Chibolya Township lasted between 30 to 40 minutes, and that it was the failed attempts by residents in Chibolya who tried to rescue their colleagues who were arrested, that resulted in riotous behaviour.

“It seems information filtered through Chibolya that some of their colleagues had been picked, they then mobilised themselves, with the hopes of rescuing their colleagues, by the time they managed to get their act together, DEC officers had already left the area and returned to their offices,” she explained.

“It was unfortunate that people in the area decided to vent their anger on unsuspecting members of the public, which resulted in the torching of two motor vehicles and riotous behaviour.

“Otherwise, I would not call the raid we carried out last Sunday a failure,” she added.

According to Ms Mbawe, DEC has been carrying out a number of clean-up exercises in the area, some with more than 56 people being arrested for various drug related crimes in six mop-up operations in Chibolya.

She said the recent raid by DEC in Chibolya could not be described as a failure because the exercise was targeting specific areas of the township, and not the whole of Chibolya.

“The operation was targeting a particular area, like I said we have been doing part operation, we did not intend to cover the whole Chibolya. We had a plan to raid the intended area, and according to our plan, we achieved what we had set out to do,” she said.

Ms Mbawe maintains that the clean-up exercise in Chibolya cannot be concluded in one day, thus the exercise being an on-going arrangement.

During the same programme, Police Inspector General Stella Libongani also dispelled assertions that Chibolya is a ‘no go area’ for law enforcement officers.

She explained that the Zambia Police Service has a mandate to protect life and property, to preserve law and order, to detect and prevent crime, and to cooperate with the citizens and protect the citizens by cooperating with other security wings in the country.

Ms Libongani explained that Chibolya has two police posts, thus Police presence in the area is visible.

“We have officers who are able to perform duties that are reacting to incidences as well as proactive duties in terms of preventing crime in the area. It is really not a ‘no go area’, because we have police presence in the area, but there is need for operations in that area because different aspects of security being breeched. So most of them may not be effectively done by one law enforcement agency,” she explained.

Ms Libongani also explained that the 13 suspects who escaped from police detention at Chibolya police posts were not suspects rounded up by DEC.

Home Affairs Deputy Minister Stephen Kampyongo expressed Government’s concerns with the happenings in Chibolya Township which is now referred to as a market for illicit drugs.

He explained that Government is determined to establish the sources of illicit drugs found in Chibolya, because there are no known fields where cannabis is cultivated in the area.

“Through DEC, we established that there are no fields where cannabis is grown in Chibolya, this means that it comes from somewhere and makes its way to Chibolya,” he said.

Government has identified a number of areas around the country where illicit substances are cultivated, and is employing a holistic approach to handle the matter.

“Whilst we understand that we have to deal with the market, we also have to deal with the source,” he said.

“We have also discovered that most of the people involved in the cultivation of cannabis could be doing so with knowing the implications, that they are the ones contributing to the illegalities that are going on in urban areas. It is not only Chibolya, but there are other areas, which we have identified on the Copperbelt, Southern Province and other towns,” Mr Kampyongo added.

He explained that Government through the DEC has embarked on a sensitisation campaign in areas where there is established proof of cultivation, such as Nyimba in the Eastern Province.

Mr Kampyongo appealed to members of the public to ensure that they rid their fields of illicit substances before the law pounces of them.

He also explained that DEC is working in partnership with traditional leaders in helping to bring suspects to book.

He cited a recent example of a 73- year old woman who was nabbed for being in possession of 2.5 tonnes of cannabis.

“This lady revealed to the law enforcement officers that she was not the only one. She even assisted the officers identify other farmers. We are concerned, and we want to assure the residents of Chibolya that law enforcement, He said.

Ms Mbawe implored members of the public not to relent in their efforts of reporting all suspected drug related suspects to the commission.

She explained it is unfortunate that in places such as Chibolya, children are being used by adults to help separate the leaves from the seeds of cannabis.

She wondered what kind of examples these adults are setting for the younger generation.

In responding to concerns of drugs ceased by DEC to be used a court exhibits going missing, Ms Mbawe explained that there has not been any such cases at DEC in the recent past.

“This is news to me, I have been hearing about this on social media. But I want to assure the members of the public that I have professional members of staff. I have never had to deal with any of my members of staff for stealing drugs or losing exhibits,” she explained.

“I have had cases running from last year where drugs have gone missing in the custody of the courts, but I have not had any incidents where my officers have stolen exhibits. Some of these are stories which are fabricated by disgruntled people, who want to tarnish the name of the commission,” Ms Mbawe added.

Just as the warning sounded by Home Affairs Deputy Minister, those involved in illegal drug-related activities have all the reasons to worry with the intensified efforts stepped up to rid the country of drug traffickers.