By CHILA NAMAIKO –

GOVERNMENT has issued a five-day ultimatum to senior police officers in Southern Province to shift from Livingstone to Choma, the new province headquarters, or face disciplinary action.

Some senior officers in the regional command in Livingstone have not moved their families to Choma, citing high rental charges in the newly-declared provincial capital.

The officers, who sought anonymity, were quoted in some sections of the media as having said that the relocation exercise was not well executed as it should have been done after construction of police houses.

Other officers alleged that they were not even paid their settling-in allowances to enable them to relocate to Choma.

But Provincial Minister Daniel Munkombwe warned the officers that they risked facing disciplinary action for abrogating President Michael Sata’s directive when other heads of Government departments had managed to move to Choma.

At a Press briefing yesterday, Mr Munkombwe directed Provincial Permanent Secretary Bert Mushala and Southern Province Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga to ensure that the remaining officers relocated by Monday next week.

“I am directing you PS (Mr Mushala) and Madam (Ms Kantanga) to genuinely and honestly investigate and bring to me names of all officers resisting to relocate to Choma,” he said.

Mr Munkombwe said if the officers failed to move, he would make a strong recommendation to Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula and Inspector General of Police Stellla Libongani to institute disciplinary action.

Earlier, Ms Katanga said all the officers had been paid their settling-in allowances and that it was unfair for them to accuse Government of not releasing the funds.