By NORMA SIAME –

ZAMBIANS living near water bodies the country shares with other countries must observe laws relating to maritime operations, Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani has said.
The chief of police said Zambians need to exercise caution by not straying into foreign waters to prevent harassment by insurgents or foreign law enforcement officials.
Ms Libongani, who was in Luapula Province on official duty, said shared water bodies posed a lot of challenges and the public must play its part by staying on the Zambian side of water bodies like Lake Mweru and Tanganyika which were shared by Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania.
She said fishermen who were the usual targets, needed to stay on the right side of the law.
She lauded the launch of the Zambia Army 48 Marine Unit in Kawambwa which was officially opened by President Edgar Lungu last Sunday, as a welcome development.
She said the 48 Marine Unit would complement the already existing Zambia Police Service marine division.
Villagers interviewed after the launch also expressed happiness with the development and turned out enmass to witness the event.
Meanwhile, the police station in Lunga District which closed after the Zambia Police Service withdrew its officers has since been re-opened.
The station was closed following police intervention in a case of suspected witchcraft that drove villagers to destroy the police post.
The villagers rioted in protest after officers took a suspected wizard into protective custody.
The riotous mob descended on the outnumbered State troops forcing the officers to abandon the post in fear for their lives.
“The Police has been sensitising the public on the issue concerning witchcraft and repairs have been done to the infrastructure. Five officers have been sent to the area and the station reopened,” Ms Libongani said.