BY SYLVIA MWEETWA  –

POLICE in Central Province has banned grade 12 school leavers’ annual parties, to prevent misconduct and alcohol abuse by the young party goers.
Central Province Police chief Lombe Kamukoshi said the ban has been as a result of high levels of misconduct by school leavers in previous years.
Ms Kamukoshi said her officers in collaboration with the council would soon commence an exercise to close boarding houses which were also a haven for immoral conduct in Kabwe.
Ms Kamukoshi said this during a Press briefing in Kabwe yesterday.
She said the growing trend of misconduct during school leavers’ parties was a matter of serious concern, hence the decision to ban such parties.
She has since written to the provincial administration and provincial education office over the matter and directed all officers-in-charge to ensure there was adherence to her directive.
“I want to say that Central Province will not allow the holding  of   parties by school leavers because of the bad behaviour which is exhibited. We have seen in some cases how our girls dress,” she said.
She said the ban had been done in good faith and aimed at protecting the lives of school leavers.
She warned that those who would attempt to go against the ban should be ready to face the law.
She appealed to parents and guardians to ensure their children did not go into conflict with the law.
On the boarding houses, Ms Kamukoshi said police were working on a programme to see how best to curb the situation which was now getting out of hand.
She said that preliminary findings indicated that some people were using the boarding houses for immoral activities and that this would not be allowed to continue.