… as they accuse the District Commissioner of using law enforcement agencies to confiscate mealie meal meant for resale.
Chililabombwe, Thursday, November, 30,2023
Mealie meal traders in Chililabombwe are concerned with the continued intimidation by the District Commissioner Precious Njekwa, who they accuse of using the Zambia National Service and Zambia police to confiscate their merchandise.
Bright Nkandu reports that on the 16th of November 2023, the Zambia National service and Zambia Police Service led by the Ms. Njekwa approached shops of named Chililabombwe business men in PP Zambia area and took more than 20,000 bags of mealie meal and money believed to have been gotten from sales.
Nkandu adds that the DC who is also a trader has been using her office to disadvantage her competitors by creating an impression that the traders have been keeping the mealie meal intended for smuggling purposes.
“After the traders went to demand for their commodities to be retained, they were arrested and have been in police custody since Thursday, 23rd November 2023.The DC posted to her Facebook page that ‘traders have been keeping mealie meal in warehouses with intent to smuggle’ while in the actual sense, she took soldiers to people’s shops which has proper up to date trading licences, health permits and fire certificates issued by the Chililabombwe Municipal council,” he adds.
Lawyers representing the traders have confirmed that on Monday 27th November 2023,the NPA advised the police that the case they brought to court (Assembly with intent to smuggle) was weak and wouldn’t stand in court and the police have not come up with a proper charge and the suspects are still held up.
The lawyers have since written to the Attorney General , the District Commissioners office, and the police to have the suspects released.
Attached are the documents sent to the Attorney General, the District Commissioner and the Police.