Police have been ordered to stop operating kombis, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi said on Wednesday but he could not state the date when the order was given.
Ziyambi was responding to questions in Parliament about when police officers would stop owning kombis because this was one of the major reasons for corruption.
Members of Parliament argued that most of the police officers owning kombis had bought them from proceeds of corruption.
It had been suggested that some of the police officers had used money that they were paid when they went out on United Nations operations like in Sudan, but a Member of Parliament argued that there were too many kombis owned by the police on the roads and not all of them had gone out of the country on UN business.
Q & A
MR. MUTSEYAMI: I would like to put a supplementary question to the Minister, if he may kindly put it on record as to when we have had police officers not owning commuter omnibuses because it is all over the country. Most of the police officers own kombis, if the Minister may put it clearly please.
MR. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the hon. member who is very much concerned about the date as opposed to the process that is happening. What is important and which I believe the august House should be aware of is the fact that our police officers have been told to stop that practice and that is the position which I am telling the hon. member. I do not think that it is relevant as to specific dates of when that was said because I would then have to refer to the statement by the Commissioner General, I would not say a specific date to this august House off-head. However, I would want to say that what should concern the hon. member is that a statement has been issued to that effect. I thank you.
MR. MUTSEYAMI: I think it must be put on record that as an hon. Member of Parliament who represents a constituency, if ever I put a question to the Minister, it is not an issue that I am debating with him but am just seeking a record from him.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your question hon. member?
MR. MUTSEYAMI: The question still stands, it is an issue of the date when the statement was put across with regard to police officers not owning kombis. When was that?
MR. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I believe my job when I come here is to answer questions on policy and not on specific dates which I may not have off-the-cuff
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order, order hon. Minister. On a Written Question you have to do some research … – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – however, since this arose from a supplementary question, definitely you may not have an answer withyou – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]
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