Minibus owners fault corrupt traffic police officers
At a time when the Government through Members of Parliament is working to prohibit Bongo Mazda and Vannete minibus from carrying people, the Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (MOAM) has hit back at the government for not formulating any measures to address its chronic corrupt traffic police officers.
Speaking in an Interview with The Malawi Star, one of minibus owners said most of the traffic police have bought their own minibuses using the money made in this unscrupulous way.
He said failure by the Government to have “plans, roadmap and policy” when it comes to tackling the problem has made officers fail to do their right duty and engage themselves in dirty activities.
“Traffic police officers have reached saturated point, there is the need to immediately introduce measures, and parallel work since officers are benefiting more than minibus owners.”
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source added that Government should acknowledge its mistakes for failing to control its underpaid civil servants rather than playing a blame game.
“Politicians have a responsibility to govern better instead of blaming others. Government should teach its watch dogs work disciplines and ethics. They have stolen from us and this time we are calling the shots. We are engaging our drivers to report any traffic police officers demanding payoffs on the road.
“National traffic management plan, better coordination of road works and an improved public transport have all failed to appear. Traffic police officers are now a huge inconvenience to people and businesses, creating economic difficulties in the country,” decried another minibus owner, who also opted for anonymity.
Further findings by publication have revealed that traffic police officers demand MK 2000 from speeding minibus operators to let the driver free, and in return, no receipt is offered.
In his remarks, MOAM chairperson Christopher Chisesela said the honeymoon for the corrupt traffic officers is over.
He confided that the association is setting up a strong legal team to defend the minibus operators whenever issues like these arise.
According to Chisesela, once an officer has been found involved in the scenario, legal procedures will follow.
“We are working on setting up a permanent legal team that will deal with any scam by the police. Actually all operators from all regions have been tipped on these outstanding issues.”
“Drivers will have to report to the association and our legal team will take the issue to court. These police are driving good cars out of our sweat. The money our minibuses make is shared with them.”
The Malawi Police Service is one of the most underpaid sectors in the country. Almost all of the security enforcers survive throughout a month on money attained in a corrupt manner.
This situation has only worsened as the economy continues to stumble and government fails to make changes to shore it up.
For now, the minibus operators will continue to operate, but it’s “Traffic Police Beware.” It may soon be the police officers that find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
I find this funny. Corruption is btwin who gives and recieves. If Police Officers recieve bribes, then who offers them? Then automatically, Minbus owners are the most corrupt pple who dangles de carrot to the officers. Them too are to be taken to task.
I envy yo..beautful argument dude…big up!
it is the police that create a corupt situation so that you give in
POLICE MAKE BUSINESS SLOW DELIBERATELY AND ASK FOR FANTA. EG BELO NDI YA ULELE, but is it? according to their duty who can dare askng them for bribe?
Mr Chisesele please remove a log in your eye before removing a spec in someone’s else eye tell your drivers to stop breaking the rules deliberately like overloading, wrong parking and many more traffic offences which they are aware
Without breaking the Trafic Laws, Minibus owners can not make profits. Instead of addressing the issue, MOAM has derailed the subject by piling blames on Traffic Police. How many Traffic Officers own a Minibus, 1/100, I suggest.
Before the jobs of these POs are sabotaged, it is the Minibus owners who are going to suffer collateral cases with heavy fines. Wrong parking and exceeding seating capacity are some of the offences that if not committed, minibuses can not stand the competitive edge.
no point taken from this ,they are hiding something ,both police and moam are nanygoats they can’t give us the intended measures.
Loading.
How many minibuses are roadworthy?Who owns them?If a roadworthy is wrongly detained,don’t you have a remedy?I believe there’s.Stop blaming traffic police.Do the right things.Eventually you will defeat those corrupt officers.Otherwise MOAM is to blame.They give room for corruption.Officers who refuse bribes are bitten,called names even in passengers presence.What do you want to say?We know these things.Go and do the right things we shall listen!!!As of nope!!!!!!!!!
malawians have also embraced social media constructive debates. This is good
This is a funny case that needs thinking. Not a civilian or a minbus owner who knows no law basics or law itself just like others can speak constructive facts for the same. This stuff is like gambling. A law enforcer can’t prosecute a single suspect. Corruption case is like playing unlawful games of which prosecution is done on two or more suspects. Now I wonder police officers are threatened as though they know nothing about Traffic laws. Be informed that if you feel that you bribe Traffic Police officers with intent to implicate them you’ll be prosecuted both.
A lot of minibuses are not road worthy, but why are they kept there? So that someone can cash in everyday.
police are the most corrupt public workers in Africa and they do so with impunity and without shame, in this case we can not blem the bus owners or their drivers because corps have a duty to enforce the law and what ever case the driver is facing its well articulated in the statutes therefore the police should apprehend the offender and let them pay the necessary fine or face the wrath of law via the court. so the role of a police officer is clearly defined hence under normal curcumestance I see no need to ingage in graft activities from both parties. moreover it takes two to tangle.
Find the persons who own many minibuses.