Cabinet approves amendment of Zambia Police, Immigration Acts

Cabinet has approved in principle to amend the 1966 Zambia Police Act, Chapter 107 of the Laws of Zambia, authorities say.

Chief Government Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, said this was in order to include provisions that would strengthen the administration and enforcement mechanisms.

Mweetwa in a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday, stated that this would also bring the Act in line with other related pieces of legislation in the country.

He stated that the legal framework had not been amended to bring on board the desired changes that would make the Police more efficient and effective.

“This is despite numerous reforms relating to the operations and administration of the Zambia Police Service have taken place over the years, including changes in the environment in which the Police operate,” Mweetwa said.

He noted that the amendment of the Act would enable the Service to efficiently and effectively align itself and its functions to the government’s vision of running the affairs of the country based on the rule of law.

The Minister of Information and Media stated that it would also enable the Service to enhance its relationship with communities in fighting crime.

“Cabinet also approved in principle, the amendment of the Immigration and Deportation Act No. 18 of 2010,” Mweetwa didclosed.

He said this was in order to, among others, provide for the inclusion of Border Guards as part of personnel in the Immigration Department as well as alignment of the law with new developments in migration governance.

The Minister added that some of the challenges experienced included mixed migration flows, human trafficking, smuggling of persons, long porous borders and asymmetrical migration.

Mweetwa stated that the challenges, therefore, required interventions that the current law does not provide for.

“It is in the interest of Cabinet to ensure that border governance has adequate human resource, social amenities, including improved infrastructure in order to effectively manage the long and porous international borderline,” he said.

The Minister stated that amending the Act would address the hinderances the Department was currently facing in effectively and efficiently discharging its mandate and enhance migration governance.

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