Maravi

Call boys fight council police over tujilijili

Call boys fight council police over tujilijili
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Sat 28 Apr. 2012, 07:30 CAT

KITWE City Council police yesterday fought running battles with call boys and traders of illicit beer popularly known as tujilijili. And Kitwe mayor Chlileshe Bweupe said the city council would not succumb to the heavy resistance it was facing in some parts of the city in its effort to enforce the government's ban of the illicit alcohol in sachets.

Scuffles ensued in Chimwemwe township, Luangwa compound and Racecourse compound as the council police attempted to confiscate tujilijili from the traders and the call boys who were found drinking the illicit brew as early as 09:00 hours at the bus stations.

After the council police confiscated some bundles of the sachet in Luangwa compound, some traders and the call boys threw stones as the officers went after them in an attempt to make arrests.

Motorists and passers-by panicked as they scampered in different directions, damaging some makeshift trading stands and kiosks in the process.

Some youths fought their way out of the grip of the council police officers, who have embarked on an exercise to wipe out tujilijili from the streets of Kitwe.

The youths pelted police with stones.

A senior police officer who declined to be named said although the exercise was successful in some parts of the city, there was heavy resistance in many compounds.

"The problem we have is that people became addicted to tujilijili and these are young people who are supposed to be in school but they are found at bus stations and markets busy consuming this dangerous substance. We have a big challenge and without support from the right-thinking members of the public, our efforts will be in vain," a senior council police officer said.

And Bweupe, who confirmed that the council had dispatched the officers to enforce the government's directive to ban tujilijili, said members of the public must help the local authority to enforce the law.

"What is unfortunate is that even when you are trying to do well, you receive resistance like that. It shows you how bad these same sachets have been because it is like now our people are hooked on them," Bweupe said.

He said the ban on tujilijili was a policy directive as the illicit alcohol had already destroyed the moral fibre of society.

"You cannot have a society where school-going children are moving with tujilijili in their bags. You cannot have a situation where bus drivers are busy consuming this substance. We will fight this and we are determined to clean up the city," said Bweupe.

Labels: ALCOHOL, KITWE CITY COUNCIL

posted by MrK @ 4:29 PM