Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (MOAM) Mponela Chapter on Saturday handed over a waiting shelter which has been constructed to assist people seeking police services at Mponela police station.
Speaking during the handing over ceremony that was held at the facility on 19 December 2020, Member of Parliament for Dowa Central Constituency Darlington Harawa said, the gesture is a sign of a new working relationship between police and members of the community.
Harawa dared for more support from organizations and individuals towards security agencies like police in the promotion of safety and security in the area.
“Let me applaud MOAM for what has been done here in Mponela by supporting the people who come and seek for police services here, this is a corporate social responsibility people expect.” He said.
Harawa emphasized the need for unified participation in order to achieve crime free environment.
He further advised police officers to evolve around their ethical code of conduct by sticking to professionalism which will only be the tool to close up the gap which was attributed by circumstances.
MOAM Chairperson for Mponela Chapter, Willie Chilimanthembwe said that they felt duty bound after noticing some challenges which were being experienced by the people looking for police services.
“We know that some of the people who come to police are our customers or even ourselves, this compelled us to get organized and start collecting resources until we came up with the structure.” Said Chilimanthembwe.
He said that if communities are involved in development of police formations, the trend of torching police facilities cannot ensue again.
The officer in-charge for Mponela Police Station Clement Gulo (Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police) thanked MOAM for championing the construction of the shelter.
He disclosed that the policing area for his station covers for a population of over 300 000 people.
“I am sure that organisations and individuals of good-will should emulate what MOAM has done as the station still has mobility challenges and inadequate of other resources,” Gulo said.
The construction of the shelter has cost K620,000 and the association has also pumped in K300,000 to support the maintenance of a class block which was blown off by heavy winds at Mponela 2 Primary School in area.
