Esheria Esheria Statutes
Ask AI Sign in

Zambia Act or statute

Zambia legislation

District Messengers Act, 1960

This section gives the Act its short title: the District Messengers Act. This section defines “District Messenger” for the Act. District Messengers must sign a declaration before a magistrate before acting, and…

appointmentcompliancedeclarationsEmployment lawemployment conditionsemployment registrationgovernment administrationpenaltiespublic conductquestioning of applicantsregulatory complianceuniforms
Jurisdiction
Zambia
Structure
10 provisions
Citation
Act 48 of 1960
Dates
Source version 31 Dec 1996
More statute details
Dates
Source version 31 Dec 1996

Publicly available, excluded from search-engine indexing

This page remains available for direct research for the following reasons:

  • The record does not meet this release's canonical indexing criteria. (market-indexing-disabled)
  • The record does not meet this release's canonical indexing criteria. (emergency-noindex)
On this page

Professional statute overview

Enactment structure, operative effect and source provenance

Official source

01

Purpose and legislative effect

“This section gives the Act its short title: the District Messengers Act.”

This section gives the Act its short title: the District Messengers Act. This section defines “District Messenger” for the Act. District Messengers must sign a declaration before a magistrate before acting, and applicants must answer truthfully any questions from an Administrative Officer about their previous career or service. Every District Messenger must serve in any part of Zambia. Every District Messenger must be a member of the Civil Service.

02

How the instrument operates

  1. 01

    Start with the recorded version

    Source version 31 Dec 1996. The date shown identifies this source expression and should not be treated as proof that no later change exists.

  2. 02

    Locate the controlling provision

    Use the provision map, part headings and full-text filter to move from the broad subject to the exact legal language.

  3. 03

    Read conditions and exceptions together

    Keep subsections, definitions, provisos and cross-references in context before drawing a legal conclusion.

  4. 04

    Verify currency and official wording

    Confirm later legislation, commencement notices and corrections with the official publisher before advice, filing or reliance.

03

Research entry points

Selected provisions across the instrument. Open any row to continue with the exact stored text.

04

Source and current-law status

Source record view

Source record from zambialii.org · Source version 31 Dec 1996

Verify current force

The source record does not state a definitive current-law status. Check the official publisher and later amendments before relying on this text.

For advice, pleadings, or compliance decisions, retain the official source and confirm the current consolidated provision.

Official record

Source-indexed provision map

Sections and provisions

Search by section, heading, part or exact legal wording. Every result remains linked to the stored source record.

Showing 10 of 10 provisions

Amendment 6Provision 2Short titleInterpretation

Part

Part I – Preliminary

§ 1Short title .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1Short title

This section gives the Act its short title: the District Messengers Act.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the District Messengers Act.
Section 1Verify source
§ 2Interpretation ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 1Interpretation

This section defines “District Messenger” for the Act.

2. Interpretation In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— "District Messenger" means a person employed as a District Messenger or appointed thereafter as a District Messenger; Part II – Appointment and conditions of service of District Messengers
Section 2Verify source

Part

Part II – Appointment and conditions of service of District Messengers

§ 3Appointment of District Messengers ................................................................................................................................................ 1Amendment

District Messengers must sign a declaration before a magistrate before acting, and applicants must answer truthfully any questions from an Administrative Officer about their previous career or service.

3. Appointment of District Messengers (1) Every District Messenger shall, before acting as such, make and sign before a magistrate a declaration in the form set out in the Schedule. (2) Every person shall, before making the declaration required by subsection (1), answer truthfully any questions as to his previous career or service in any capacity, either in Zambia or elsewhere, which may be put to him by an Administrative Officer for purposes related to his proposed appointment or service. [As amended by G.N. No. 339 of 1964]
Section 3Verify source
§ 4Postings ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1Provision

Every District Messenger must serve in any part of Zambia.

4. Postings Every District Messenger shall be liable to serve in any part of Zambia.
Section 4Verify source
§ 5Conditions of service .............................................................................................................................................................................. 1Provision

Every District Messenger must be a member of the Civil Service.

5. Conditions of service Every District Messenger shall be a member of the Civil Service and, subject to the provisions of this Act and of any regulations made hereunder, the conditions of service and superannuation privileges of District Messengers shall be in accordance with the Rules. [Cap. 260] By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 1 District Messengers Act, 1960 (Chapter 288) Zambia Part III – Powers, duties and discipline of District Messengers
Section 5Verify source

Part

Part III – Powers, duties and discipline of District Messengers

§ 6Powers and duties, etc., of District Messengers ........................................................................................................................... 2Amendment

District Messengers have police-like powers and must follow Administrative Officer directions, report matters affecting administration, and do lawful tasks needed for the Republic’s better administration.

6. Powers and duties, etc., of District Messengers (1) Every District Messenger shall have and may exercise all the powers, rights, duties and protection for the time being conferred, imposed or afforded to police officers under the rank of Sub-Inspector by any written law or by the common law, and where, in connection with any such power, right, duty or protection reference is made in any written law to the superior officer of a police officer, such reference shall be construed, in relation to a District Messenger, as being a reference to an Administrative Officer. (2) A reference in any written law to a non-cognizable offence shall, for the purposes of the exercise of powers of arrest by a District Messenger, be deemed to include a reference to an offence against African customary law. (3) In addition to any other duties imposed upon him by this or any other written law, a District Messenger shall— (a) perform and carry out any duties or instructions imposed upon or conveyed to him in accordance with any general or special directions issued by an Administrative Officer; (b) report to the Administrative Officer in charge of the office to which he is for the time being attached all matters which may directly or indirectly come to his knowledge affecting the general administration of the Republic; (c) at all times do, subject to any general or special directions of any Administrative Officer, all such things which are lawful and which it is necessary for him to do for the better administration of the Republic. [As amended by S.I. No. 66 of 1965] Part IV – Miscellaneous
Section 6Verify source

Part

Part IV – Miscellaneous

§ 7Obstruction, etc., of District Messengers ......................................................................................................................................... 2Amendment

Do not assault, resist, obstruct, or hinder a District Messenger, or anyone helping one, while they are carrying out their duty.

7. Obstruction, etc., of District Messengers Any person who assaults, resists or wilfully obstructs or hinders any District Messenger acting in the due execution of his duty, or who assaults, resists or wilfully obstructs or hinders any other person acting in aid of a District Messenger, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years. [As amended by G.N. No. 339 of 1964]
Section 7Verify source
§ 8Offences ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2Amendment

People who are not District Messengers must not wear, supply, or falsely claim to be District Messengers using the District Messengers’ uniform or similar dress.

8. Offences Any person who is not a District Messenger who— (a) wears any dress which is the same as, or is a colourable imitation of, any uniform worn by District Messengers; or (b) unless duly authorised so to do, gives, lends, sells or supplies in any manner for any purpose to any person any such dress; or (c) represents by words or conduct that he or any other person is a District Messenger knowing that such representation is false; shall be guilty of an offence. [As amended by G.N. No. 339 of 1964] By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 2 District Messengers Act, 1960 (Chapter 288) Zambia
Section 8Verify source
§ 9General penalty ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 3Amendment

If someone is convicted of an offence under this Act and no other penalty is expressly provided, they may be fined up to 1,500 penalty units, jailed for up to 6 months, or both.

9. General penalty Any person convicted of an offence under the provisions of this Act for which no other penalty is expressly provided shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand five hundred penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or to both. [As amended by G.N. No. 339 of 1964 and Act No. 13 of 1994]
Section 9Verify source
§ 10Regulations ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 3Amendment

The Minister may make regulations by statutory instrument for carrying out this Act and governing District Messengers.

10. Regulations The Minister may, by statutory instrument, make regulations for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Act and the general governance of District Messengers. [As amended by G.N. No. 339 of 1964 and S.I. No. 66 of 1965] Schedule (Section 3(1)) Form of declaration I ______________________ do solemnly and sincerely declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the President of the Republic of Zambia during my service as a District Messenger, and will obey all lawful orders of the President and of the officers placed over me, and will subject myself to all Acts, Orders and Regulations relating to District Messengers now in force or which may from time to time be in force. Signature or mark of District Messenger ____________________ DECLARED AT ________ this ______ day of _________ 19 ________ BEFORE ME _________________ (Magistrate) [S.I. No. 66 of 1965] By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 3
Section 10Verify source

Legislative relationships

0 referenced instruments

Names are derived from the stored provision headings and citation-enrichment layer. Treat this as a research index and verify each relationship against the source text.

No structured legislative relationships were detected

The statute remains fully searchable by provision. Consult the source text for amendments and cross-references that have not yet been indexed.

Recorded versions and source checkpoint

1 version available in this collection

Current-law checkpoint
  • 31 Dec 1996 · currentEnglish

This relationship view does not by itself establish whether another instrument remains in force.

Check official source

Source-linked research

Ask AI about this statute

The overview, provisions, and source records above are public. Continue in a separate conversation with this statute’s jurisdiction and source version attached.

About this LexChat collection

Statute information is organised from identified legislative sources for professional research. Corrections can be reported to hello@esheria.ai.