By McDonald Chipenzi
BEING IN OFFICE BUT NOT IN POWER: THE CASE OF THE OFFICE OF IG IN ZAMBIA
There’s a phrase that you can be “in office but not in power” often quoted when referring to Africa and its power relations with the west.
This is where the African leaders pride in being in office but are not in actual sense in power as power is execised and lies in those western powers and institutions controlling it through the their footholds on the economy, elections, technology, politics and innovation.
This is the case of the Office of the Inspector General of Police in Zambia and perhaps many countries in Africa.
Many of these IGs are in office to supervisor someone’s appointees but not in power as the power lies in the appointing authorities.
How does one explain a situation where all the provincial police commissioners are appointed by the President so is the IG and his/her deputies?
Who reports who to who? Who disciplines who to and against who since both the IG and his deputies on one hand and the provincial police commissioners on the other are all appointees of and can be transferred, redeployed and fired by the President at any time?
Where does loyalty of these commissioners lie, to the IG or the President? Of course the President.
No wonder since 2011, the IGs have looked ineffective, incompetent and without public confidence or commanding power because of this set up.
The IG cant fire or transfer an inept Commissioner at tbe province and can’t even hire an effective commissioner.
The IG can’t transfer a commissioner from one province to another despite his/her incompetence but live with such a person until the appointing authority decides otherwise.
This scenario potentially leads to serious bootlicking of these commissioners and do muzungu anikonde to the President so that those appointed to head provinces such as Lusaka and Copperbelt find means to remain there while those commanding little busy provinces may have no chance to test the busier one even if they may be more capable.
In my view this has undermined the office of the IG in Zambia. The poor IG is indeed in office but not in power.
There is need to make the IG not only be in OFFICE but also wield power over the entire police Command.
My personal opinion!
I rest my case.