PRESS STATEMENT
FIRE IG GRAPHEAL MUSAMBA, ARREST HIM FOR PRACTICING DISCRIMINATION AND HATE SPEECH-AMB. MWAMBA
●….While President Hichilema, in Opposition, accused the Patriotic Front of bias and practising tribalism against UPND members and certain regions, he has instead perpetrated the very tribal practice he condemned, with pathological vigour and wicked determination….
●…It is also saddening that institutions that should rescue this ugly, negative and divisive practice such as the Human Rights Commission(HRC), Office of the Public Protector and the Judiciary are eerily silent in clear conspiracy to the grave injustice being perpetrated against a group of people….
Lusaka-Thursday, 21st March 2023
Last year, on 18th July, 2023, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Graphael Musamba was extensively quoted in the media stating that the Patriotic Front government, recruited junkies as police officers.
He claimed that these police officers recruited were NOT loyal to the new Government and were allegedly indiscipline and committed robbery, theft and raped detainees.
He said this crop of police officers were employed under the Patriotic Front Government.
He has since repeated these assertions and he has now informed the nation that he would proceed to dismiss all those police officers employed under the Patriotic Front Government.
On Wednesday 20th March 2024, Police Spokesperson Ray Hamoonga repeated and justified the decision to fire those policemen employed by the Patriotic Front when he appeared on Radio Phoenix Breakfast Show.
He accused the police officers that they were not loyal to Musamba and the new government.
It is clear that the display of utter ignorance regarding civil service regulations and police recruitment guidelines by the Inspector General Graphael Musamba is shocking and is probably borne out of malicious intent.
It is clear that Musamba wishes to breach civil service regulations and he is determined to violate the Constitution by dismissing properly qualified and recruited police officers.
He is also purging the police service based on discrimination and victimization and not using the set civils service guidelines.
With all other crimes Musamba has been accused of perpetrating such as police brutality, torture, human rights abuses and denial of rights and freedoms of individuals and political parties, he is clearly NOT fit to be Inspector General of the Zambia Police.
Under normal circumstances and the Rule of Law, Musamba must be immediately be fired and arrested for engaging in hate speech, for practising discrimination and for violation of the law.
However, we as a Party recognise that this must be a difficult route to take by his well-pleased appointing authority.
President Hakainde Hichilema has continued to make similar decisions as Musamba, appointing and dismissing persons based on ethnic and party affiliations.
It therefore, follows that his appointed lieutenants at state-owned enterprises and law enforcement agencies are merely following his script of firing public service workers on the allegation that they belong to the Patriotic Front or to other tribes.
A UPND Presidential Campaign Team member, Bene Hachombwa also recently called for the dismissal of all those employed in the public service under the ten year rule of the Patriotic Front.
This criminal position appears to be the official stance but, unspoken and unwritten, policy of the UPND Government.
We must remember that over 400 senior civil servants have been removed from their positions and are currently parked at Public Service Management Division (PSMD) and Cabinet Office on similar allegations. Government claims that it’s only 49 senior civil servants affected in this manner.
The central allegation is that their loyalties were to the previous government or they were alleged members of the Patriotic Front.
This has been done to the detriment of, especially, highly specialised units such as the cancer diseases hospital, ZESCO and the Climate Change Office, where professionals trained at great cost to the country, are purged on the false allegations that they are Patriotic Front or hold names from unfavorable regions.
This is a very sad and difficult period for Zambians who dream of a united country under its cherished motto of One-Zambia One Nation.
While President Hichilema, in Opposition, accused the Patriotic Front of bias and practising tribalism against UPND members and certain regions, he has instead perpetrated the very tribal practice he condemned, with pathological vigour and wicked determination.
It is also saddening that institutions that should rescue this ugly, negative and divisive practice such as the Human Rights Commission(HRC), Office of the Public Protector and the Judiciary are eerily silent in clear conspiracy to the grave injustice being perpetrated against a group of people.
Further the Police has been quick to arrest those speaking and exposing the nepotism and tribalism under this government.
Speaking about this matter has become a crime in itself, a clear bid to silence the expose of these heinous crimes.
Issued by;
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Chairperson of Information and Publicity
Member of the Central Committee
PATRIOTIC FRONT
The exercise of removing politically inclined junkies from the Zambia Police Service is long overdue. As for those crying out the loudest about tribalism, nepotism and regionalism it is understandable. The shoe is always very painful on the other foot. When you are in office have some empathy and practice fair play. Otherwise one day you will cry the way those, and their surrogates, who were the chosen ones from 2011 to 2021 are doing now.
So Mwaamba knows there was regional and tribal recruitment. I did not hear the I.G. mention tribe nor region in his speach. He spoke of junkies and yes let the police become a force once again. Yes please we need discipline in our police.
It is common knowledge that the PF engaged in shady recruitment, not only in the police, but in other wings of government and parastatals, including teachers. PF malpractices were perversive, no area was spared.
The clean up should not, therefore, be restricted to the police. It should cover the whole government structure and parastatals. When you have incompetent people in any position, the nation suffers.
Clean up the whole system and refill with competent and deserving individuals who will positively contribute to the wellbeing of our nation, not those whose only concern is their paycheck.
Meant “PF malpractices were extensive”.
Yes it’s true that all under PF recruits were PF cadres who even gave out police uniforms to civilians and that can not be detached from Lungu.
It’s not about hate and tribal but the truth normally pains.
The next government will do it not this one. That is the trend.