FROM A NATIONAL POLICE SERVICE TO A ‘NATIONAL STATE MILITIA”
04/06/24
The recent events involving the former President, Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu and opposition political leaders have put the Zambia Police Service under a very bright spot light.
The conduct of our Zambia Police is nothing shot of a terrible nightmare, when a protector watches a crime being committed, does nothing and sides with the one committing the crime.
It is evident that under President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership, Zambia is dealing with a police service that is highly politically weaponized. ZP is now a conduit of political tension in the country.
Whilst Zambia Police Service returns some professional men and women in their rank and file, their recent conduct shows that it is on its way to becoming a state sponsored militia bending only to the whims of those in power and abetting illegalities.
The law has left Zambia Police investigations and emotions and political biases have taken over to please President Hichilema and his circle of power.
In almost 3 years of UPND in power a record number of questionable arrests targeting opposition political leaders have been made in cases that seem to have no direction at all.
If Zambia Police Service is now only a service to President Hichilema and UPND ruling elites to settle perceived political scores, history has shown us that the general citizenry of that country look for other ways to protect their fundamental rights and property from a state sponsored militia.
Unfortunately, history has shown us that even state sponsored militias have supporters who cheer and encourage them to the very end even in the glaring reality of threatened national peace, national prosperity and national unity.
Zambia Police must be politically de-weaponised and be a pinnacle of law and professionalism for all the citizens regardless of their political affiliations.
Silavwe Jackson
President
GPZ.
If you were born yesterday then you missed this under PF
I wasn’t born yesterday but I didn’t see in pf as much as I vividly see it today. Even znbc is very boring because it is dancing to upnd songs only.
I thought this gentleman was a fountain wisdom,but clearly this age mate of mine is not thinking straight.the police has always been impartial in their operations.the upnd government operates on the rule of law.if you break the law,the law will visit you. You deberatly break and you expect the police to keep a blind eye aikona Mani.
Nyambe you live in Northern Rhodesia?
It has never been a Zambia Police Service. It has always been a Zambia police Force. Show me one Zambian who has been served by this police force? Only eight have been served by the police: Hakainde, Lungu, Banda, Guy Scott, Mwanawasa, Sata, Chiluba and Kaunda. Perhaps their wives too
Nyambe, Mutinta, Mbozi and Simuwe, today the police you are abusing to score political points are the same police officers who were arresting and threatening you.
We say this to you, power in politics is temporal and short lived, This is why they say in political sciences ,use power in the modesty and restraint way as power can easily corrupt you and abuse it such that when you leave the office , the abuse, crimes against humanity and all forms of oppression, violence will eventually visit and destroy you.
I’m really just looking at the number of police commissioners leading provinces, deputy commissioners. Senior police officers heading CIDs ,traffic in many instances are coming from Southern province , ECZ, Zesco, DEC, ACC , Judiciary, Regulatory Boardies , ZRA to mention a few. This is why there is a police department within the police and special duties at State house were they have formed a special task force only for Tongas , the head of this task force or militia group is headed by the deputy IG at state house .
When have ever seen or heard special duties police officers going Maina Soko to do what the police in Lusaka can do?
My piece of advice to these officers, be careful you have a lot to lose in future because nothing lies . There are too many foot prints and too many abuses you are committing against your fellow countrymen. Raphael I just wonder what his future will be moving from one province to another to answer charges of abusing citizens rights and freedoms. Make you accumulate lots of money for legal fees because your life will be painful and already ruined . For Mwitwa, ,mwiliteta, minister from threatened people by directing cadres to assault those saying bad things against HH , remain strong and prepare for hard times ahead
It will take a lot of effort for the police to act independently and professionally. I am not saying that the police does not act independently or professionally in carrying out their duties. The main problem with the police has not been with the appointing authority but has to do with the way the police is structured.
The police under the PF regime was impotent and its operations to deal with maintenance of peace and order were weak and highly politically compromised. Despite the opposition political parties complaining today of Zambia Police being selective and biased in handling the affairs of opposition political leaders, it is impartial to say that under the new dawn government the Zambia Police is acting fairly with its operations in maintaining peace and order. The challenge is that the tactics and approaches the opposition political parties engaging with are archaic and provocative aimed at undermining the authority of the president and government.
On the other hand, when you look critically and analyse the rhetoric from the opposition political parties it is the same cheap talk which has no empirical evidence and no tangoble alternative guidance to provide proper checks and balances to government. The opposition political parties’ agenda is preoccupied with propagating falsehood, malice and misleading the masses on political economic issues. It does not work that way the public political rallies they are demanding are aimed at spreading propaganda. Most of the opposition political parties’ members especially UKA are using cheap talk and malice because they have become desperate stooges of Edgar Chagwa Lungu trying to make amends for his past misdeeds.