HICHILEMA MUST HONOUR HIS PROMISE TO POLICE OFFICERS
The Zambia Police command yesterday issued a statement denouncing me for urging Mr Hakainde Hichilema to urgently improve remuneration and conditions of service for police officers and staff.
They belittled me in all sorts of ways and tried to cheapen my well-intentioned message with utmost disrespect. Without a doubt, their statement was ill-advised, uncouth and unethical. But I am not surprised, because only UPND police officers under the direct command of Mr Hichilema’s trusted lieutenant, the deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of State House, Mr Fanwell Siandenge, can behave in this improper manner. True and patriotic Zambia Police officers cannot be opposed to what I said and, worse still, be so disrespectful to a leader of a legally registered political party.
In fact, the unprofessional and politically charged language in the statement reveals the desperation and extent to which Mr Hichilema and his far-right UPND government are willing to go in belittling the effort of our hardworking men and women in the police service. And one wonders how my decent call for improved livelihoods for fellow citizens who are dedicated to national service can attract so much hate, anger and disrespect from the Zambia Police command. It is unprecedented!
The reaction from the Zambia Police command is telling. And going by their reaction, it is clear that the Zambia Police command are not interested in improving the welfare of police officers and staff. They want to be eating and living well alone, which is typical gluttonous behaviour of bad and selfish superiors. Nonetheless, I want to make it very clear to the Zambia Police command that no amount of uncouth, emotionally charged and unwise statements written and imposed on them to undersign by discredited UPND guerrilla channels will discourage my resolve to stand up and speak for the suffering majority of this country, regardless of their status in society.
What I said was not new. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with me calling for better remuneration and conditions of service for police officers and the civil service in general. If people are sincere, they will admit that I am not the first opposition political party leader to make this demand and promise for better wages. Mr Michael Chilufya Sata (MHSRIP) when in opposition said and promised the same things to police officers and staff. As a matter of fact, Mr Sata delivered on his promise by reviewing police and civil servants’ salaries as soon as he was in government in 2011. Nobody from the police command of that time denounced him or called him names.
Equally, Mr Hichilema did the same thing on June 6, 2021 as an opposition leader. In fact, Mr Hichilema went even further, drawing a comparison between salaries for Zambian and South African civil servants, miners, doctors and so on. And no one from the police command at that time denounced him or called him names. However, Mr Hichilema has not delivered to the police officers and staff what he promised them on June 6, 2021.
What is an opposition political party there for? To do just as I have done and what Mr Sata and Mr Hichilema did as opposition leaders. It requires a little intelligence – if a little is all one has – to realise that I have done nothing wrong to deserve such denunciation and disrespect from the police command. Why are Zambia Police command in such a hurry to display their ignorance? The Zambia Police command should be ashamed of their irresponsible statement because such recklessness has the potential to degrade and spoil well-established police service systems and decorum.
And why should the police command be against someone urging the government to improve the conditions of service for police officers and staff? Is it because the police command are better looked after by Mr Hichilema, and are happy?
This is what happens when professionalism, values, and principles are lost or are sacrificed on the altar of political or career expediency. There is no need for this misplaced and childlike zeal and excitement from the Zambia Police command.
As an essential part of our state security apparatus, the police command are expected to be non-partisan and to defend the Constitution, as well as the interests of police officers and staff under their command. So let the police command sober up and preside over the affairs of our police service with maturity and impartiality. This exaggerated zeal and partisanship being displayed is totally unnecessary, especially when one is serving under a directionless, unstable, and one-term government like this one.
I still urge Mr Hichilema to honour his election promise to police officers and staff. If he doesn’t, they shouldn’t worry too much because 2026 is not very far away. Their Socialist Government will come and give them a sense of dignity.
Let the Zambia Police command know that we voice out on issues that are topical and emanate from our leadership and party structures countrywide. This issue arose in response to the frequent appeals and complaints our party leadership and structures countrywide have received regarding this matter, which is long overdue. And it is not in dispute that the Socialist Party support base within the police and the entire civil service is growing exponentially, so this government can only ignore us at its own peril.
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party