Kampyongo is too dirty to call for Inspector General of Police to resign

Kampyongo is too dirty to call for Inspector General of Police to resign

By Leemans Nyirenda

“He who comes to equity must come with clean hands,” and so goes the English legal principle.

I refer to the Thursday June 6, 2024, edition No. 1750 of the Diggers in which Hon Stephen Kampyongo called for Inspector General of Police, Graphel Musamba to resign from his position for failing to control UPND cadres resulting in his failure to do his job. Really? Hon Kampyongo calling for Police IG to resign? Does Hon Kampyongo have clean hands? I am sure the answer is NO. This is a man who was appointed home affairs minister on 15th September 2016 and spent five years as Minister of that portfolio. He presided over a brutal police service which he turned into a brutal police force that curtailed individual civil liberties, and under his watch encouraged torture of innocent political opponents, abetted killings of innocent lives and persecuted political opponents such as HH. Today he can call for Musamba to resign?

So, who is Hon Kampyongo? Kampyongo is the current member of parliament for Shiwang’andu Constituency in Muchinga Province who does not even deserve to be referred to as Honourable. He is a dishonourable man as he lacks candor. On several occasions, as minister of home affairs, he deliberately ignored the truth and that became part of his life. This is the Kampyongo people know. Shrewd politician who does not usually mean what he says.

Hon Kampyongo said, “if IG has failed to protect citizens because they are going to be attacked by other citizens, it meant that he has failed (in reference to Musamba) to do his job of maintaining law and order and protecting the liberties of people.” These are words that came from his mouth. This is a man who is so dirty that he lacks the brains for self-introspection. Simply put, he has no time for self-reflection to understand himself and his past actions and omissions and learn from them. It seems Hon Kampyongo is dull and limited in scope. How can he easily forget the atrocities that were committed under his command and watch just a few years ago?

Let me provide seven reasons why Hon Kampyongo is too dirty to call for IG’s resignation.

Reason No. 1 He is too dirty to call for IG’s resignation. He presided over a brutal police service which he turned into a brutal police force and innocent people were arrested and killed for no good reason at all. Example, UPND President HH spent 127 days in prison for treason that never was.

Reason No. 2 Hon Kampyongo complains as follows: “… how sensible is it that he denies a rally and he deploys marauders that are not supposed to appear anyhow? He deploys them because they can’t respond to the lawlessness perpetrated by those alleged to be UPND cadres.”

The answer is in the English equity principle, “He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.” Has he forgotten how he ordered police to occupy Kanyama compound grounds where HH was supposed to hold a public meeting and the rally couldn’t take place? HH and his team then went to Golf View Hotel for an indoor meeting and Kampyongo still ordered police to stop them from meeting. Has he forgotten? Has he ever apologised for the injury that he caused because of his actions?

Reason No. 3 Kampyongo is an unthankful character. IG Musamba deployed police officers to ensure that the former first lady was protected. Imagine if this was during PF rule, blood would have spilled all over DEC premises but that was not the case.

Reason No. 4 The issue of cadres insulting Mr Lungu at DEC was totally in bad taste. No sane person can support that. However, did Hon Kampyongo condemn and stop cadrerism when he was overseeing police? Did he condemn or stop those cadres who went to Sun FM in Ndola to eject UPND president HH? Did he condemn or stop cadres who were extorting money from travelers at bus stops? Did he condemn and stop cadres at Intercity who could not allow UPND to operate from there? The answers to these questions end with NO. Chiwamila galu kuluma mbuzi? Kampyongo is surely not the right person to call for IG’s resignation.

Reason No. 5 Hon Kampyongo argues that “The whole essence of the Public Order Act as it is now, as it has been to ensure that those who have notified the state through the police about having procession are protected.” Kampyongo failed to complain to his boss Lungu during their time when Mr Lungu declared that the season for campaigns had not started in reference to UPND president HH who wanted to hold a rally way before 2021 elections. Unless he apologises to the people of Zambia, Kampyongo should be made to test his own medicine which he prescribed.

Reason No. 6 Kampyongo further argues as follows: “And he thinks (in reference to IG Musamba) he can get away with it. And he can get away with it, but people would get to a place where they would say enough is enough. And that would be a recipe for anarchy.”

Which anarchy is Kampyongo referring to and which people? The man is a day dreamer. Why was anarchy absent when he did exactly what he is saying? What has changed now for anarchy to suddenly appear? Hon Kampyongo, sober up! Indeed, you have the constitutional right to say whatever you want. Under HH, Zambia cannot slide into anarchy despite the drought and the debt burden which you left with Mr Lungu and has caused serious economic hardships. Zambians know who brought the misery they are experiencing. So stop inciting the people for hardships that you brought and left.

Reason No. 7 Lastly, Kampyongo said the cadres that had marched to DEC to insult former president Edgar Lungu last week must have notified the police. Under his rule of the police, Kampyongo himself could not allow HH to go and hold meetings in provinces. Radio programmes in Muchinga for HH were cancelled even after such were paid for and had started running at Kampyongo’s instigation. Let him explain what Chibulo Mapenzi did for her to be gunned down in cold blood and what he did to stop police from killing UPND members. Instead, after he was appointed, police continued the killings. What did Vespers do to lose her precious life at Unza when he was the minister responsible for police operations? How did Lawrence Banda die under his watch? Who killed Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda? Who sent HH to 127 days of torture and solitary confinement for treason which never was? That is the beauty of history. It makes you understand the past so that you can deal with the present and plan the future. Kampyongo is too dirty to call for IG Musamba’s resignation.

The author is a human rights advocate, author, researcher, youth development partner and corporate and management consultant. Email: lastlee.leemans@gmail.com