One phone call to Police IG by Hichilema can end violence, says Laura Miti
PROMINENT civil rights activist Laura Miti says a single phone call from President Hakainde Hichilema to the Inspector General of Police could bring an end to political violence.
In a post shared on her Facebook page, Miti urged President Hichilema to direct the Inspector General of Police to enforce the law impartially and without fear or favour.
She argued that if the President personally instructed the Police chief to end political violence, the problem would be resolved.
“I can swear that, if today, President Hichilema picked up the phone and, in his baritone, said to the Police IG, ‘If I hear of one more incident of violence, don’t bother to come to work tomorrow,’ that would be it,” Miti said.
Miti called on the Zambia Police Service to take firm and impartial action against political thuggery, saying decisive law enforcement could put an end to election-related violence.
She said the police have already demonstrated their ability to effectively manage public gatherings and therefore have the capacity to prevent and deal with political violence.
“I am convinced that a police service that is known to be excellent at preventing those they don’t want to gather from gathering, can very easily prevent and address political thuggery and violence,” she said.
Miti further argued that the continued occurrence of political violence is the result of inconsistent law enforcement, particularly when those involved are linked to the ruling party.
“The reason we still have the violence we are seeing is because the police do not stamp down on ruling party anarchy.
“Yes, I am saying all political violence would end if the police did not believe they would get in trouble if they arrested thugs dressed up in the colour of the day,” she charged.
Miti added that assurances of action should go beyond public statements.
She acknowledged State House spokesperson Clayson Hamasaka’s official statements condemning violence but maintained that public condemnations alone are insufficient without concrete action by law enforcement.
“Police assurance that they can and must arrest, then fully prosecute, violent ruling party cadres does not come via Clayson Hamasaka, on orange headed paper. Neither is it drawn from the handler of the Presidential FB page writing, ‘We condemn blah,'” she said.
©TV Yatu | Noel Iyombwa | August 5, 2026