By Daily Revelation Correspondent
The ruling Patriotic Front government has transferred a senior Zambia Police officer from Kabwe to Solwezi on allegation that he is aligned to the opposition UPND.
And UPND Central Province chairman Albert Chifita has advised the Zambia Police command to stop frustrating officers that were discharging their duties in a professional manner.
Police sources at Kabwe Central Police Station disclosed to Daily Revelation media that senior superintendent Lemekani Chirwa has been deployed to Solwezi Central Police from Kabwe Central Police Station on allegation that he was waging a political battle with immediate past PF Kabwe Central Member of Parliament Tutwa Ngulube.
“Yes, our boss; the officer in charge, Mr Chirwa has been transferred from Kabwe Central Police and taken to Solwezi Central Police Station. If you remember very well, the former Patriotic Front Kabwe Central member of parliament has been pushing for this thing to happen…he has been complaining that as a member of parliament he has had a bad relation with Mr Chirwa,” explained the police source. “Our officer in charge Mr Chirwa has been accused of belonging to the UPND. He has been accused of supporting the opposition UPND and not the ruling Patriotic Front. It’s political…”
And UPND Central Province chairman Albert Chifita has advised the Zambia Police command to stop frustrating officers that were discharging their duties in a professional manner.
Chifita pointed out that the transfers of senior officers that are currently taking are politically motivated.
“This is an election year and the Patriotic Front desperately wants to win the general elections by hook or fluke. So they are frustrating civil servants in so many ways; threatening civil servants with dismissals, demoting civil servants that are perceived to be supporters of opposition political parties including transferring them to rural parts of the country. There’s too much political interference in the operation of the Zambia Police and the civil service in general. These transfers are politically motivated,” Chifita pointed out. “The PF should not always want police officers to toil their line. No! And our advice to our colleagues in the PF is that they should let police officers carry out their duties professionally as opposed to frustrating them. And to the Zambia Police command is that to stop frustrating officers that were discharging their duties in a professional manner. If they have been carrying out their duties professionally while in Central Province, they will still be professional even if you transfer them to the remotest part of the country.”
During the April Patriotic Front convention that was held at Kabwe’s Kwame Nkhrumah University, some police officers entered the conference hall and hound out Ngulube immediately it was announced that he has been elected to the position of PF Member of Central Committee.
This resulted into an altercation between the Kabwe Central lawmaker and some police officers.
Ngulube was later seen emerging out from the conference hall with his fellow lawmaker Sydney Mushanga, who is also Central Province minister.
The two lawmakers later had a five minute conversation and started walking back into the conference hall.
At this juncture, Ngulube turned round and warned Zambia Police officers that were trying to hound him out of the conference that if they continue harassing him, he would be left with no option but to resort to a physical fight.
“Utu tu police officer utu natutumpa sana. They have been harassing me since 2015…you have been following me wherever I go each time I am in the constituency; as though I am a thief. I don’t steal…I am not a criminal,” said Ngulube. “One day tukafumyapo isukulu, tukafumyapo ifya ma jacket, tukafumyapo ifya bu lawyer. Tukaiponona!!
The immediate past PF Kabwe Central Member of Parliament Tutwa Ngulube then formally wrote a letter of complaint to Central Province Commissioner of Police Chola Katanga about harassment, which he said is being perpetuated against him by Zambia Police officers in Kabwe district.
He pointed out that it is unfortunate that the harassment he has been subjected to, has been extended to his professional assistant Thandizho Banda; who works in his National Assembly Kabwe Central Constituency office.
“My office writes to your office sir, to formally complain against continued police harassment on me as Member of Parliament for Kabwe Central Constituency. The latest of the many instances of police harassment on me under the command of Kabwe District Officer Commanding Mr Lemekani Chirwa happened today 10th April 2021 at Nkrumah University during the Patriotic Front General Conference when Mr Chirwa instructed his officers to hound me out of the conference hall, for unknown reasons shortly after my name was announced as a newly ratified member of the Patriotic Front Central Committee; something which almost disrupted the smooth flow of the conference.
It is unfortunate that this intolerance by the police was also extended to my Professional Assistant Mr Thandizo Banda, who was accused of filming the conference deliberations in full view of senior Patriotic Front Members, when in fact not,” Ngulube stated.
The Kabwe Central lawmaker has lamented that he has suffered some harassment at the hands of Zambia Police officers in his constituency.
“Mr Chirwa has on many other occasions attempted to stop me from engaging the people in Kabwe Central Constituency on the pretext of enforcing the Public Order Act. As if this is not enough, Mr Chirwa on 14th February 2021 led a troop of police officers to forcefully disrupt a community engagement I was having with the people of Magandanyama settlement simply because the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) was having their party convention at VK Motel,” he charged. “These and many other incidents have left me with no option but to officially raise a complaint against the police in Kabwe District in general and Mr Lemekani Chirwa in particular, because they have all happened during his stay at the helm of the Zambia Police Kabwe District. I hope and trust that my complaint will receive the attention it deserves.”
The Kabwe Central lawmaker also copied his letter of complaint to then Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo, former Central Province Minister Sydney Mushanga, Central Province Permanent Secretary; Bernard Chomba and Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja.
But when contacted for a comment, Central Province Police Commissioner Chola Katanga distanced himself from the transfers of senior officers in the Region and later referred all queries to Zambia Police Service Public relations Department.
“Aah…it’s not me who does that. The transfers of those police officers are not done by me. And they are not politically motivated in any way,” said Katanga in an interview on Monday. “Please get in touch with the PRO…they will be able to give a comprehensive statement regarding that issue.” -Daily Revelation