PRAY FOR ZAMBIA POLICE NOT TO BE A TOOL OF POLITICAL OPPRESSION
24/10/2020
*”The police and legacy of hatred”*
As we commemorate this years Independence, I have taken time to reflect on the future of our men and women in uniform. The deep thoughts about their fate has left million questions in my mind.
Since the colonial days, police officers have been used as a tool of oppression. When the people were fighting for independence, police were used to crush dissidents. At one of the political rallies, one politician to a cheering audience said the following words: “Do you see those men standing behind you?” “Very soon those men will be our dogs”. ” We would just be whistling, and they will follow”. Efforts to demand retraction of the statement went unheeded. But true to the words of this official, he was arrested quite alright on this particular day.Taken to a prison abroad but, when he returned he became a very senior Government official.
He went to the same spot he once used those words and this time the crowd was even bigger. He repeated the same words, only, he was more direct, because the colonists had just handed over power to Zambians.
The agony of being a police officer in Zambia.This man despite being a Senior Government Official still harboured ill feelings towards these poor men and women in uniform. Because of this ill feeling, their conditions of service were never improved. They had just become ‘dogs’, to whom leaders continued whistling and the poor men and women in uniform just followed. Asked to jump, the only question they would ask is, how high, Sir/madam?
Despite being used to crush dissidents, they were never appreciated at all.Unfortunately, for the poor men and women in uniform the status quo continued. They would ruffle a lot of feathers for people in opposition and created enemies who never forgot what they went through at the hands of officers even after forming Government.
When I saw what happened few days ago, I could not help to imagine what would happen to these poor men and women in uniform when Chishimba Kambwili, wife and daughter with the help of Zambians, form government. Would Kambwili, wife and daughter be able to forget and forgive on what happened? Your imagination is as good as mine.
Self inflicted misery, these politicians only see the police as a tool of oppression and nothing else, when they really do not care about them. Maybe for very Senior Officers driven in very expensive cars. Some of us who have been subjected to this police brutality, during our captivity we have been courageous enough to ask them what crimes we have been committing and all they would tell you is that you are innocent and they are just following orders, can you imagine some one pointing an AK-47 on your head without a crime. Just this week UPND deputy secretary General Mr Patrick Mucheleka nareated how an AK-47 was misused to threaten him with death. Just imagine how traumatising this can be. We all have stories to tell one day at a right time.
No wonder even a police officer who became president, who vigorously campaigned against the public order Act, the moment he was sworn in. He went public praising the public order Act that it was the best piece of legislation he had ever seen. All this statement was given for one purpose only, to perpetuate the use officers as a tool of oppression and intimidation against divergent views.Mr. Sata was on several occasions tear gassed by the officers while in opposition.
One may argue that, AVIC has built them good houses. But, what profits an officer to live in a luxurious House yet never respected by even a Branch chairman/woman of the party and its Government? The legacy of hatred is indeed a bitter reality surrounding the police in Zambia and had it not been for the abject poverty our men and womem in uniform have been subjected to by our politicians, majority would have resigned along time ago for being abused.
As we celebrate this year’s independence, let us remember to give our real men and women in uniform operational independence and plan a better future for them. Allow them to be independent to implement their standard operation procedures without due interference to politicians who have never set foot in a police academy. They need our support as citizens for their independence.
On this day I want to send a message of love to all police officers who have been wronged used to persecute us. Our mission is to see you officers operate in a political free controlled environment.By so doing, we will never be able to have reason to hate these men and women in uniform in our transitioning from opposition to power.
In conclusion, Mrs Kambwili and your daughter kindly find it in your heart of hearts to forgive on what transpired at the court on that day. Remember, if only people like your dear husband stood hard against such ill pieces of registration when they were in influential oppositions, some of these happenings today wouldn’t have been affecting us.
Let us all unite and say no to police intimidation, oppression and brutality. Let’s us all turn a corner and use the police for a better good of the country. Unprecedented number of Nolle prosqui is evident enough to the abuse of this noble institution, yet we show no love for them. When as Senior official talking to our children on what not to be. We have told them to study hard or, pointing to the window, they would be like that poor police officer guarding the house.
May God bless Zambia as the struggle for a better Zambia continues.
*SIKAILE C.SIKAILE :GOOD GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST FOR ZAMBIA AND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL*