REMOVAL OF LEMMY KAJOBA SHOULD BE SUPPORTED
By Isaac Mwanza
The removal of Lemmy Kajoba as Inspector General of Police should be supported by all Zambians. Well done President Hakainde Hichilema!
The actions by Zambia Police under the Kajoba regime diluted most of the good pronouncements President Hichilema made immediately he took over power. Those pronouncements won him great commendation among the international community.
But following those good presidential pronouncements, the Zambia Police under Kajoba made it difficult for Zambians to enjoy the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. I interact with some members of the international community and you can sense discontent among them that what is happening in Zambia on contrary to what the President had wanted for Zambia or they thought would be happening.
But replacing that Kajoba with that old man just also signals that President Hichilema wants the old tactics to continue being used in policing. That man learnt policing from an old school when the police was still a force.
President Hichilema’s 2021 victory shoukd hage heralded a new beginning for Zambia but it is not. He appears to be stuck in using the old folks and expecting them to do achieve something new. No, it won’t happen at the rate President Hichilema is appointing old folks (including maintaining people such as Mtolo Phiri at agriculture).
The Zambia Police has many youthful officers who can do better with policing, if given a little more space and modern training that focuses on respect for human rights.
Question is why is President Hichilema in love with the old folks when there is a pool of young minds in the mid 40s who can do better and contribute to his vision? Has President Hichilema resigned from his vision by always looking at the old and retired folks to lead these institutions?
I still have faith those that the President will realise that his appointments, targeting at those who should be in retirement, is not helping the country and not helping institutions themselves to adapt to new ways of doing things. It is actually demoralising to many young ones who aspire to lead and male a contribution to these institutions.
Anyway, next time you fire this IG, give me a chance, even for 6 months, to be IG and show you how the image of the service can change.
ZP does not deserve a leader who is tired to even move his legs or properly wear his trousers. It needs a leader who will motivate the service, who won’t be sleeping in his office. It needs a leader who will be everywhere checking compliance to human rights as the police do their work.
Kajoba was not the right man and the new old man is not the right man