The Analysis: Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa must be ´thumbed up´ …but where is the Minister of Home Affairs and Police Boss
By KBN Reporter-28.11.22
Pastor Mambwe said, “I must put it on record that Mr Cornelius Mweetwa must be commended for his decision to condemn the unwelcome acts of the police (in Harry Kalaba and others).”
Legislator Cornelius Mweetwa, the spokesperson of the ruling UPND has received plaudits across the divide for condemning rising police brutality in Zambia being meted upon perceived political enemies.
Hon. Mweetwa, the southern province Minister said the atrocities must stop because the UPND is able to stand its ground without ´overzealous police with political hangovers ´ helping it.
But his (Mweetwa) remarks have now shifted a harsh glare on the Inspector General of Police Lemmy Kajoba and the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu whom pundits feel must have condemned the alleged rights violations against Zambians ahead of hon. Mweetwa ex officio and acted against them.
On the forefront of the commentary is Pastor Kennedy Mambwe, the CEO of KBN TV who spoke on ´The Analysis´ Sunday programme in Lusaka who said below:
“My view is that there’s a breakdown in relations between the police and the community in Zambia, the police are entrusted to serve the Zambian people but the Zambian people don’t seem to trust them,” Pastor Mambwe said, “it’s incumbent on the IG (Inspector General of Police) Mr Kajoba to restore the confidence of the police onto the people of Zambia and not leave that responsibility to hon. Mweetwa.”
Pastor Mambwe added, “I must put it on record that Mr Cornelius Mweetwa must be commended for his decision to condemn the unwelcome acts of the police (in Harry Kalaba and others).”
The KBN CEO, however, wondered whether Hon. Mweetwa had the ´blessings´ of the ruling party to call the police bluff on rights violations and prayed he would be alright after the fact.
“Did he have the blessings to speak for the party or the government or he was speaking as an individual risking his neck on the chopping board?” Pastor Mambwe asked.
Nevertheless, the Pastor said, “Mr Mweetwa must be commended for speaking when no one in the ruling party couldn’t speak. A provincial minister spoke not the police or the Minister.”
Speaking on the same programme, Ambassador Anthony Mukwita, a regular host on the new show mused that the reactions of Zambians fighting back openly at police was new in Zambia, its root course must be probed.
The Ambassador said, “Now you see perceived anarchy when we should never point a finger at a policeman because they are authority figures when you get to a level of loss of respect, you better find out what has gone wrong. It should never happen. This must be nipped in the bud because violence begets violence begets violence.”