Zambia Police: Stop the Hypocrisy
By Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma
The Zambia Police Service, through its spokesperson Mr. Rae Hamoonga, recently issued a swift response to a Facebook post on the page “Patriotic Front – PF” regarding an alleged public rally scheduled for Mandevu Constituency. In his statement, Mr. Hamoonga emphatically reminded the public that the proposed rally had not met the legal requirements under the Public Order Act, Chapter 113 of the Laws of Zambia, as no formal notification had been submitted to the police.
This response, coming with such urgency and precision, highlights a troubling trend in law enforcement—one that appears to selectively apply the law depending on political convenience. When posts that seem to challenge the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) arise, the police are quick to react. But when serious issues involving UPND officials and their supporters breach public order, the same eagerness to act is conspicuously absent.
Double Standards in Police Action
There is an undeniable pattern of selective silence from the Zambia Police when dealing with incidents that involve the ruling party and its affiliates. Below are clear examples of this imbalance:
1. Threats Against Former President Edgar Lungu
In North-Western Province, UPND youths have used social media to hurl vile insults and death threats at former President Edgar Lungu. These are serious threats against a former Head of State—an issue that, by any standard, should warrant immediate police intervention. Yet, despite the gravity of these acts, there has been no statement, warning, or visible action from the Zambia Police. Is it now acceptable for individuals to threaten a former President with impunity? Where is the protection owed to him under the law?
2. Leaked Audio of Coercion and Intimidation
The now infamous audio featuring Permanent Secretaries Thabo Kawana and Matembo, along with Hon. Sylvia Masebo, allegedly coercing Hon. JJ Banda, a victim of abduction, into exonerating his kidnappers, remains uninvestigated. Despite this audio being in the public domain and raising serious questions of political interference and abuse of power, the police have chosen silence. Why has no investigation been launched? Are senior government officials above the law?
3. UPND Youth Threatening Violence Over PF Regalia
There are multiple documented cases of UPND youths threatening to attack individuals wearing Patriotic Front regalia. These public threats of violence are a direct violation of public order and safety. Yet, not a single public rebuke, investigation, or preventive action has been seen from the police. How can citizens trust law enforcement when threats of politically motivated violence are ignored?
The Facebook Response That Exposed the Police
By rushing to respond to a single Facebook post about a public rally, while systematically ignoring more serious breaches involving politically connected individuals, the Zambia Police Service has exposed its own hypocrisy. This behavior undermines their claim to neutrality and reinforces the perception that they are operating as an arm of the UPND rather than as a professional and impartial law enforcement institution.
The Call for Fairness
Zambians deserve a police service that is independent, fair, and consistent. The selective application of the law must end. Justice cannot be a tool for political convenience, applied harshly against some while sparing others. The Zambia Police must return to their constitutional mandate of protecting and serving all citizens equally. The principles of fairness, impartiality, and the rule of law must guide their actions—not political affiliation.
The people of Zambia are watching, and the demand for justice and accountability will not be silenced. Hypocrisy and selective enforcement of the law have no place in a democratic society. It is time for the Zambia Police Service to uphold its duty with integrity, fairness, and true independence. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done—without fear, without favor, and without bias.