Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:52:02 +0000
Senior police officers who stopped the rally and disobeyed the law should be prosecuted the opposition UPND has said.
And the opposition UPND on the Copperbelt has demanded for the resignation of the acting Inspector General of Police Peter Chingaipe, Attorney General Mumba Malila and the commanding officer for Lusaka Solomon Jere.
Provincial chairperson Elisha Matambo said the behaviour displayed by the three did not fit the senior government officials status and should therefore step down on moral grounds.
Mr Matambo the three disobeyed the law and they should be held accountable for their actions.
He said it was uncalled for Dr Jere to challenge the decision by the judge to grant the opposition party permission to hold the meeting.
“He is the commanding officer who is expected to uphold the law and not to misuse it. Zambians should feel protected by the three but it was the three who did care for the people and went ahead to disobey the law.
“How can a country have such type of people at the helm of the institutions that were created to safe guard the misuse of law? They acted with impunity and they must be dealt with accordingly,” Matambo said.
The provincial leader observed that the morals of democracy in Zambia had decayed in just a few months the Patriotic Front ascended to power.
Mr Matambo said it would be in the interest of the nation that the three stepped down because they had proved to be among those that were destroying and disobeying the judiciary.
“These people should account for their actions. Why should Zambians feel unsafe in their own country? They are not above the law and we want them disciplined.
“People thought President Hakainde Hichilema was cheating when he said Zambia had turned into a police State but now he has been vindicated.
It is a shame that government has even supported the move instead of following up on the erring individuals. Why should government support the move instead of condemning the action if it is not a Police State? Can Zambians be left free and enjoy their freedoms?
“It is unfortunate that the people we thought would interpret the law are just in those offices as rubberstamps because they don’t want the law. They want to use their own law which does not appear in the constitution of Zambia,” he said.
Mr. Matambo said it was sad that police on the Copperbelt had continued to terrorize innocent people on unknown grounds.
He revealed that yesterday morning officers from Nkana East police station went to harass the party’s provincial youth Chairperson Kelly Chibinga’s family on suspicion that there was a UPND meeting taking place at his house.
The chairperson said it was sad that police officers agreed to be used, contrary to the oath of protecting citizens.
He advised police officers to adhere to their ethics and desist from being used by selfish individuals.
“Police officers have been employed to protect Zambians and they should bear in mind that it is wrong for them the misuse the law. We want a police that would be independent on its actions and not officers that feed on what the politicians want.
“Zambians should not be intimidated by armed police officers as if they were criminals?
There is no police for the PF alone, police officers belong to the 13 million Zambians and they are paid using tax payers money so they are expected to protect all Zambians and not PF officials alone,” Matambo said.
