IDEAL POLICE SERVICE

IT is a pity that the rosy picture portrayed by the Zambia Police Service Spokesperson, Mr Rae Hamoonga does not reflect the reality on the ground.
Yes, the ideal Police Service that Mr Hamoonga speaks about is what the public demands and expects the men and women in uniform to carry out without fail.
A service that upholds not only courtesy but professionalism in carrying out its mandate of maintaining law and order.
Of course it is heartening to learn that the Zambia Police Service is actively working to enhance professionalism within its rank and file.
Mr Hamoonga said in a statement yesterday that there was on-going capacity-building initiatives which included human rights training, community engagement programmes and adoption of modern policing techniques to improve service delivery.
Mr Hamoonga said the police take allegations of harassment and intimidation seriously and reaffirmed the service’s zero-tolerance stance on misconduct within the organisation.
Mr Hamoonga said the Zambia Police Service was a non-partisan institution that serves the interests of all citizens, irrespective of political affiliation or ideological stance.
“We reject any suggestion that the Police is being used as a tool of political oppression. Our mandate is to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights and freedoms of all Zambians without fear or favour,” he said.
That is easier said than done for the police cannot claim that they are nonpartisan as shown by their conduct in the recent Kawambwa by-election going by some of the complaints.
As Lukashya Member of Parliament and PF Legal chairman, George Chisanga says, unsettling events during the recent Kawambwa campaigns have drawn widespread attention, highlighting serious concerns over the impartiality of law enforcement and political violence.
Allegations of unprovoked threats, assaults, and selective arrests are casting a shadow over the electoral process in the region.
One of the most alarming incidents involved Mr Chikota, the Mwense Mayor and a member of the ruling UPND, who allegedly made death threats to two opposition Members of Parliament, Mr Francis Mulenga and Mr Kabaso Kampampi.
According to reports, Mr Chikota warned the MPs that they should take his threats seriously. In response, Mr Mulenga Fube recorded the conversation and the MPs promptly reported the matter to the police, leaving the recording as evidence.
Despite this, Mr Chikota continued his campaign activities the following day near Kawambwa Police Station, without facing any arrest or investigation.
In contrast, opposition figures such as Ms Jean Chisenga, Mr Celestine Mukandila, and Mr Peter Chanda, president of the New Congress Party were swiftly detained after inquiring about weaponry allegedly brought into Kawambwa by an identified UPND cadre from Lusaka.
Examples abound of how the opposition have been stopped from holding public rallies, oftentimes press briefings scuttled citing vague security concerns.
Arbitrary arrests and being locked up for weeks on end in police cells are a regular menu for those deemed “unfriendly” to the ruling regime.
These have been cited and criticised by credible organisations, notably the Human Rights Commission of Zambia, which has particularly expressed concern about moving suspects across the country from their home districts to areas where they cannot enjoy family support.
We can only hope that one of the New Year resolutions of the Police Service going into 2025 would be to turn a new leaf and begin to serve the people equally across the political divide.
It is not too late to change.