Mon, 05 Feb 2018 15:02:48 +0000
By ROGERS KALERO and PRINCE CHIBAWAH AND
Police on the Copperbelt has summoned Patriotic Front (PF) Roan Member of Parliament (MP) Chishimba Kambwili and five others to report to the Zambia Police Service Copperbelt headquarters in Ndola tomorrow, Tuesday February 6, 2018 at 09.00hours without fail.
Copperbelt Police Chief Charity Katanga confirmed the summoning of Mr Kambwili and five others, but could not give details, saying she would give details tomorrow after Mr Kambwili and five others report to the police.
Ms Katanga said the summoning of Mr Kambwili through the media had been necessitated after the Roan law maker allegedly refused to receive a call-out which police officers had taken to him.
“I will not give details on why Mr Kambwili has been summoned by the police, but I would like to say that he had earlier refused to receive a call out which officers had taken to him. So we have decided to summon him through the media.
“Mr Kambwili and five others should report to the Zambia Police Service Copperbelt headquarters in Ndola on Tuesday February 6, 2018 at 09.00hours without fail,” Ms Katanga said.
Ms Katanga said after refusing to receive a call-out from the officers, Mr Kambwili allegedly called her to find out why he was being summoned for holding a press briefing.
The Copperbelt police Chief said police in the province will not entertain criminal activities and that those who commit crimes should be ready to face the consequences of their actions.
“People should not commit crimes and expect the Police to smile at them. The Police is there to maintain law and order. It will not entertain criminal activities,” she said. The other people summoned include Adam Zulu from the National Union of Miners and Allied Workers, (NUMAU), Charles Mulenga, former PF Roan constituency chairman, Mukuka (other names not known and Alex, driver to Mr Kambwili.
And in a separate development, Zambia Police has strongly warned political parties in the country against embarking on early campaigns saying the 2021 elections are very far.
Last week, expelled Roan MP, Chishimba Kambwili at a press briefing dared the police that he would embark on a countrywide tour to campaign for his party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), with or without police permit.
But police spokesperson, Esther Katongo cautioned politicians like Mr Kambwili not to play with fire.
In an interview with the Daily Nation yesterday, Ms Katongo said politicians should refrain from being confrontational with the police.
Ms Katongo said police officers were ready to deal with those undermining the law with impunity.
“As police we always advise political players to stop being confrontational. We didn’t make the law, we are only enforcing it. But if they decide to ignore the law then we are ready to meet them.” She explained that it was unfortunate that some individuals wanted to be breaking the law with impunity in the name of politics.
“Those who would be found breaking the law will not be spared,” she said.
She said police expected politicians to engage them in a sober manner whenever they had any concerns regarding the application of the Public Order Act. “As you have seen political players from both the opposition and the ruling party are freely conducting what they are calling party mobilisation programmes. So I wonder why someone can begin to insinuate that police are victimising or favouring certain individuals,” said Ms Katongo.
