Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani has denied allegations that the presence of police officers at political campaigns was an act of intimidation.
Ms. Libongani said the duty of security officers was merely to observe and ensure that peace, law and order are maintained.
She said the deployment of officers to political rallies was not meant to instill fear in electorates.
She was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
Ms. Libongani has meanwhile disclosed that the police service will enough officers to Mansa to maintain law and order ahead of the January 7, 2014 Mansa Central parliamentary by-election.
She described the just ended nominations for Mansa Central constituency as peaceful and thanked the political players who are participating in the forthcoming election for the behaviour.
The Mansa Central seat fell vacant after the death of area Member of Parliament (MP) Kennedy Sakeni last month.
Ms. Libongani has since appealed to political party leaders to notify the Zambia Police Service about their meetings early enough so that the service can prepare adequately.
She further advised political parties and their cadres to adhere to the electoral code of conduct and desist from engaging t in political violence.
ZANIS
Well articulated Madam IG. Keep up the good work for the Republic of Zambia.
So the IG is still around after all!
Libongani is a living example of what leadership a woman would bring to Zambia if given the mandate to rule this country – total failure. If there are women out thereof high integrity and sound judgement with a view to leading our great nation one day, know that your fellow woman is limiting your chances by the way she carries out her duties. Shame on you Libongani, you are a disgrace to the noble women of of our land.
Don’t discourage this great lady cop. Kalijo…….
@Ba Guy, I think you have a problem with acknowledging other people’s successes. Anyway, for all I know you could be an infant, or some ill-bred, spoilt child with no analytical sense!
Opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema told the people of Choma in Southern Province that the problems they were facing under the poor leadership of Mr. Michael Sata and his Patriotic Front (PF) and were not unique to them but the whole country.
Mr. Hichilema, who took advantage of being in the area after appearing for some court cases and addressed a mammoth rally on Monday, told the cheering crowd that Mr. Sata and his government had punished Zambians to a situation similar to the end of UNIP days.
“For those who were there, you know what happened during the end of UNIP days. We are back to those old bad and backward ways of doing things. Most of the farmers, not only here in Southern province, but the rest of the country have not been paid their money from Food Reserve Agency…
(FRA) because Mr. Sata has finished the money building his retirement home and paying his large number of cabinet ministers,” he said.
He said he was aware that most of the farmers have not received fertilizer and seeds across the country despite the rain season having started, yet Mr. Sata and his cabinet have given themselves hefty salaries and allowances and are always being paid on time.
“From my extensive travels, I know that there is not one area of this country that was not affected by Mr. Sata and the PF’s decision to punish us Zambians by removing fuel and maize subsidies. It is only Mr. Sata and his big cabinet that are enjoying subsidised and free meals, free fuel, yet they still give themselves 27 percent hefty salary increments when the rest of the poor nurses,…
“The disease in this country is voting for expired politicians like Mr. Sata, who gives you Daniel Munkombwe (Southern province deputy minister) and hoping there can be a good harvest. You are farmers here like the rest of the country. Don’t plant expired seeds because what you will harvest will be retired crops like Mr. Sata and Munkombwe who belongings to the old crop of expired politicians in a country full of young and fresh minds,” Mr. Hichilema told the crowd.
He said he was not bothered by being on Mr. Sata’s lips all the time because he was telling Zambians the truth that the PF were a bunch of people that cheated their way into government.
“Let me tell you, there is no PF in Lusaka, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, North-western, Northern and the rest of the country. You all…
what happened when Mr. Sata runaway from Lusaka thinking he would have a peaceful time on the Copperbelt during Independence Day celebrations. People there started booing and shouting at him. But as usual he cheated that it was HH and the UPND that were making noise. Of course the UPND is more popular on the Copperbelt now than his finished PF party, but the people there were complaining about hunger when he was cutting his fat cake and eating a lone,” Mr. Hichilema told the cheering crowd.
Mr. Hichilema told the crowd that Mr. Sata was always talking and thinking about him because he knows he (Mr. Hichilema) would do far much better than him.
“Whenever Mr. Sata is sleeping and dreaming, he wakes up thinking I am nearby, including in his cabinet meetings. His people tell me that he…
It’ s true Sata does not sleep because of HH. Alimucibe mambala ubufi, everytime he opens his mouth, there is nothing he talks about apart from lies smeared against an innocent soul.
It’s only logical that police be present at all public gatherings of this magnitude to police the event. Even the people that may be holding the rally may need police protection during the rally. Keep up the good work I. G.!
@dow jones,
do you sincerely believe in what hh said in southern province?
for once please tell your hh to be serious with campaigns in lusaka, central, eastern, northern, muchinga, luapula and copperbelt provinces if he really want to win the 2016 elections cos sata is very much alive in these provinces.
if he thinks he will get to state house by telling half truths in provinces he is popular in, then he has another thought coming.
just advising….
If sata wins again then it will be sad for some of us. i want his family sent in missions abroad to be dealt with. here in canada At the embassy he has put his family and the place is not intresting for us Zambians as it used to be. his relatives are mistreating local workers, like tembo, Meslak and leona. Sata its not fair. dont put many of your relatives in one office. The Ambassador bob samakai cant perform coz hes under pitcort
but why do you send pf police cadres..?