Friday, March 29, 2024

Police IG urges all citizens to notify the police whenever they have public functions

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Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani salutes during President Lungu's innauguration
Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani salutes during President Lungu’s innauguration

Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani has urged all citizens to observe public order and notify the Police whenever they have public functions.

Ms.Libongani dismissed assertions that Police are unfair in the manner they apply the public order Act.Ms. Libogani told QFM News that no one should complain of unfair treatment with regards the enforcement of the public order Act because the law clearly stipulates that everyone needs protection and security when in public places.

Ms. Libongani said that the public order Act is meant to provide security for every individual.She says Police will continue ensuring that all citizens follow the law without being pushed.

37 COMMENTS

  1. To deal with these guys, lets all to the police stations and apply for police permits before we go to buy anything and lets see if they will contain us. we are all public figures in our rights.

    • Only when you hold public functions that pulls a crowed . read and understand POA instead of revealing the other side of yourself .

    • Stella, define citizen! What we see is that other “citizens” are allowed to have public functions withiout bothering to inform the police. The other “citizens” are beaten up by the police for a similar oversight. Animal Farm?

    • That is cow dung stuff mayo,Are you turning Zambia into a Police state?What you are saying is that If people are holding a funeral they must notify the police?FAZ also must do the same?Churches meetings fall into that category.
      So lets all flood the police stations with paper notifications and lets see maybe now they will have enough toilet paper at force HQ .

    • I can bet my life that the first lady has not notified the police and does not have a permit for her activities in the Eastern Province

    • @ 5tupid bob

      Do you know the difference between “informing” and “permit”?

      That is the issue of interpretation of POA.

      Learn English before commenting.

  2. Retaining Libongani in this post is one of the main reasons i will not vote for Edgar in the coming elections.

  3. Freedom is the assurance that Citizens can do anything that is lawful without hindrance. It is the job of the Police to provide that.

    Why should we do the job of the PF (Police Force) for them??

    It is up to the Police to be on top of things and do the job they are PAID to do! And Stella must ask Lungu for some of the $192 million that he is trying to steal instead of making excuses!

  4. Rubbish, I expected her to say yes in fact we are compromised. But she decided to lie once again. Anyway its normal for a political cop.

  5. There is a problem in the police force with the interpretation of the Public order act. The police force is taking it as a ploy to victimise individuals, more so when influenced by the ruling party. It is like for any simple gathering the police have to be notified, of course it is fine but should not take it like they are the ones who are agrieved if such protection is not provided, it is the individual’s problame and not police’s problem. I thought Government has recruited enough educated police officers to understand such things. It is like we are still living in the past when we never used to have graduates in the police force. Libingani a pyhisist fails to interprete this to her officers, very sad indeed.

  6. Nanny state. Do you know what a nanny state is? Wikipedia here is a chance for you to update your definition entry!

  7. Even in developed countries we inform cops about any meetings or groupings that we hold on public what’s seems to be the problem with ibiots here. If in UK we inform cops why can’t we do it Zambia bafyatile fyenu.

    • @ 5tupid bob

      Do you know the difference between “informing” and “permit”?

      That is the issue of interpretation of POA.

      Learn English before commenting.

      Tell me one instance where church meeting in UK or USA or France or Germany or any other truly Democratic country requires Police permit?

    • Sponge Bob,
      I have had numerous parties I the UK and not once have I been required to inform the police! Stop misleading others.

  8. Your target is simply HH and his UPND. Many times the UPND has notified you of their intention to hold a demo, thanks giving rally or indeed any other function. Your response is to deny them that permit. When they go ahead with their planned functions after you deny them the permit, you see an opportunity to brutalise them. Let me give you an example. UPND applied for a permit to demonstrate against mutembo Nchito’s appointment as DPP and you Libongani denied them the permit. When they went ahead with the demos, you and Katanga treated them worse than criminals. Did the first lady notify you before drawing crowds in Kabwe recently?

  9. This will only make sense if party cadres for the rulling party will not be allowed to match without a permit. Not selective permit. Otherwise this advise is just another nonsense. The law will only be obeyed by the citizens to the least if it is not applied selectively.

  10. Libongani is merely stating the position of the law regarding the regulation of public gatherings processions and assemblies! Much as we appreciate the fact that people have constitutional rights to assemble, movement and gathering, all these things need to be regulated/monitored in case there is a breach of peace! Police are there to protect everyone and it will be folly of any one to argue against what IG is saying!
    I remember i used to receive notifications when people were having Kitchen Parties, matebeto, Weddings, overnight prayers and any other function which is likely to attract members of the public!
    So bane dont argue just for the sake of arguing and if you dont do that, you are risking your lives and those of your loved ones!

  11. total nonsense,my house was stoned twice last year and I went to chilenje police,the first thing they asked me was who is the suspect.A week later my home is empty,all major household goods stolen and went to police and they asked me who do I suspect and told me that they did have manpower but they will come,a day later no show.so which citizen are the police protecting?the IG s citizen is clearly pf cardres and ministers.the rest we are 2 class citizens and the police are intiling fear in us.

  12. This is just confusion absurdity. There are so many functions that are being held country wide on a daily basis, both in rural and urban areas. Even during Kaunda days these functions used to take place. What has become of this lady?

  13. I love my country but I have no respect for some of our leaders. We may need a police escort or permit to go to the cemetery and any mourner who cries and disturbs the public should be arrested under the POA.

  14. Don’t misled others. People hold kitchen parties, open BBQ’s, church gatherings without notifying the police in the UK. Zambia’s law should clearly be interpreted as to ‘which citizens, in what circumstances and for what functions’. Its absurd to expect every ordinary citizen to notify the police for any kind of celebration or fun that attracts other people. Its still the duty of the police to attend to the same when called, if there is trouble.

  15. Observe , notify and get a permit for any public function.Elo lwanya! Am not enjoying anything in my on country anymore.

  16. Simply stated, the POA was used by colonialists to oppress the black Zambians. Now the black people are behaving like the white oppressors to suppress fellow blacks. Then, is there justification that ordinary Zambians can celebrate African freedom day when we are still under a colonial act? Let us be serious as Africans lest we become a laughing stalk, if we are not already.

  17. Fellow citizens, do we really think? 50 years after the white colonialists left us, we are still grappling with with obnoxious piece of legislation? What have successive lawmakers been doing aside from dozing and burping in parliament? Why have we as citizens left things to run in free fall as far as our basic freedoms of movement and assembly are concerned? Already the enactment of a new constitution is a lost cause, from 2003! I bet even animals in the wild are doing much better that us. Everyone, please wake up and influence change of status quo! But is today’s Zambia, this might be a tall order where everyone is jumping from their parties and making a bee line to the ruling party for hand outs. Old Munkombwe must be having fits laughing at his farm.

  18. And on Monday the stupid oppressed Zambia n’s will be celebrating Africa Freedom Day.Indeed we are backward we should have just allowed the white man to continue oppressing us.Look we are now being oppressed by Acklassia Lungu.

  19. IG , informing you is easy . Are you on WhatsApp or facebook?

    Please be serious for once , you are not in these positions to play silly games.

  20. What stnpidity is this? Doesn’t this country have lawyers to tell these good for nothing cops that the Constitution that provides citizens their freedom of assembly and right to a gathering is supreme and bigger than their so called Public Order Act?

    Notify‘ for what? So they can turn around and say don’t assemble because it is unsafe? They don’t even do any pre-event intelligence gathering so how would they determine if a particular gathering would be unsafe?

    They leave criminals terrorising citizens roaming freely at night and they are trying to police kids’ birthday gatherings and church gatherings, school sports competitions and the like. The whole point of it is to try and deny citizens their rights which is enshrined in the Constitution. Ludicrous!

  21. These women in the police are running this government department department as a kitchen.
    The problem is that half of them are taking personal issues with men to their offices.
    This woman knows that we have elections next year and just like an erection, you need to prepare. So why are they making HH’s life difficult? We all need to enjoy being Zambians. I think this was definitely a wrong appointment.

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