INSPECTOR General of Police Kakoma Kanganja says police acted within the law in dispersing a meeting convened by MMD president Nevers Mumba in Lundazi on Friday.
Mr Kanganja said in an interview yesterday that Dr Mumba did not inform the police of his meeting in Lundazi, a situation he said is against the Public Order Act.
“At my swearing in ceremony, President Lungu directed me to administer the Public Order Act fairly and transparently. There was nothing wrong with what the police did by dispersing that meeting held without police notification,” he said.
Mr Kanganja said the police were made to use minimum force to stop the meeting because the conveners refused to leave after they were asked by the law enforcers to do so.
“Minimum force was used to disperse the gathering and two MMD officials were arrested in the process. The two are still in police custody although they were granted bail but it was late,” he said.
Mr Kanganja said the police in executing their duties will not tolerate people who will go against the Public Order Act but will co-operate with those who will abide to protect all Zambians.
He said people should stop preaching violence and instead emulate President Lungu in promoting peace and unity in the country.
MMD party spokesperson Raphael Nakachinda said there was no justification for the way police acted on Friday because the meeting did not require a permit.
“That meeting did not require a permit because it was a peaceful indoor meeting. The police need to be professional in their conduct,” Mr Nakachinda said.
On Friday, the police reportedly tear-gassed an MMD party meeting in Lundazi in Eastern Province that was being addressed by it Dr Mumba.
Sometimes nature favours the victims. I ve seen buffaloes killing lions!! One day citizens will teargas these “unprofessional” policemen/women
Yesterday I was having a party to welcome my son who arrived from the UK. We had a wonderful moment. I notified the police according to the requirements of the law. It lmay not sound good but I have to do it because it is a legal requirement and I will continue obeying that law until it is removed. So if MMD find it difficult to do what that simple law requires of them, then they deserve to be teergased.
@Teacher you are a full! Your friends children in the UK are sending their children to the moon and are now finding new planets and you are sending your son to Zambia! That’s why we don’t improve- always thinking in the box! Try thinking or even getting out of the box!
This police chief Zoona.Which sewer was he picked from? The whole Police force needs an overhaul. Parliament should amend the Public order Act as it is not serving anyone but the ruling party and trigger happy police officers.I’m so disappointed with the Zambian leadership under PF. Rupiah Banda ‘s government was so much better,what a big mistake Zambia made voting out MMD to bring in barbaric PF hooligans.
Well so long as the greedy political parties do not come to together and work together to abolish this selfsame Public Order Act they will never be buffaloes. ..buffaloes will protect and help their own when they stand together.
You fire teargas into a room full of people, and the police chief says that’s fine???? That’s what’s wrong with our country!!! Whether the group gathered illegally or not, any professional police officer would know that throwing teargas into a room full of people will cause a stampede, and that could lead to injuries, even death. God help Zambia! But for now, we are DOOMED!!!!!
This IG is an id.I.o.t. He is supposed to be an impartial public servant protecting the entire nation. But instead he publicly displays his allegiance to the PF by wholeheartedly showering praise on the PF President
He’s Doing whatever it takes to protect the interests of his paymaster Kaminamisa Lungu and secure his job
Kanganja, rest assured you will lose your job next year once HH comes to power. We will do whatever it takes to have you prosecuted at The Hague for crimes against humanity. It will take more than your lawyer ka Sakwiba to get you off the hook on this one.
Aleisa HH
Edgar Lungu is an intellectual weakling. He has failed to govern and must go.
Everyone, get your NRCs and voter’s cards ready. We’re going to kick this chskolwa back to Chawama.
Enough is enough of this garbage!
If numbers give statistics, letters should give analysis.
ZANU-PF was and is violent.
RWANDA’S PF ascended to power violently.
ZAMBIA’S PF want to maintain power violently.
The common denominator in all this is PF ( Perpetual Fighters ) and violence.
The sooner they are voted out the better. But, like Mugabe, they will still want to cling to power after losing. Kagame has just passed his third term law.
And Lungu want to follow this ?vision?
The Police should continue beating up all stupid people who do not follow the Law. The only thing I will complain about is that there should be no sacred cows. The Law is clear – any political meeting requires a police permit. Mr. Mumba knows this and anybody blaming the Police is off their mind.
This country is doomed under this pf leadership. 9 months before we chuck them out seems too long!
Mr. Kanganja
Of course you acted within the Law.
Did you read POA in English or PFish?
Sometime I wonder how many versions of POA are in circulation or if POA takes precedence over Constitutional provisions.
I knew we were going to have another zombie for IG. Where do they get these pin heads kanshi? It would have been better if he had just kept quiet.
That the only reason the visionless,cluelesss,brainless stupid agwa appointed you and tell the tea car ra who apponted you 2016 ni HH chabe .
Police should be fair in the administration of the law. Looking at the video clip, it’s clear the police are the ones who took confusion to that meeting. Ruling party officials do have their meetings without notifying police. And when opposition notifies police, the police do not grant a go ahead giving flimsy reasons. Surely the police are not acting independently. This is not helping the ruling party but making look like a brutal regime and people don’t like such regimes in our Great Nation.
This mutha fuka is gonna be worser than the lady who just left.
Comment: Foolish new IG!.In a civilised country, those guys cud hav bin allowed to continue with their meeting,and then surmmon them 4 breaching that stupid POA.Those pipo were peaceful and there was no need of u(corps) tear-gasing them in an enclosed enviroment.Intstead, it was corps who were surposed to b arrested bcos what they did was criminal!.
Comment: Foolish new IG!.In a civilised country, those guys cud hav bin allowed to continue with their meeting,and then surmmon them 4 breaching that stupid POA.Those pipo were peaceful and there was no need of u(corps) tear-gasing them in an enclosed enviroment.Intstead, it was corps who were surposed to b arrested bcos what they did was criminal!.Was it of any benefit to u(corps) after pipo sustained serious injuries?.
Stay away from trouble by following the law..! Its only in Zambia were citizens are misusing their rights..! No one is above the law..! Beat them up if they dare u..!
@ munene
Join party I support. You can be President. Every single 1mbecile will support you.
A law is neutral. It’s the *****ik implementation of it that makes it a stupid law. Hand a hammer to a fool and all of sudden everything turns into a nail.
Menomeno has to go!
Comment:Munene,that being inhuman.Zambia is not Zimbambwe!.
So, you want to disobey the Law?
What is is scary is not what the government is doing that is unlawful; it is what it is doing that is completely lawful. I am paraphrasing Snowden here. Sometimes we must look deep within ourselves to grasp at that little shred of humanity left. You cannot continue using obsolete and cruel laws and simply quote them erstwhile like fools. Why are we still governing like we are still a colony taking orders from imperial centers?
Just for once imagine what it would be without the POA? There would be total chaos – there will be no government that will repeal the POA.
@Observer, that is thinking deep inside a box. Imagine what it would be like if democracy were allowed to flourish! There would be total accountability! PoA is a remnant of the one-party system meant to stifle dissent in support of institutionalized single-man rule. In this dispensation it is at odds with the times, that is why even the opposition finds it difficult (EXCEPT when they are in power and take up the same parochial viewpoint). We must begin to think BEYOND our life spans; that is what democracy demands.
Kalok – Even in a real democratic dispensation, there will be rules to control human behavior. Have you heard about the Patriot Act? Do you follow American Presidential debates? Have you heard what the candidates are saying? This is a changing world my friend.
Another buffoon inspector general. Surely the POA is meant to keep order and a small indoor meeting is not going to bring disorder. You are supposed to use your judgement. Right thinking and professional officers would have just assesed the situation and concluded that the meeting was orderly and peaceful and would have allowed the meeting to continue. The requirement to inform the police should only apply to public meetings which these days have a habit of descending into chaos. Why have you stopped using the thing between your ears that God gave you?
When God was distributing brains this clown forgot to attend the event! He was attending a PF meeting without a permit.
Can you believe he says ” ..preaching violence and emulate president Lungu in promoting peace and unity in the country ” …
If people were “emulating” Lungu people would be waving pangas in the air!
That statement just proves that this F00L has no impartiality and has just been given the job to get Lungu re-elected. What a disgrace!
@Teacher: do you find it normal to seek permission from the police to have a party at your house. Xmas is around the corner and it is this time of the year when families and friends want to get together for a party, should everyone intending to have a Xmas party get police permit? WHAT SORT OF A COUNTRY ARE WE LIVING IN? Next, the churches will need to get police permits. For Gods sake, let us have a normal country led by normal people where all Zambians will be free to associate with anybody without government interference.
PM please travel within the region and get some information. Do you know what you do to your neighbors when you are having a party at your home? Do you understand what public nuisance stands for? In any case the time you take looking for drinks and food for your party is more than the time it will take you walk into a police station to let them know plans. In case of any incident at your party the police will help you quickly. What’s difficult in informing the police mwebanthu ba Zambia please
I may not find it in order but that is a legal requirement and I respect the laws of my country Zambia whether bad or good. And just a warning do not stage Xmas party without informing the police . If it happens that some people get drunk and start fighting and one of them is injured, you as the owner of the house will be is soup or if your neighbour compliant that u are making noise at night. You may be arrested and charged. So b4 the patty start just pass through the nearest police post and inform them abt your Xmas party and leave them your contact details. Simple. Just as simple as that.
The President should ban ALL OPPOSITION PARTIES.
Zambia was a lot more peaceful under a ONE PARTY STATE.
Democras is alien to us!
@ Mwila Simumba
“Democras” may be alien to you and those who you identify as “us”, but Democracy, the real one, its not alien to the free mankind.
It is thanks to democracy that intellectual failures like you are free to show theirs limited thinking which is endemic within supporters of one party state or “President for life” agenda propagated by “leading intellectuals” (lol) of some “democratic” parties in democratic Zambia
Nevers Mumba has been through this road so many times.
He knows this sh*t will happen with POA. Why not do your home work get a permit and put the police in their place.
Was this done to deliberately raise attention and publicity so that people can feel sorry for Mumba & MMD.
My advise to MMD & UPND leaders is to get permits even if the gathering is only for 20 People.
Don’t allow the police to have an excuse to confront your meetings and campaigns.
Factor. True
@Factor
But you and I know very well that when he asks permission, the police won’t grant him the permission to hold a meeting.
Secondly, when you need permission to exercise your political right, then there is a problem in the country… in other places, such is a called a “Police State”
Comment:People should not rush thereby put the blame on police, often when any citizen follow protocol no harm will be imposed on you. Now when you take law into your own hands those are the outcomes.
people follow protocol and police refuse to give them permit because they are opposition.
ANOTHER ZOMBIE OF A POLICE. FOOLISH.
Let me remind those in Authority, in 1975/1976 during compulsory national service after completing Form V (grade 12) we were abused during the military training by instructors and officers. Unfortunately, nobody told us what to expect before passing into the national service training. One day during training operation in the bush at Katete, because of abusing us we beat instructors and officers who took off on foot at about 30/45 km per hour. We took charge of the camp including their families, but officers and instructors were not allowed to enter the camp. The Commission of Enquires were set up by President KK (read 1976). Taking advantage of people can result in a reaction to those in authority. When people in authority fail to work in a professional manner electrons escape through…
You’re an old man sir, you should be dead by now. Hehehehe i was just joking boss we still value your contribution to our country. I agree with you, police need to be left alone to operate professionally because no one wants the masses to one day stand up to them and hit back, that would be the end of Zambia as we know it.
I was with you mwanangwa moto moto camp. Brig Gen Miyanda headed the commission of enquiry. Things were getting out of hand.
Comment was meant for Michael Bwalya we were together pa chioko, “moto moto camp” katete December 1975 to June 1976. Good to hear from you comrade!
Someone clarify this POA the police are using to harass the citizenry! Better still can someone define “notifying the police” and what it all entails?
You write them a note and send it to them.
We all better star writing notes now unless we want to be teargassed in church, or at a party, or when we go shopping, or go to a football match, or attend any function!
I wonder what they will do with all the notes?
Which law allows police to throw a teargas csnnister into a closed room with oeaceful people sitting in a meeting?
Which law allows police to throw a teargas csnnister into a closed room with oeaceful people sitting in a meeting? So banks and companies must by extension get permits because they gather people indoors daily, chuirche, courts and every place where people gather to meet in an enclosed space must get a police permit. Can you see the silliness of thos draconian law and its interpretation by party cadres
Jubilee agony is after been in forefront of spearheading the 18th national day of prayer, fasting and reconciliation called by the pfools presido kaminamisa, and there after the very presido orders his impiz police force to teargas you for his percieved POA!
Any gathering of more than 12 people require a permit. Ba Mumba you are a man of God. Why didn’t you just get a permit. Malibu yakuilombela
@ brenda
Do you know difference between “notification” and “permit”?
Please, if your understanding of English is so bad that for you permit or notification is same, don’t show your ignorance in public.
Am pf and we usually have meetings without a police permit and i have never seen police teargasing us why?
Dah! because you are pf you full!!!
Kakoma you are the must useless IG and you are disgrace to the nation if this is why Lungu appoited you then the worst is yet to come and people will react back.Tear gassing women this is nonsense bwana
Abolish the position of Inspector General and replace this with a Police Commission constituting a group of individuals! Furthermore lets make the office of Provincial and District Police Chief Electable so that they are answerable to the people only! These people are just Zombies that are put their to do what the sitting President tells them to do.
I leave in uk . When ever there is a party police got to be informed . Other wise it is in breach if not informed . It’s just that most Africans don’t like to forllow rules. For your on information, any hate speech on internet you end up at the cop shop.
You dull African, I attend parties and gatherings all the time. What ‘the police have to be informed’ are you an Islamic jihad?
ARE WE IN UK
Another Nincompoop has just been born into this cursed country of looters,corruptors,haters and thieves.Selective application of POA as usual.
The Fact is we are living under a dictatorship government and it is time act and leave them if they don’t resign. Do you want to see another Syria in Africa. It starts like this. We have prayed but time to come out of our mountains and face the government. POA act is an example of dictatorship law that from its enactment no one has accepted. We have accepted prayers and you agreed but we refused the POA but you refused. The matter that happened in Lundazi and other parts of the country is enough to say that POA must go and any peace loving Zambian must raise and condemn this starting with our dear president.
Already IG ni saka such a blunder.He must be fired as soon as people.
What do you expect from UPND who have failed to respect their party constituition? M told kagame has joined Mugabe in wamuyayaya. pliz ba UPND lets go for conversion we dont wa muyayaya
…the problem here is interpretation of POA…even our learned friends the lawyers have different explanation…..as a result the ruling party thru the unprofessional police force have taken advantage of the situation…’ Sorry, we do not have enough manpower so you cannot have a meeting..’ thats how the police usually respond to any request from the opposition and never to the ruling party…. as the late Matty P would say….kulesa sitikana, manje kalesedwe…there is always a way round to any problem. Use the church..period…the church is immune to POA….in 2011 PF used mostly the Catholic church. you are assured of ‘legal’ meeting every Saturday or Sunday during a church service…
MMD, just seek judicial process over this issue and request the court’s interpretation of the law. This inability by parties to take legal action against the police is what is giving them wings to act in any way they think fit. Please emulate UPND who have sought court intervention of the police’s refusal to give them permits whenever they want to conduct party business. All opposition parties, please rise to the occasion!
..even if the court settles on the fact that the police acted according to the law…the question is..did they act professionally..??…in certain decisions the authority can exercise what we call discretion…assess the situation and act accordingly…but in this case, clearly the police went there on orders from state house thru the IG to disperse the meeting…its high time the police stopped acting like the programmed traffic lights which would turn red even if an ambulance carrying an emergency maternity case is approaching….
@MIYA
GETTING A PERMIT FOR XMAS PARTY? HOOOOO, SUPPOSE THE POLICE SAY NO
This is just suppression and brutality by PF, I hope the international community are looking and impose sanctions on PF with confistication orders of properties abroad bought with stolen monies by PF officials….
The problem is with Edgar Lungu! Does he agree with these primitive activities of his police?
So, according to this new Police IG Kangaja’s interpretation of the POA, Bible Study groups in homes should first notify the Police? Family come-togethers in homes should first notify the Police? I have to say this is the single most dull interpretation of the law that has ever come to pass in our Country, and not surprising it has the blessing of one dull Lawyer Edgar Lungu. This will cause confusion. Watch this space.
Zambian must to do something. It can’t be politicking all year through, what time do people work to contribute to the naional development? Seriously we have to make adjustments otherwise we will perpetually be confined to backwardness and worse still chronic poverty.
So the PF is made up of angels such that its only FDD, UPND, NAREP and MMD who forget to get a permit for an indoor meeting which is sort of like a workshop. PF cadres, some things just say okay this is wrong or maybe just keep quiet instead of showing your intolerance here. The same things you used to complain about the MMD and promised not to do you start doing them and say its okay. I am sure people remember Chanda Chimba the thirds warnings that we were voting for a tyrannical regime. IT HAS COME TO PASS!!! Even Dead NBC is worse than it ever was under MMD. Its sad what has happened to our country. Its been taken over by a pack of wolves.
THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF AN AUTHORITARIAN REGIME USING AN UNPROFESSIONAL POLICE FORCE TO TO ENFORCE TYRANNY. KANGAJNA IS ALREADY PROVING TO BE A USELESS IG WITH NO ABILITY TO REASON. ALL POLITICAL PARTIES AND TRADE UNIONS NEED TO CALL FOR A GENERAL STRIKE UNTIL GOVERNMENT RECINDS THE POA. THIS LAW IS NOTHING BUT A DICTATORIAL TOOL. ALL ZAMBIANS NEED TO CALL FOR THE ABOLISHING OF THIS LAW. THE ONLY WAY THIS GOVERNMENT WILL LISTEN IS TO PARALYZE IT WITH THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC MEANS AVAILABLE TO THE PEOPLE. GENERAL STRIKE! !!!!
Raphael Nakachinda “…..that meeting did NOT require a permit because it was a peaceful indoor meeting……”.
So MMD and its entire president broke the law? That is the very first admission of guilty by MMD, the party which understands the Public Order Act so well, more than any other party. Now listen carefully Nakachinda and Nevers, there is nothing like a “peaceful indoor meeting” or “violent indoor meeting”, they all start peacefully and then degenerate into violence when their leaders raise the “tempo”, I.e. Incite the cadres. So stop yapping and getting on our nerves, get yourself a bloo.dy fu.cking police permit. I hope uPMD are listening too, we don’t want a repeat of this anarchy.
Don’t mislead people. You don’t need a permit for a private party in the UK. You may need to apply for a permit if you will be selling alcohol in the process. The police will normally come in if people in the neighbourhood complain of nuisance noise or anti-social behaviour. I have had the police called to my party by neighbours and the police concluded that there wasn’t an issue and we could continue with the party.
We know what Lungu has done here. Politics of allegiance – devoid of any professionalism. This IG is clearly ready to lick Lungu’s boots until they are to their original leather! Another retrogressive move in a situation where we need to progress from self-preservation politics to sorting out real issues that most people are going through.
Comment:awe that is y he was appointed his a cadre
The MMD is also to blame because they were in government they did not realise that the POA require amendments. similarly PF should not take it they win in 2016 , they should also ensure that POA is amended to avoid facing a same situation next year after losing the 2016 election.
the same bible you hold and swear on, you should be reading it and obey what it says.
Dull police officers….and then their boss sees nothing wrong with this!
The Police should have used other means of ending a meeting instead of firing teargas canisters at people closed in the building. Those people were very peaceful. That is what we say that in most cases it is the Police who fuel violence. Why use teargas to people that were just seated hearing their leader preaching to them? You are right it will mean even church sermons will require that the church gets a permit. There is no justification in the behavior by the Police