POLICE have rubbished claims by the UPND that it attempted to kill its leader Hakainde Hichilema, describing it as callous.
“Presidential security is paramount and attempts by Mr. Hichilema and his team to compromise it was unacceptable,” Zambia Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo has said.
Speaking on Millennium Radio’s “Law and the people” programme this week, Mrs. Katongo said at the time Mr. Hichilema ran into the bush, police had moved in to disperse unruly UPND cadres who attempted to hold a rally in an area where they were not scheduled to be, while President Edgar Lungu was scheduled to hold a rally.
Ms. Katongo also admitted that the police may have brutalized some cadres and the Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja has warned that police officers involved will be dismissed.
She said regulating officers informed her office that the UPND were not scheduled to be in that area for campaign but attempted to hold a rally, but this was considered a security threat for fear that the two rival groups would clash.
“The UPND were not scheduled to be in that area on that particular day and prior to that, they had discussions with our regulating officers that they could not be there because the PF would be there together with the head of state.” Mrs. Katongo said.
She said police could not take the risk of having two rival political groups PF and UPND use the same route since there were no alternatives, but the UPND went ahead against police advice to campaign.
And Mrs. Katongo said police moved in and only fired in the air to disperse the unruly UPND cadres, which led to Mr. Hichilema and his supporters running into the bush to hide, but emphasizes that no live ammunition was used.
“Our role is to ensure that there is law and order. Our officers moved in and that’s what you saw.” She said.
Mrs. Katongo said reports that there was an attempt to kill Mr. Hichilema are false because the political party’s media team misrepresented the information because they are based on propaganda.
And Mrs. Katongo said police has seen a reduction on complaints against officers’ application of the Public Order since the introduction of campaign schedules which allows all political parties have equal campaign opportunities.
I hear he worked in the forest for 8hrs. Darting live bullets.
Anyone with common sense knows no live ammunition was used. So far there have been no reports of casualties or gunshot wounds reported. The delusional dictator is always trying to provoke the president and the police.
Next time Sjambok the delusional dictator so he can have something to cry about!
No live bullet was fired. hh is the attention seeker. Only upnd believe this lie.
This police explanation does not make sense
Walkin in the forest. Till he find his chopper
Did Trib.al Hacks or his trib.als pick any blanks or spent cartidges as evidence that live ammo was used? Everything this underfive says is either childish or trib.al, which is the same. Kanshi wa ba shani iwe trib.al?
Only in Zambia police are in politics.dont forget that the ruling party now will be opposition party in few years same police you be under the same opposition party.work with the people of Zambians not with pf
Sesheke EXERCISE was planned by UPND and HH. I presume that they even put that on paper to prove their intelligence.First crime scene was in lundazi ,UPND took a crime sample to SEE if that would give them expected RESULTS,I guess it’s was a failure mission because those on sample slide were INNOCENT to understand.
In Sesheke,UPND mission was successful because the subjects involved were UPND zealots and ANT-PF in nature.We SAW exactly took place in place in Sesheke.UPND media team in inclusive of Prime TV,sent FAKE and TWISTED facts and post them on social media even to international media.In the ALL was a FALSE.
Kikikikiki….! Kuti waseka. How do you fire blanks in the air baPolice naimwe!? BaLilayi graduates kuwayawaya fye.
Ati “police fired in the air”. Were those air bullets?
I thought the explanation was for those butchered gangs.
PF Police spokeswoman Esther M Katongo was not there and she was fed with lies and went to defend wrongs. Its the reason why the police service cannot change but will continue operating like in Welensky time. Just admit that you cannot bend what you have been instructed to talk about by Davies Mwila and top PF thugs from Lusaka. The IG is terrible!
I don’t know were we are going,Zambia has become shaka zezulu
Police spokespersons job is to defend the police. Until a neutral person tells us what actually transpired we can’t believe her.
Remember yesu atile uwanga no lupanga………….
What type of common sense is this? You saw the cartridges for bullets but you say live bullets were not used. As for Katongo, elections are 2 years away. She will regret her unprofessional utterances but it will be too late.
It’s possible live bullets were fired but not at people only in the air.
It would be easy to just show an inventory of live bullets, blanks, and rubber bullets than going around in circles explaining what was and what wasn’t used. I understand it would be completely unprofessional for police officers to only carry blanks or rubber bullets.
it would be completely unprofessional for police officers to only carry blanks or rubber bullets.