President Edgar Lungu has directed the Police to immediately arrest suspected PF cadres who attacked journalists at Power FM in Kabwe and Radio Maria in Chipata Eastern Province.
Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda said that President Edgar Lungu is disappointed with the silence by the police and failing to take action on the people that attacked Power FM and Radio Maria in Central and Eastern provinces respectively.
Speaking at media briefing at State House in Lusaka yesterday, Mr. Chanda said President Lungu is a strong advocate of media and press freedom and that anyone found bleaching the law should be brought to book and allow the due process of the law to take its course.
Mr Chanda said that President Lungu noted with disappointment that the barbaric acts are a complete departure from the principles and values of the Patriotic Front and government in general.
He explained that what happened to the two radio stations is a clear violation of the freedom of the media and harassment of journalists which should not be allowed.
Mr. Chanda disclosed that to this effect the head of state is wondering to who is preventing the police and why they cannot act to prevent such criminal activities and wondered why the Inspector General of Police has to wait for instructions from State House to correct a wrong committed in the name of the PF.
” The President is disappointed with failure by the Police to act on visible breaches of the law by some members of the Public including patriotic Front cadres,” Mr Chanda said.
He said Police are expected to act and must be seen to be doing their duty whenever the law if breached by anyone regardless of the political affiliation.
The President observed with disappointment that the acts of violence are being committed in the name of the Patriotic Front without the Police acting even when cadres take the law in their own hands and described the recent attacks on media houses by suspected Patriotic Front cadres as an unacceptable and disappointing ,and has called on the police to arrest the perpetrators of the violence.
Recently same suspected PF cadres stormed Power FM and radio Maria and disrupted proceedings of interviews.
The call is welcome if not cosmetic! Though belatedly, it’s refreshing.. only wish it directly came off the horse’s mouth itself! One can never trust AC in every sense of the word! Even more importantly, the call should be across board, a call to protect all citizens, private, professional and institutional from the sickening cadre hooliganism and criminality of the ruling elite!
They waited until the same perpetrators went into hidding now appearing to be concerned about their thugery behaviour. How can the police act agaist those cadres when following day they risk losing their jobs like what happened in Sesheke where professional senior officers were fired for disciplining same thugs?
Kakoma, you did have to wait for orders.
He could do with saying the same message and decisively for a call on people suspected to have engaged in killing that UPND youth chairman.
A little inconsistent Mr President
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Fire the IG and set an example of him, Mr. President. No one is above the law and those tasked with enforcing it should do their duty without fear or favor.
Fire everyone not performing and arrest all culprits because justice is blind. That’s the only way you would be seen not to be an accomplice.
Let’s roll …
In short Kanganja, Lungu has now indirectly directed you to arrest Lusambo.
What?? Ba Edgar manage to do something right!! That’s a shocker!
Unbelievable!!
Please don’t stop on that one, please let ZP pounce on Lusambo as well.
Mr. Chanda disclosed that to this effect the head of state is wondering to who is preventing the police and why they cannot act to prevent such criminal activities and wondered why the Inspector General of Police has to wait for instructions from State House to correct a wrong committed in the name of the PF.
” The President is disappointed with failure by the Police to act on visible breaches of the law by some members of the Public including patriotic Front cadres,” Mr Chanda said.
This mother fcker has already forgotten about Sesheke cops! What an idyot that does have brains to think!!
1. Don’t call them suspected PF cadres. Call them PF cadres. Are we in doubt?
Penetrators of Mapatizya formula and ECZ truck strippers were UPNDEAD cadres and so remove the word suspected period; or are they by law innocent, therefore suspects, until proven guilty, then full brown PF cadres. Let’s start from there to start the healing.
2. The word CADRE must not, should not, be replaced by a somewhat better term, SYMPATHIZER.
When we talk about lack of leadership on the part of our emasculate commander-in-chief of the armed forces President Lungu in dealing with violence it is exactly this we are hearing. He is quick to call for the arrest of PF cadres harassing journalists but cannot call for the arrest of PF cadres and one of his ministers who is alleged to have killed an NDC member. It is indeed sad that Lungu does not seem to see anything wrong with the killing of an NDC member in cold blood because it involves one of his own. We will not be surprised if at the end of Lungu’s term of office we begin to see members of his party being killed by those that will take over from him. It is because our President does not seem to care when members of the opposition are killed in cold blood.
I wonder why people are even surprised by the actions coming from the Office of the President.
That’s how dictators behave, SHAKE-UP things to create FEAR, then take advantage and PROVIDE direction. The victims then start to follow and look up to the dict….for instructions moving forward.
This is a CLEAR example, that NOTHING works without Directives from Statehouse. Should that be? NO.
If you think this great that the PRESIDENT has directed Police, be assured it’s NOT. And the international Media will not take that way, it’s just EXPOSING this leadership. It makes it crystal clear that Police = PF.
Lazy Lungu is not a leader, if you are really disappointed why dont you show your disappointment by saying it yourself through a press conference…do you have to direct police for them to act, what a mess!!
Zambia has suffered this culture from UNIP, MMD, and now PF.
The police should be independent from the president.
1. Why does Lungu has to order the police to arrest the culprits.
2. Does that mean the police know who did it but have been scared to perform their duties?
3. Why does it have to take the president to call the shots?
4. Why has Lungu failed to call the same shots for other similar cases?
5. Is he reacting because it’s Chipata? Where he comes from?
6. As for the police, every life matters.
Mr President ! Here you have stumbled.
Everyone knows that the police are not protected if they act against Pf thugs without a go ahead from the political masters. To wonder as to why they can’t act is the highest level of hypocrisy. The police have not failed the country, but it’s the presidency which has intimidated them through the sesheke action that they will be fired without due process should they act without a go ahead from the top.
IF ORDINARY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NEVER SWORN TO PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION AND ARE NOT PAID TO PRECEDE OVER OUR AFFAIRS ARE SOUND MORE OBJECTIVE AND PATRIOTIC THAN THE LEADER OF PF. THEN THESE ARE INDEED LOST YEARS. THE NEXT PRESIDENT WILL HAVE A THOUGH TIME WINNING OUR TRUST AND RESPECT.
“Directs”. The president must intervene for things to move.
Comment on Coroners report on Zambia Watchdog:
To some extent, Cardiac arrest can be caused by a trauma such as the one sustained by the deceased. One doesn’t need to be a clinician to understand that irregular (obstruction) supply of blood to the heart can cause death. I quote from a UK Government Journal: “Abstract. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. TBI patients frequently suffer from lung complications and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is associated with poor clinical outcomes”. Source – www(dot)ncbi(dot)nlm.nih(dot)gov/pmc/articles/PMC5756968/
Lusambo and his cohorts should be arrested immediately.
If you mean what you are saying I give a pat on your back. This is what us peace loving Zambians want. Police has to perform their duty freely. If you continue like this then you are going to re-attract us who were loosing trust and faith in PF.
Bwafya….I miss Levy
I would definitely fire the the Minister of Home Affairs and IG.
Why Kabanshi fired??
Why not Kampyongo?
True, why did we end up with this Clueless visionless Slug, excuse for a President?
Even my uneducated grandfather could have done better than Lungu. My grandfather is far more of a visionary and quite sensible than this monkey with spooky teeth!
Ba Independent Observer #
Good points and spot on. I guess that’s what it means to have independent observations. I hope Amos Chanda has read your questions and told his boss.
Levy was equally corrupt. Just read weakileaks mwebantu. Read! can’t you read bushe? It’s for free and the information was released by someone with no interests in Zambia to protect
This guy is a serious joker. After firing police for doing their job he now wonders why they are afraid to do their job?
Jona is Drunk, & so inconsistent, & only thinks of holding on to power, by any means necessary!
He holds on to Brutes like Kaizer, (Chimp)yongo, Lusambo, Mumbi Phiri, Maxwell Chongo, Commander 1, etc, fires the Sesheke Cops, then once the heat is on, directs the the same cowering frightened Cops to act??
The Cops are confused now!!
JONA CHAKOLWA, YOU HAVE LAMENTABLY FAILED TO GOVERN, PLEASE STEP DOWN NOW, OR YOUR ENDING WILL BE SO SAD!
If this directive proves something, it’s that the police can’t think and do on their own. The police waiting to be directed amounts to negligence plain and simple, if not it means they don’t know how to do their jobs and/or there is too much political interference.
On public you talk as if you mean it ,while when you are behind the door you give another instructions .stop fooling people anyway we are more updated than you guys.why your government is being condemned widely? time to change is still available , please do better.
Arrest pf cadres, how and where? Vomits then eats his own vomit. Yaba what a leader we have!!!
This must be a joke right? After 3 days when people are tired of condemning the barbaric acts your cadres did in Kabwe and Chipata this is when you’re a coming to make a shadow blame on the police.
This statement if it’s from The president through you is defective in that;
1. You and your president did not apologize to the people like Kambwili and the respective radio stations that were affected. But instead you want to blame the police for everything.
2. It is not the first time we have seen these things, and your statement is just mare rhetoric, people are tired of hearing this. Serious action is needed to be taken.
Disappointment is the word here and I mean it in every sense of the word, how can someone even try to believe Ba Lungu. You and I know that this directive is for formality , so you could show people that you care. We can see through you ba president and since we are to coward to remove you from office by force we will see you in 2021 but some of us will meet you during campaign time begging/kneeling for our votes. Remember days are numbered!! I rest my case.
When we say that police get instructions from State House some PF nicompoops want to believe otherwise. Rule of law under Lungu is a sham, broken, we are now in a police state. Kanganja is a stooge who should be fired forthwith. Next to be arrested is Bowman Lusambo a thug who killed an innocent person with his thugs. Lungu direct Kanganja to arrest him ASAP. Nonsense.
He waits for the international media and diplomats to raise concern then he issues directions ….what is the situation with Bowman? Why is he not questioned?
We as citizens of ZAMBIA have been concerned about the issue of assault of one Obed Kasongo who was assaulted by suspected PF cadres in Luanshya and has eventually died. Our worry is so we have police in Luanshya if so why has it taken all this time without arresting the culprits who assaulted and subsequently murdered the NDC YOUTH LEADER.Mind you no one is above the law and days are numbered.
There are people organising these attacks who should be Lungu’s and the police’s first target targets .He should begin with the thugs that went to Luanshya and threatened Kambwili .Those thugs went in cars and vans which indicated that someone with some financial power was responsible for that .The finger points at the PF big fools in Lusaka .What has followed on is just a free for all opportunistic thugs who are taking advantage of the breakdown in the rule of law .Like we have seen ,the police can’t act because they need political orders from Lungu .
A time is soon coming when the police won’t have to wait for orders to arrest you bwana!
There you are IG Kanganga, straight from State House. The President has DIRECTED you to arrest the PF cadres who committed acts of violence against journalists. The President has made it clear that he hates, loathes violence by PF cadres or any other cadre. If the President can DIRECT you to arrest cadres for a mere beating of journalists and is disappointed that you have to wait for instructions to perform your duties, then it goes without saying that those who killed the NDC Youth official committed a more serious offence and you Kanganja must act by extension.
So if this is for real, we won’t be hearing from you for a while Mr P.F Cadre – aka U.P.N.D.
Maybe time is finally catching up with you, & your Violent Mposa Mabwe’ activities.
Please don’t forget to hand over your Panga, when the Buju come to collect you.
I am very disappointed with the directive coming from the President. I think he himself knows why the Police can’t work professionally. He fires them for being professional today he is blaming them. 2021 is approaching and we shall use our power to teach you a lesson just like we did to MMD.
Good job, next time fire the IG as well
For what? Its all clear now who controls the police…
ECL is a very dishonest leader and police have to be very careful because he will use them as scapegoats. Everybody now knows that ECL condones and benefits from PF cadre violence.Nobody will be charged even with these instructions and the public will now blame the police. PF can never harm their own cadres as long as Kampyongo is Minister of Home Affairs.
…. Between now and August 2021, we as majority voters are observing and awarding points, for and against, to political leaders and their parties. We shall announce the results through the ballot in 2021.
Of course awarding points to Trib.al Hacks is a mere academic exercise for statistical purposes only because we don’t vote for trib.alists. How can we vote for a trib.al whose mandate is just to advance the interests of his trib.als and risk a trib.al genocide in our Zambia? Awe mukwai, Mr Trib.al Hacks is NO OPTION for Zambia.
Blo0dy trib.als, ZWA!!!
You are certified tr1balist 1mbecile
There’s 2 possible scenarios here.
1. President Jona Chakolwa is drunk again, & once he sobers up, he will reverse this directive.
2. The theat of I.C.C prosecution in future is sinking in, after Jona saw what happened to Omar Bashir.
ZAMBIANS, WE WAIT WITH BAITED BREATH!
Also while you are at it, please don’t forget to fire Chimpyongo, your head Mposa Mabwe’ & (Violence Director), + Bowman Murderer /Chief Bu.tt licker Lusambo, President Jona!
I thought HH and UPND were the violent evil guys I wonder why he is not telling us it’s the UPND & HH that caused this current HH has ordered imf,Africa Confidential, Bloomberg , standard chartered bank e.t.c to be against Zambia by reporting fake news
#13 Keleni, I.C.C. is a mere trib.al hallucination, start by reporting those upnd trib.als who broke the arm of an FDD candidate in Namwala in 2016 elections and those who committed trib.alism/xenophobia in the same place after results were announced.
In any case the I.C.C. hallucination started by Trib.al Hacks in Sesheke has been disowned by your own/ his own MP Romeo Kangombe who has denied that there was any violence in the elections. I have not heard Trib.al Hacks disputing the MP, have you? So, effectively your Trib.al Hacks has swallowed his own vomit, which incidentally he does so often.
“….As a National Human Rights Institution, we are extremely concerned at the established pattern of either unwillingness, failure, refusal or negligence by the Police to arrest and prosecute individuals associated with the ruling party that commit human rights violations and crimes, particularly against their political opponents…..”
Statement issued by Humn Rights Commission of Zambia after Roan, Kabwe and Chipata violence by PF cadres.
Looks like the President was reacting because it was World Press Freedom Day yesterday and the world spotlight was on him…. I mean surely does he have to issue DIRECTIVES to a police officer that he appointed himself and has given a job description?
#14 Keleni,
Hypothesis 1: if there was no Trib al Hacks there would be no trib.alism in Zambia.
Hypothesis 2: if Hypothesis 1 is true, there would be no political violence in Zambia.
The hypotheses are being tested in the laboratory at UNZA by independent consultants. Results will analysed and released soon.
This is lip service coming from state house, we all know the police must work independently without fear of being fired by the same state house. The directive from the president is a clear cut admission that he calls the shots who the police should arrest or intimidate. He would better off leave the cops to do their jobs freely and within the confines of the law. It is clear the police are afraid of repression from the higher authority. The president should implore the police to carry out their duties with fear or favour. Next please move in on the suspects of the Luanshya murder suspects.
I hope in the same instruction police must not wait for state house in order to arrest those that killed the Lusaka NDC youth chairperson, but the problem is that every one knows what is happening in the back ground but when people come to the press they just play to the gallery when we know who is threatening the police with retirement in public interest, but we now no longer care because we are waiting for that time which is near when all perpetrators of these crimes will atone for their part in the crimes committed, God can never let justice go away when his own people are suffering under injustice perpetrated by the very people who are supposed to protect them. even in a house with closed doors when injustice is perpetrated it does come out to the surface and the unjust are brought to…
FIRE TOP CREAM OF POLICE FORCE…AND HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER FOR STARTERS. …..
This is Public Relations(PR) because there is no need to arrest youths who are protecting PF and ECL himself from cruel opposition leaders with an aim only grabbing power by all means.Our opposition leaders such as Kambwili and HH are very provoking.Whenever they are talking,one may think Zambia has no president or it is at war.To avoid being attacted by PF lovers,these opposition leaders must be civil.Journalists should as well remind these politicians to torn down unlike provocking those in power 24/7!!!ZP wont arrest any PF lover because they simply protect our party from power hungry vultures!!Dont compare Sesheke UPND police cadres whom ECL retired because those were not ZP officers but tribal cadres who wanted to please HH by injuring innocent PF cadres inside their lodge rooms…
I think u are retarded
I have never seen a president who always waits to be reminded of the wrong. shame on you
Comment:icalo baliwamya kwashala ukupenta with this habit?!
Just look at the propaganda from Kambwili stating that Hon.Bowman Lusambo killed that dull NDC Katongo?Did Kambwili see Hon.Lusambo killing his body guard?Our opposition leaders are useless.They enjoy lying.Hence,president Edgar Lungu should know that he is dealing with evil creatures who cannot spare himself if they are the ones in plot one.Let us not play PR here because many leaders in opposition are evil and do not mean well for Zambia!!!Allow PF cadres to continue protecting our beloved party from these power hungry vultures camped in opposition!!Moreover,many journalists are half barked reporters from little known colleges because a well trained journalist from a known university,would caution or remind a politician being interviewed to be civil to avoid provoking listeners!!!SO…
@Njimbu continue with this PF cadre rubbish and you will see in 2021. People are angry.You will have nowhere to hide.
@Njwimbyu: Everyone knows you are as much a dull pr.ik as Lusambo or even more! What a waste of sp.erms you are really! You just bark at anything just to defend the PF!
True, there are no jobs so are surviving by writing any sh.it PF tells you to!
Mr President,if you really want God to be with you let justice prevail,lusambo must go to prison for killing an innocent Saul,if a Civic leader,a public figure is killing people and showing us the zambians how ruthless he is,what is he teaching the youths in this country? Were are the values of our lovely PF party,am a die hard pf member and my opinion is that opposition is there to make the checks and balances so that we can work and deliver and not when they create checks and balances then a prominent man in the party should axe people who are making the party strong,.Just the same on police inspector,how can he wait for instructions from you when you are out to arrest people who do things against the law?does he know his duties or he is the one who arranged the attacks?we as zambians…
Really Amos? Really? You think this vale you have over our faces actually does work? You react after wide spread condemnation from diplomats and international agencies as if you dont know that police can only act when allowed by plot one.
The only way to prove that this directive is truly coming from Mutaware is for Mutaware to host a Press Conference so that we ask him directly! AC cannot be trusted and is full of lies and inconsistencies! Mutaware is too humble to issue such a directive to the IG! The fact that the IG is not fired means this is not Mutaware speaking but ka AC!
Before you arrest the PF carders they should first arrest Ck and HH for using abusive language on the republican president
It’s not a crime to use abusive language against a head of state in a TRUE DEMOCRACY iwe! It’s just that you are still in denial that Zambia is not a democracy but a Full-blown dictatorship! Some morons are even suggesting that all opposition MP who did not obey the PF NDF law should have their seats nullified! All they want is to bring back the One party dictatorship! Nice try! PF has take Zambians for a ride for too long but their end is near! It’s good they are not even paying attention to the Economy! Hungry stomachs will kick them out of power even if it means voting for a Frog!
Catch us or be fired that’s the slogan they use. Kkkkkk
There now more superior than the men in uniform. That’s y they can even record videos insulating. They can follow at the radio station break things interrupt an interview without police doing anything kaili they are above the law.
Even tho there are those directives I don’t them been behind bars.
PF government where underperformance is condoned and professionalism is punished! Open your eyes people and vote wisely in 2021.
This is indeed is an animal farm.
In sesheke police men were fired for restoring order.How honestly do you expect them to make arrests on other parts of the country especially that suspects were PF Cadres?????.
Catch us or be fired that’s the slogan they use. Kkkkkk
There now more superior than the men in uniform. That’s y they can even record videos of insults . They can follow u at the radio station break things interrupt an interview without police doing anything kaili they are above the law.
Even tho there are those directives I don’t think Police will do that coz they are afraid sir u might retire them as well.
I wouldn’t blame the police, they are working in the confines of fear and political intimidation. Given the nature of the atmosphere the police system is faced with, they are right to keep quiet and not interfere with the perpetrators.
What did you expect??? Everyone knows and just like the police know they can’t act without an instruction from you and your polical adviser. So what are you talking about?? Remember ECL told the police not too long ago, for police to move out of the way so that his cadres could teach the opposition a lesson.
Iam shocked that the Commander In Chief is shocked that the Police are ineffective. The Police dare not touch PF cadres,or Sesheke treatment will be meted out.
Bufi fye he knows his police force
The Presidential directive should have been to arrest the police for failing to arrest law breakers without any justification. If not, at least they should be suspended without pay.
Finally, my President has realised that Zambians are getting frustrated at the behaviour of these cadres. Mr President can you also fire Chitotela
Window dressing by lungu , he has noticed citizens are fed up with PF thuggery and police inaction.
There was a thunderstorm of citizen anger at PF lawlessness
Why should it take orders from the Head of State to arrest wrong doers and criminals? Don’t the police know their mandate? Or is it that the police are telling us what we already know, that they have been emasculated by politicians? There is something told about a gene in the bottle, that once it is out of the bottle you can never return it to the bottle? Does this tell us something about interference with and destruction of state institutions? Are we to remind ourselves that we shall need these institutions when we as politicians, cease to wield power?
2021 mwisho tizamuonani… Too little too late…
Really?
Police failure to act has been built up over the years by the PF itself. Cadres have rode rough shod over the police and government institutions – to the extent where the police have been compromised by fear, bias and the erosion of professionalism.
The police don’t move when ECL is quiet because they don’t know what will befall them. What a mess indeed.
Police fears premature retirement to act professionally.They were warned by the SESHEKE incident aftermath
It is very sad that the president had to order the police to do what they are already being paid for. Someone has to be fired in order to send the message that no one should take law into their own hands. No one person should disturb the peace without being arrested immediately. Character is important – if you let people steal for you they will eventually steal from you. Chickens always come back to roost.
Lungu is lying , he know he gives the order to be arrested…..what a crook
@Indpendent observer ECL does not come from Eastern Province he comes for Copperbelt sir, he cant even speak nsenga so get your facts right atase mulyemulye iwe
i suggest that bwana kanganja goes to see and consult the best IG that zambia has ever had in the name of EPHRAIM MATEYO,the man really managed the police service with the firm and fair hand,ask him about a few tricks,ala zambia yesu bonse!
Suppose ECL left today, how will the people of Zambia National/Countrywide mood be? If he said I have resigned before my time, will the Zambians celebrate or will be sad?
When Lungu decrees an end to his office being protected by a criminal defamation law I will begin to believe he is sincere when he tells police to work for justice
I wonder if ba Mumbai Sir whatever is a learned person. Something’s we must have even some little level of shame. How can you propose that Kanganja should be fired for failing to do his job? In you head sir who has failed? Kanganja or his boss?
How does your memory function? Have you forgotten that it is only yesterday when police officers were retired in personal interest for acting on cadres?
So these PF police officers just work under instructions. This is where Lusambo has not been arrested for killing NDC cadre.
Zambia is a circus of the unusual and Lungu is the chief clown with ZP as the do nothing audience.
I espected the President to fire the police force especially the IG for not performing while the keep on getting paid for doing nothing.If the president is performing the duties of the IG then where is the IG?
He appointed these non performing chaps, why does he not just retire them in national interest? Why waste time with hot air?
Mr. President ikalenifye. Bu kangaroo type of character tabwawama. We are human beings, so let us behave as people not like animals. We should be predictive!