Friday, March 29, 2024

Militarisation of Zambia Police

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At a time when some countries are demanding demilitarisation and de-politicisation of their police forces the Zambia Police Service is heading in the opposite direction.

The Police is acquiring combat vehicles,military weapons including grenade launchers,camouflage uniforms (do they need camouflage for civil operations?).Now they dress like some rebel force in Latin America,there appears to be no dress code.

Zambia Police now dress like some rebel force in Latin America

While the whole world is campaigning for defunding the police,we are pouring more funds for the police to “fight” the offshoots of poverty and lack of political space.The police have surrendered their authority to party cadres and the IGs speeches appear scripted from the ruling party Secretariat.
The police unashamedly delight in dehumanising the people.How can a senior police officer threaten to break the bones of people peacefully exercising their constitutional rights? Even “lawmakers” from the ruling party echo this! A country calling itself a Christian country led by a lawyer deserves better.

By G.Soko

27 COMMENTS

  1. LOL Zambia police indeed are looking like rebels from Latin America.How did we get to such a despicable level. Viva Demilitarize police !!!!

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  2. Exactly what Nkurunziza and Mugabe did. Go and ask them now how it has benefitted them.
    Also understand that the same police you want to use to oppress others may one day be unleashed on you. The monster you have created will devour you.
    Beware!

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  3. Kakoma Kanganja, Kampyongo and Edgar Lungu think it’s guns that keep peace. Nothing can be further from the truth.

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  4. Jerabos, sleeping giant, one that has great but unrealized or newly emerging power.

    “Protestors Invoke Bitcoin in the Wake of George Floyd’s Death”

    Vortex: an underlying feeling or influence, especially one that is contrary to the prevailing atmosphere and is not expressed openly.

    PF your have run out of time-outs.

  5. I can only imagine how the Zambia Army is feels when they see such! I mean in effect, the real army would feel the competitive edge due the ostentatious displays coming from their wannabe army cousins (the simple popos). Our country’s current institutional disorderly status is really Sad!!

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  6. Comment:There is a need to re-orient or retrain the police from their “punitive reflex”, excessive use of forcelack of accountability and ” presidential(,political) guard mentality.

  7. Indeed this is a complete shift from the policy that was left by Francis Musonda. Musonda decided to include the community in crime prevention, hence the CCPU. He introduced community police posts to bring the Police closer to the people. But since the advent of Francis Kabonde the Police now look for who to intimidate instead of working with the community. Kakoma Kanganja will go down as one of the worst IGs. The Police are detached from the community they serve, we now look at them as a nuisance. The CID is now a debt collector, marriage counselor, etc, they sit on dockets. I don’t have anything to say about Traffic Police. The PF has taken us backwards, even Welensky never behaved like Edgar is doing. SHAME!

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  8. It’s not coincidence that they are Zambia militia men in uniform branded as Zambia police.

    Remember when PF sent their cadres to train in Sudan and these tge same graduates who are manning most policing in Zambia.

    PF must go!

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  9. The thug AKA Lungu thinks this will save him, Zambians you are among the best in Southern Africa use your power to kick out PF and Lungu, then beat them like the snakes they are

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  10. The Vehicle in the picture is in the colours of Botswana Defence Force. The army of Botswana. To see that this is Zambia Police is sickening and proves a point that our leaders are out to die in office because of the despicable crimes that they have committed while in office, all done in the name of us, Zambians. Please Mr. Lungu, your life is worth more than any cash in the bank. Respect yourself and the country. Your life is just like any other citizens’ , all must bow down to the constitution. We all , including yourself, MUST RESPECT HUMAN LIFE at al cost. All extra judicial killings must be condemned, and completely punishable. I fear that you have climbed a lion whose race to the end is not predictable. People want their country back from the ills that they are complaining about,…

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  11. Let’s not be too critical of the police as an institution. Under late LPM and Ephraim Mateyo as inspector-general, these were not issues. Think of hw we voted in 2006. Sata campaigned on just about every radio station that existed then and his rallies were never disrupted. The police were there to keep an eye and that was that. With naivety we probably all thought that was the Zambian way. It wasn’t. It was the LPM way. He raised the leadership bar too high even for RB.

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  12. When you employ cadres in the police this is what happens. They can’t distinguish between police and military. Neither can they distinguish between a thief and an innocent person.

  13. ITS NOT BAD BUT YES ICHIYAU PANONO BANE The write should see and mention other moderate Zambia police KIT Police uniform and equipment varies enormously per police force or service and different uniforms and equipment is used for different situations I will nominate some British bobbies for best uniform.some US Agencies have the sharpest and most universally accepted and recognized uniforms on earth. Best examples are LAPD and NYPD. LAPD is so universally recognized that the particular shade of navy blue that they use

  14. Militarization???… This is militialization of the Zambia police. Kakoma showing how he incompetent he is…

  15. The law working in Zambia is cadre law, coming directly from the administration being enforced by cadres dressing like rebels with machine guns like they are going to war. Madness how can U carry such big guns for simple civilians, call the police when U have armed robbers, they will come after 2 days with excuses like we had no fuel to come in time, call them for unarmed civilians they come looking like that cowards

  16. There is no “Review” or analysis of the uses of force noted in this article. The article has failed the most basic requirement to being impartial, it has failed to ask hard hitting questions on policing and public order visas policy KIT used at diff occasion YES because of WIND those head bans and ichiyau can be moderated including that tisser heavy armour to put up that civil ZP but sufficiently equipped and motorized removing this military accussation

  17. Most cases the police act professionally ZP is often taken to task BUT the people that allege abuse are not asked any questions as to what they were doing preceding the police force action. In most cases its always some engagement in some criminal activity but yes moderate that KIT it scares would be offenders alot

  18. Ichiyau: But someone was killed in Kaoma and they did nothing this same Zambia Police Service of Kakoma Kanganja, Stephen Kampyongo and Edgar Lungu. Perhaps it’s time the hashtag OPPOSITION LIVES MATTER was started in Zambia. People get killed in Zambia and not even inquests are held in most cases.

  19. Takwaba ukumo ukelefwailila ichiyau sometimes you will need to exact public orders if you are in the streets matching wrongly and police orders you out it ill come and dance balule on you its not always but when assessed Those 2 IG and minister articulate and well positioned there

  20. ITS NOW ZAMBIA POLICE FORCE! DICTATORS CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT A POORLY PAID BUT WELL ARMED POLICE FORCE. SOMETIMES IT IS QUITE COMIC TO SEE AN ARMED POLICEMAN BEING COMMANDED BY PF CADRES LIKE chiKAMBA AND WHEN THEY REFUSE THEY ARE FIRED. ASK WAKUNG’UMA, KASHALA OR HUDSON NAMACHILA.

  21. its moderate equipment but yes moderate civil the guards also should see guns and dressing moderated but see police KIT in proper pespective or protection those nets and gear stop stones and missile thrown by crowds i stop here akapale mwata should educate people including those rubber equipment

  22. Police are being armed and prepared so that at behest of “their master” for “important assignments” come 2021 and especially the campaign period prior elections day as the opposition parties will “need escort and protection” FROM conducting campaigns! And to the contrary, the regular Zambian military takes oath to protect the national entirety and citizenry within the marked border extents and ensures no adversary danger disrupts peace!

  23. corrupt bullys.i travelled to livingston from malawi.only lusaka cops wanted ndalama.for nothing!
    I still love the country!
    jenjermera

  24. Certain matters are better left to servicemen no wonder a service man over looks a Civilian like “these are just bloody civilians” because of such mindsets. Zambia police has components since 1976, the paramilitary. The paramilitary is a division which is half police, half military. It is from that section where you have the crack Squad. The problem is that you like politicizing everything even things that are not in your league hence showing how dull you can be. Police operates with a manual which is the law and not rebel militia which would be fighting for their personal interest.
    The police has many divisions for different assignments or duties, it is an organised body.

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