The dismissal of 27 senior police officers has been deemed “unbelievable recklessness and lawlessness” by the President of the Socialist Party, Dr. Fred M’membe. The terminations took place on October 6, 2022, but were backdated to September 28, 2022. These experienced officers, who have served for over 25 years in most cases, have not been charged with any disciplinary offense.
“None of these officers has been charged with any disciplinary offense,” stated Dr. M’membe. “The officers were not political appointees but professional police officers who have risen through the ranks over many years.”
According to Dr. M’membe, the terminations were carried out with procedural impropriety and are a clear breach of the law. He also criticized President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration for acting as if the law does not apply to their decisions and actions.
“This is cruel and vindictive. The exercise of power must be a constant practice of self-limitation and modesty,” said Dr. M’membe.
In light of these events, Dr. M’membe is calling for accountability from President Hichilema and his administration. “Who will pay for this recklessness and lawlessness? There has to be accountability. And government accountability means that public officials, both elected and unelected, have an obligation to explain their decisions and actions to the citizens,” he added.
“Accountability lies at the heart of democratic government. It enables people to know how the government is doing and how to gain redress when things go wrong. It ensures the President, ministers, and civil servants are acting in the interests of the people they serve. Accountability is a part of good governance and can increase the trustworthiness and legitimacy of the state in the eyes of the public,” explained Dr. M’membe.
The officers who were dismissed have since sued the state over their terminations, and their termination benefits are yet to be paid. The future of these experienced police officers remains uncertain, and the public is calling for a proper explanation for their dismissals.
Bwana M’membe, you can’t just condemn everything; even SET zero applauds a few things! We can disagree without being disagreeable.
And why should Prezdo explain dismissals; don’t the dismissed deserve privacy? Mind you, the police service is said to be the most corrupt institution in Zambia…
We all know theres a lot of corruption in Zambia’s civil service but People are not fired from rumours. “said to be” is not enough. Evidence needs to be produced and the relevant commission sits and fires the guilty not the President. If they are corrupt we all need to know how they have been found to be corrupt. Otherwise this could just mean these are vacancies that will be replaced by Gwembe Valley employees.
VERY TRUE AS IS MOST GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
Spot on kadansa! Spot on. This is happening everywhere in government run institutions. Even worse than pf.
Good morning zambia. Good morning on this beautiful morning. I am driving to my office with all smiles. I cannot wait to spoil my beautiful wlfe Regina later today for valentines. It will be a 5 star treat for a woman who does alot for my family and I. Last night she made me a very happy man mmmh passion doesn’t end with age.
The president has the authority to terminate the contracts of those police officers
He doesnt
And then, by your logic his appointing authority, the voters do not the disappoint him?
When public officers err, they ought to be charged and made to appear before a disciplinary tribunal (and these exist) and explain themselves. If the tribunal is not satisfied, the officer can be sanctioned. These sanctions could include demotion of rank and not necessarily dismissal from service. In this way you prevent the executive from misusing its powers to victimize some people.
This is the man who was bundled together with his wife cops under the instructions of overzealous senior officers years ago… today he is here writing rubbish. Did you not find out why they were fired? If it was up to me Fred I would fire all traffic officers…
Uncle Fred is clear about what he is against. But he has no solutions for the nation. He just makes noise.
He’s like South Africa’s DA. They demand that the president should declare a national disaster. He does. They criticise the action-and take the president to court. African opposition! They oppose because they are opposition
Bally must be very dull to say the least , up to now he doesn’t know who put him in state house , the very people he is molesting gave him the vote that landed him in that seat.
He has forgotten that he could not get to plot one because the same people he is punishing couldn’t vote for him in the past , now he has lost it all thinking that they will do the same in 2026 .
This president is a teacher of the simple and has gone back to his normal character of regionalism you can just see from the appointments. To tell this president the truth he cannot change what is on the ground in Zambia, the majority of the population of this country come from the regions he hates , of course if you hate them they will also hate you that is how it works in nature
The chickens will come to roost.
We are watching. The time will come.
President has the right to hire or fire civil servants that do not live up to his expectations except for constitutional office holders for which there are procedures but these are not constitutional offices so they can be retired either in public interest or national interest as the President sees fit.
If this president had authority he would have withdrawn Patson Daka and Banda from playing football from premier league in the UK and replaced them with his tribes men , and replaced those two young up coming popular musicians with his own .
It is so strange that to what we are seeing in Zambia , unfortunately no one can change why God designed Zambia to be what it is today.
The tribalist is angry because there are too many Mwilas, Ngosas and Zulus on the list. He never cried when the previous tribalist governments fired all the people named Situmbeko, Kakoma, Mwiinga, to make way for his people. Firing government employees is a prerogative of the president. They work for him, and he can fire them. It is amazing how loudly these hyenas cry when when what they did to others is done to them.