More than 30 senior police officers are now languishing after they were dismissed from service and immediately removed from the payroll without being paid their benefits on suspicion that they were associating themselves with the opposition Patriotic Front (PF), Stephen Kampyongo has said.
Mr Kampyongo says anxieties and uncertainties have gripped the Zambia Police Service as the UPND government has continued with its removal career police officers from the civil service which has seen several police officers either dismissed or retired in national interest.
The dismissed police officers have family commitments which they are now failing to meet as they have been totally dependent on their career earnings.
Mr Kampyongo, the former Home Affairs Minister says it is saddening that the UPND administration has decided to fire several police officers, some of whom had served for more than 26 years on mere suspicion that they were aligned to the PF
Mr Kampyongo said the continued purge in the police service, like in many other government ministries and public institutions is primarily meant to create space for cadres for the governing party.
But Police Service Commission chairperson Peter Mwachungwa when contacted over the dismissals refused to comment on the matter because the case was in court.
“I cannot comment on that issue. The affected officers have taken the matter to court,” Dr Machungwa said.
But Mr Kampyongo said most of the police officers who have been dismissed were recruited long before the PF or UPND was formed and had spent all their lives serving the government of the day.
Mr Kampyongo, the Chief Whip for the PF in Parliament said he was aware that so far, about 30 police officers, including senior officers have been dismissed and immediately removed from the payroll without being paid their benefits, which he said was in breach of the Constitution and the rule of law.
“I have been saddened that such a huge number of police officers, some of whom have served our country with diligence for almost 30 years have been dismissed on baseless grounds. Now the dismissed officers have gone to court and when you see matters such as these being settled by the courts of law, it means someone is not doing the right thing. It is disheartening to see citizens who have served the Police Service with merit being hounded out as if they had committed crimes against the state,” Mr Kampyongo said.
He stated that the dismissals of the police officers was being orchestrated by the powers that be under the guise of cleansing the service of cadres yet it was clear that the UPND was working at creating space for its cadres to be recruited in the police service.
“Soon after Mr Hakainde Hichilema was sworn in as Zambia’s seventh President, he gave hope and assurance to Zambians that no citizens was going to be fired or retired in national interest. But the Police Service has for the first time experienced the highest turnover in dismissals and retirements in national interest than in any other government,” Mr Kampyongo said.
He said government was not respecting the rule of law in dismissing and firing of civil servants and that all the police officers who had been purged had not been given chance to be heard and that all did not know what crime they had committed to be separated from the service.
Mr Kampyongo explained that he was aware that the powers that be from both the police command to the Stately were allegedly behind the dismissals because they were on a crusade to avenge against people who did not transgressed against them.
The dismissed police officers have since sued the state in the High Court, challenging the legality of their dismissals.
When the list of the officers first leaked to the media, Mr Akafumba branded the list fake while Dr Machungwa claimed he did not know anything about the dismissals.
When your party orchestrated this Ba Kampyongo you were mute..
These looting *****s are still lying..
It is the PF Government that confused the unfortunate Police Officers.
There are laws in this country. These unfortunate Police officers can turn themselves as state witness over the abuse that was in PF Government and maybe they can be forgiven and become State witnesses and then the PF Part can be …….
What goes around comes around. Chamene chili pa muzako lelo chapita, mailo chizankala pali iwe
Chiluba didn’t fire KK’s cops. Mwanawasa didn’t fire Chiluba’s cops Sata didn’t fire Banda’s cops. It’s only HH who is firing Lungu’s cops
Lungus cops were PF cader criminals………are must be made an example of
Chiluba fired army officers and police officers on a tribal basis. One of the people fired was my brother. These people are crying because when the government has to fire useless and unneeded police officers, they are their tribesmen. But who else can the government fire when the only people in the police, army and civil service are their tribesmen?
Sadly those policemen were turned into active PF caders…………
And took an active part in the brutality melted out by other PF caders on Zambians……….
or to the very least instigated illigal detentions of Zambians on the instructions of other caders
In most cases those detentions were of victims of PF brutality who went to lodge police complaints , only to be locked up themselves…..
They Abrogated their role as police for all Zambians……….
If you allege you must prove. People dont get fired because they are suspected to be PF cadres. Evidence
Evidence is being provided…….
This was gathered when people with grievances of alleged assaults and detentions by PF caders were told to come forward……….
The policemen who facilitated that PF brutality are those being dismissed now……..
Hiring and firing is prerogative of the state. Just like they hired you they can fire you. You cannot be in employment forever. Move on and go and do other things.
Honestly speaking during PF criminals police boss became diapers for PF criminals they even encouraged the juniors to put masks while police vehicles where allover discharging tear gase I’m sure very is a lot for the government to remove these guys, imagine within Zambia fellow political parties started getting permit to move which was very bad.
not everyone is hired at the prerogative of the state others are hired by a clearly defined process which must be respected and observed…it doesn’t mean you cannot fire but you must do so within the law ofcourse they are exceptions
Yes ..good job if you see PF crooks like Kampyongo start complianing just know you are doing the right thing…this midget used ZP as his personal army instead of complaining go and give them those millions you stacked around your farm. PF didnt know the limitations of civil servants it was a case of you are with us or against us.
My apology Tarino Orange I always mistook for PF or Kaizar Zulu subordinate. But you just have the same intelligent brains as for me.
Aka nako ka kapli ka lupala, ka Mr Katondo Street dealer. Still remember these very unprofessional partisan insects in Police uniform that stopped H.H from entering Chipata?
Like ba ex Presido Ch@k0lwa said “umulandu taubola”, these Pf0lice Maggots are the only ones rightly facing disciplinary action & retired in National interest, as we cannot continue accommodating unprofessional vermin in our national Police service.
Aka n@ko ka kap0li ka lup@la, ka Mr Kat0ndo Street d3aler. Still rem3mber these very unpr0fessional part1san in2ects in P0lice unif0rm that st0pped H.H fr0m entering Chip@ta?? Lelo wayamb@ kulila?
Like ba ex Presido Ch@k0lwa said “umul@ndu taub0la”, these Pf0lice Magg0ts are the only ones rightly facing disciplinary action & retired in Nati0nal intere2t, as we cannot continue accomm0dating unpr0fessional vermin in our national P0lice serv1ce.