EXCESSIVE use of force by military personnel against their nationals is simply not right and deserves condemnation in its strongest terms.
Even in an event where civilians wronged military personnel, the right thing to do would be allowing the law to take its course than becoming offensive.
Reports from the Police that Zambia Air force (ZAF) soldiers descended on a clergyman in Kabangwe area and made him ‘frog-jump’  over 100 metres make sad reading.
Police in Lusaka are said to be investigating a matter in which eight ZAF officers are said to have assaulted Prophet Sinai Mukanaka from Genesis Church for alleged encroaching on air-force land.
Much as illegal allocation and settling on any piece of land may not be condoned, addressing the matter by humiliation receives equal denunciation.
It was only on Friday when President Michael Sata praised the men and women in uniform for high level discipline when he commissioned a parade of 100 ZAF officers.
In the words of the President, he commended the men and women in uniform for not abusing their power and weapons against their own people.
President Sata’s assurance was that the Zambian people trusted these officers with guns and swords that they be protected.
What a sad development that while the President was praising our military men and women in Livingstone, assault dockets were being opened against others in Kabangwe.
The provision of courts demands levelling of the playing field so as not to disadvantage any party but that fair judgment prevails without a drop of blood.
By law, the weak and vulnerable receive fair hearing so that the strong and powerful may not prevail over others.
In the Kabangwe incident, why did the reported soldiers not take the right procedure allowing reasonable measures to redress the matter?
If investigations currently being conducted against the military men are confirmed, may other uniformed men and women learn to protect and not harm their nationals?