By CHILA NAMAIKO –
INSPECTOR General of Police Kakoma Kanganja has warned his officers against abusing the powers that President Edgar Lungu has given the security wing following the invoking of Article 31 of the Constitution of Zambia.
Mr Kanganja, however, urged the officers to work without fear or favour to ensure peace, law and order prevailed in the country and that members of the public should also go about their businesses normally.
He said that, while the officers should be alert at all times, due to many incidences of criminality that had taken place in the past few weeks and months where Government infrastructure had been torched by individuals bent on causing anarchy in the country, they should not abuse their powers.

KANGANJA

Mr Kanganja said the events had culminated in President Lungu to invoke Article 31 of the Laws of Zambia thereby giving the police more powers through which perpetrators of lawlessness could be brought to book.
“I wish to warn you (officers) that the powers that have been entrusted to us are not to be abused. In the same vein, I want to assure the Commander-In-Chief (President Lungu) and the people of Zambia, that we as police are equal to the task at hand and are resolved to see to it that people trying to bring about anarchy in the nation are brought to book,” he said.
Mr Kanganja was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when he officially opened the Basic Traffic course, Middle management course and Junior management Course at the Zambia Police Training College in Lilayi.
A total of 209 officers undertook the middle and junior management courses while 55 traffic officers were undergoing a traffic course.
By working with other security wings, he said, police had already made quite a number of headways and soon all culprits would be corned and be made to account for their criminal activities.
He called on the traffic officers who were the first contact with members of the public in the performance of their duties on roads, to avoid corruption at all costs.
He said it was cardinal that officers be taught in their training among other matters, courtesies, and approachable to the public, disciplined, smartly dressed, and be patient with people in communities.
The participants should both count themselves fortunate to be among the first officers to be chosen to undertake the in-service training programmes which were the first of many more of such to be conducted this year.
Zambia Police Training College Commanding officer Jestus Nsokolo said the training was key in equipping the participants with management abilities, interventions and control techniques.