President Edgar Lungu says police brutality against suspects should come to an end in Zambia.
President Lungu says the Zambia Police Service should be carrying out their duties professionally without torturing or beating up suspects to get to the truth of a matter.
The President says any suspect should be treated as an innocent person until the courts of law finds him or her guilty or acquit them.
He says the role of Police Officers is to apprehend, investigate and handover the suspects to the courts for the due process of the law to take its course.
The Head of State says the police should find better means of investigating matters to get to the conclusion of the issues as opposed to torturing the suspects in order for them to confess.
He says the police should begin to adjust to the changing world where torture or ill treatment of suspects is no longer in existence.
The President was speaking after he toured Kabwata police cells where some female suspects complained of torture by the police at the station.
One of the female suspects whose name cannot be disclosed for security reasons told the President that some named police officers tortured her and her friends and grabbed phones from them so that she cannot be in contact with her relatives.
When asked by the president whether she can identify the police officers who tortured her, the suspect responded in affirmative saying she knows them facially.
The President assured the alleged tortured female suspects that the Minister of Justice who is also Kabwata Member of Parliament and was with the President at the time, will investigate the matter to ensure the officers are cautioned against torturing suspects.
The President said people regardless of their status and circumstances should be treated with dignity because the law says everyone is innocent until proven guilty by the courts.
And Business came to a standstill as President Lungu toured Lusaka’s Kabwata and Mtendere areas.
People of different age groups in the two localities were elated and lined up to catch the glimpse of President Lungu.
President Lungu was in Kabwata and Mtendere to inspect the adherence to the “Keep Zambian Clean Campaign.
On the other hand President Lungu toured the road projects in some sections of Lusaka enroute to Mtendere.
The President participated in the collection of garbage in Mtendere where they sale Charcoal near the main market.
He warned those encroaching areas where roads projects are being carried out to like Kamloops road in Kalingalinga to vacate.
President Lungu also called on Zambians to take the” Keep Zambia Clean Campaign “seriously.
In April last year, President Lungu re-launched the campaign aimed at invoking awareness among Zambians to keep public and private environments clean as one of the means to guard against diseases.
As upnd we would like lungu to tell us his thoughts about slap brutality against corrupt politicians like the one stood next to him in the picture? Meanwhile me and my Whlte wlfe are not attending independence party in London. A waste of time and money mingling with second rated and class musicians and economic immigrants from Zambia. We would rather spend it in bed enjoying eeaxh others company. She has bought new lingerie and also a naughty secretary costume. Good night
I have never meet any Zambian who deserve to be in jail yet. Never. Most Zambians commit crimes by accident, including Keith Mutaka.
Indeed the system of beating up people by cadres and police need stop, it is wrong and a crime. It is those police officers who should be in jail.
And Business came to a standstill as President Lungu toured Lusaka’s Kabwata and Mtendere areas.
I thought this is daily occurance for the presidential security to get traffic to pull off the road and stand still until the presidential motorcade passes, then commoners and persants will be allowed to carry on with the daily activities on the road.
Bitter herbs for breakfast, bitter herbs for lunch, bitter herbs for supper = Bitter hearts. HAZALUZA HAGAIN because he is a member of sex H-against natural H-order and a member of Three Mansions.
People hv died in police cells but he never visited, let alone speak out publicly. Wht’s different this time?
President Lungu looks like and inmate himself. He will fit in very well when he is arrested after he leaves power. Good practice ECL!
Ba Edgar pardoned some prisoners, why did he leave those beautiful chicks in cells? He should have walked out with them.
I’m happy to see the President visit the holding cells at Kabwata, as a former Lawyer he knows what goes on and how suspects are often mistreated. Given Lubinda is such a dissapointment as Minister of Justice, what improvements has he made to the legal system which is still repressive and out of touch with realities in the ground? I equally blame the so called donors who are sadists that love to see Zambia maintain repressive laws and fail to implement Human Rights standards. Well done to the President on the keep Zambia Clean campaign.
Good work by the President to visit the holding cells but we need more such surprise visits across the country at different holding cells and prisons as that may wake up Police and Prison officers to keep detainees and prisoners in a more humane way. Lubinda and Kampyango not doing their jobs to maintain Human Rights in their ministries. Keep Zambia Clean a great initiative but more must be done by everyone.
Also Presidential brutality must come to an end.
“The President assured the alleged tortured female suspects that the Minister of Justice who is also Kabwata Member of Parliament and was with the President at the time, will investigate the matter to ensure the officers are cautioned against torturing suspects.”
This is where the problem lies. The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Police. He is not supposed to lament. He should command decisively to curb the torture. Alas, he has delegated the command to Lubinda when he is in the country! What a miss!
Just because some top PF cadres were arrested for armed robbery so the tenancy of beating suspects in police custody should come to an end? You can’t rule with double standards,never
Ala caption – If PRESIDENT Edgar Chagwa Lungu is second from left visits detainees in cells at Kabwata Police in Lusaka on Saturday,October 26, 2019. Then who is the fellow who resembles a convict being cross-examined in the presence of victims standing first from left.
Has he just woken up to this issue? How long has he been in power? What have the people he appoints been doing?
I also think he keeps finding excuses not to be at his ‘desk’ or address the nation on critical issues, including answering questions. The man is always on the move ‘touring’ or ‘commissioning’
I was wondering why power didn’t go today in kabwata, now I know lol
For the first time in 55 years of a country being Zambia, a leader even if I have disagreed with him on issues, on this one we give him thanks.
Now let’s stop the talk and start the Do. Make it happen mr Lungu while you still have presidential powers,if you dont do it now by forcing the police, then change will never happen once you are out of being in charge of us
That’s right Mr President, tell these police.
And that’s good for trible UPND, as its cadres are more likely to be locked as they commit more criminal offences than common criminals.
Lungu is thinking about his jail time in the not too distant future …….
Wishful thinking…No wonder Zambians in 7 provinces cannot vote for a sadist and privatisation crook who has hidden the privatisation loot in the paradise papers because of bitterness …
Bwana Lungu that has been the culture of your PFolice for over 5yrs now.Why the fake outrage?
Come on people congratulating Lungu for just yapping like he cares, then he returns to statehouse and nothing changes. Come up with a policy than just words. I see Lungu trying to be a good boy since his counterpart in Zimbabwe is facing sanctions for human rights abuses. Let me give those prisoners the direct numbers to the Europeans and U.S so they can explain how Lungu’s police are torturing them, then he will be sanctioned too and see how fast he will fix the issue. Useless Minister of justice is supposed to be aware of such things, this shows he is barely working. Lungu always ordering his ministers that shows they don’t know what to do and they have to be ordered around
The time to start reforming ZP is now, Mr. President.
Good start – acknowledging the Police brutality. Next step is to have the brutal culprits brought to book and possibly discharged from service. The next logical step is to improve holding cells and prisons. Stop treating inmates as if they are ostracized creatures; some have been jailed on a technicality of either having poor representation or the guilty one having a skilled lawyer… let’s treat all human beings with dignity, incarcerated or not.
Hahaha Haha, if you are serious about police brutality please tame both Kaiser Zulu and kampyongo. Kaizer should not even hold that office anymore. But it seems you enjoy and tolerate torture since you keep with you the very embodiment of abuse and torture in kaizer Zulu.
Ba LT Lungu is second from left – really????
Disaster!
Poor journalism and poor captions . Poor engineers and society house. Poor lawyers and client money theft poor FAZ chief and constant failure to qualify for Afcon poor first Lady and poor fire engine donations . Our nation is rotting
Thats what happens when PF cadres are locked up. Sure is this torture just grabbing a phone from suspects should be an issue sure. Ati: “… tortured her and her friends and grabbed phones from them so that she cannot be in contact with her relatives.” Could this be an issue to take the whole president to the scene or police cells. It just shows how petty some bosses can be. We have serious issues to sort out and some people choose to castigate the police over petty issues that can be sorted out by senior police officers. Just because they are cadres and the whole president should go and visit. Childish at its worst action!!!!
Disaster!!!
Until you hear it directly from them how those red eyed thug looking constables were taking turns jumping up and down on the legs of those hapless ladies, will you believe? Oh doubting Thomas.
The deafening shrieks and wailing coming out of those dungeons while this is process is enough to scare a full grown man to pieces.
who is in command of police. is the police above the commander in chief. how come they dont follow the commands from the cc. how many times has this been noted in the country. can someone tell me please.