The Zambian government has issued a statement clarifying its decision to withdraw excess security personnel from the residence of former President Edgar Lungu. In a statement issued to the media on May 12, Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa stated that the action taken by the government was in conformity with the provisions of the law and was meant to align the deployment of security personnel at the residence.
Mr. Kangwa explained that the provision of security for former presidents, including the withdrawal of excess security, was provided for under the Benefits of the Former Presidents Act. Cap. 15 of the laws of Zambia. He assured the public that the government would continue to provide security at the residence of the former president in accordance with the law.
The withdrawal of the protective unit officers from Mr. Lungu’s residence came as a surprise to many Zambians and sparked mixed reactions across the country. The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Danny Mwale, stated that the decision was made after careful consideration of the security situation in the country and that the police had evaluated the security needs of all former presidents.
Many people have speculated that the move was a deliberate attempt to intimidate Mr. Lungu and weaken his political influence in the country, especially since he is facing corruption charges. However, the police spokesperson denied these allegations, emphasizing that the decision was purely based on security considerations, and the police were not taking sides in the ongoing political situation in the country.
The decision has been met with mixed reactions from the public, with some people welcoming the move as a step towards ending the culture of impunity that has characterized the Zambian political scene for many years. Others have expressed concern that the decision could endanger Mr. Lungu’s life and have called on the government to reconsider the decision and reinstate the protective unit officers.
By law, the president’s official residence is either Nkwazi House or State House, where the State can provide comprehensive security to the sitting head of government. Is Community House gazetted? It is illegal.
Even if Lungu is entitled to 3 police officers, govt can still maintain 10 more. There’s no other former president to guard, so there’s no shortfall. H H is doing all this out of spiteful malice, fear of a possible come back and jealousy.
You’re right, all improvements and security gadgets that have been installed at Community House are illegal and there’ll be consequences for all those involved in future
All The presidents salary goes to providing security at community house
Spaka – And where did you see those accounts that show payslip payments going to community house secruity?
Tarino Orange……
A good question for Spaka. This loser has nothing much to do in life apart from spilling hate and falsehoods
And our LAZ is just spectating? Illegal actions are supposed to be challenged. Your friends in South African challenged Zuma through the law while he was in office and won the case!!
We have useless lawyers. Useless white wig wearing lawyers!
There are only two lawful places for the republican president’s stayin: State Lodge and Nkwazi House. The State Lodge is several kilometres away in Leopards Hill while Nkwazi House is housed at State House.
Why we allow small mindedness to pre-occupy us astounds me. Let us not get side tracked by those who would want us to concentrate on issues that have little materiality given the state of our nation. Does anyone really think that any harm will come to Lungu at his Immunity House if he is guarded by 3 officers as the law implies? If not, common sense implies that the excess officers should be re-deployed elsewhere!! Those who really think it is unlawful for HH to stay at Community House instead of State House are not being blocked to take the matters to the courts of law. Vuto yilipati kansi?
#Makunku, point taken but there’s just too much coincidence. Yes even if he has 100 police men guarding him harm would still come his just as if he was being guarded by Panorama Security company watchman. Question is almost two years since he left office nobody bothered about the numbers until the Ukutumpa saga came into play.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t care whether he’s guarded or not.
The omission in the law doesn’t give away need for doing what’s morally right. An immoral person is corrupt, sly and unscrupulous; seeing corruption in others not in himself. His alleged curruption goes as far back as 22 years. The only anchorhold has been erasing tracks behind him. He can’t shift to state house because of superstitions and “white gloves” he wears when he’s there are a repellent from imps and elves.
Why would a former President need 13 police guards while the law stipulates 3 ???
These are the same excess characterised by the corrupt PF , who , even…………
See filling administrative requirements for their party as not required……..
We know they don’t care about laws and regulations
#Spaka, we hope you won’t change your stance when HH leaves office.
Upnd govt and hh, go eff yourselves . You gay sons of beeches. Chi Carla cawiso
LT please ban this KZ thing ,it always uses foul language and threats of violence.
Can someone confirm that the BoZ governor has left. Very disturbing indeed.
Yes he did
#Kwacha Watcher. Why is the government keeping quiet about it? If it’s true, I hope he remembers what some of us said about him returning to to that office…. once beaten twice shy. It’s not good for the country.
Off the plane yesterday, the president panting, sweating, vividly deprived of sleep and exhausted, said he took away 10 security men from Lungu to pressure him to stay away from active politics.
So H&H can’t stomach competition from Lungu? Why does he want the former leader to retire? H and H is a weak competitor who is only flourishing by spewing guerilla attacking strategies on opponents. He knows how Lungu can easily unseat him.
Lies have no memory…….
Withdrawing excess security personnel was not the problem but how it was done was the issue. They were supposed to notify the office of the former president first and give him adequate notice to hire private security before withdrawing.
“the police had evaluated the security needs of all former presidents.”
Really? Including Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Michael Sata, Rupiah Banda all these are being supplied security which police keep evaluating??
I will keep saying parents dont send your children for police recruitment. The State turns these human beings into robots that dont think! You dont want to have an offspring like that
Including Welensky Roy. The police don’t realise only one is surviving all others. Maybe they are guarding their tombs.
There’s a cat and mouse game going on… HH wants Lungu to publicly announce that he’s retired from politics. Lungu is enjoying every minute of it by not doing so.
By the way every person is a political animal according Greek philosophy….. everything is political.. eating, employment, travailing, going to church, visiting the mall etc is all political
Leadership is usually a representation of the people but in our case I think this leader is representing himself. 2H will not seat comfortably in Zambia if he continues with his revenge tactics. You started off on a good footing by forgiving but it looks like you are backtracking or you have lost control of your party entirely.
2H will not seat comfortably in Zambia if he continues with his rev3nge tactics.
He always refers to the hundred days he spent in prison under Lungu. How I wish one reporter can ask him if it’s okay to interfere with his (HH) motorcade. If he says it’s okay, then Lungu must pay for the injustice he subjected him(HH) to.