By 
Andyford Banda, President of the People’s Alliance for Change (PAC), claims the public has lost confidence in the law enforcement agencies under the current government.
Banda said it was expected that immediately after President Hakainde Hichilema formed a new government, he would embark on reforms to help the police and judiciary operate independently.
Banda expressed these concerns in an open letter to the President dated June 9, 2024, highlighting issues such as national unity and the state of the economy.
He alleged that Hichilema had failed in this area despite being one of many people who suffered significantly due to the unprofessionalism of law enforcement agencies.
“May I take this liberty to squarely blame this on you, Your Excellency? You and many others have suffered a lot as a result of the unprofessionalism of the law enforcement agencies,” Banda said.
He stated that while the intimidation of police by ruling party officials might not be visible to the public, officers were either demoted, transferred, or fired quietly.
“Also, police are demoted, transferred, or fired even under your government based on their dealings or their relationship with ruling party officials. On the flipside, others get favors and promotions based on their proximity to the ruling party. Mr. President, this is a fact,” Banda said.
He questioned what reforms Hichilema and his government had put in place to protect the police and government officers from political intimidation by senior government and ruling party officials.
Banda expressed believe that the recent conduct of the police, which had added to the tension in the country, provided an answer.
“Has your party clearly put in place policies that prevent officials from taking advantage of their position and abusing the police?” he asked.
He questioned whether discipline had been applied to United Party for National Development (UPND) officials who misbehave and sponsor cadres.
Banda warned that if the police continued to ignore the actions of cadres and if ruling party officials believe this behavior was the norm in today’s politics, the situation would worsen as elections approach.
“Let’s remember, one of the key issues that made the Patriotic Front (PF) unpopular and caused them to lose elections by one million votes was this issue,” he said.
However, Banda commended the government for making efforts to address issues such as hate speech, cadres and politics, which divert the President’s attention from more important matters like the economy.
He stated that the majority of voters would not pay attention to any politician spewing hate speech if the economy were sound.
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