Coalition of opposition parties alleges police chief, Musamba, infringing on human rights of Zambians

United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) says Inspector General of Police, Graphael Musamba, will go down as the most “partisan” chief of police in the entire history of policing in Zambia.

Alliance Chairperson for Communications, Jackson Silavwe, said Musamba’s ending could be dire because of how he had openly and publicly curtailed the ability of Zambians to freely assemble and express or mobilise themselves.

Silavwe said this in a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday.

He said it was sad that when Zambians should be discussing looming high costs of living, they were also saddled with discussing an alleged ´trigger happy´ top cop.

“He certainly has presented himself as the most openly partisan and heavy-handed chief of police, Zambia has ever had since 1964,” Silavwe stated.

He alleged that Musamba had transformed the Zambia police from being a police service into being a police force.

Silavwe claimed that Musamba’s partisan inclination and abuse of public office made him to deploy state security to protect illegalities in the holding of a fake conviction for the Patriotic Front as well as the National Democratic Congress in Lusaka and Kabwe.

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“Musamba has orchestrated conduct that is reminiscent of pre-independence policing were Zambians were treated like animals without any consideration for human rights,” he stated.

He alleged that Musamba continued to abuse his office by stopping opposition political parties from freely mobilizing rallies, a clear breach of their constitutional rights.

Silavwe who has highlighted several Constitutional breaches stated that if Musamba was left unchecked and allowed to continue on this trajectory, Zambia’s democratic credentials would be obliterated.

“The Alliance would, therefore, like to call upon Zambians not to succumb to the whims of those who seek to suppress our human rights and turn this nation into a pariah of demagoguery,” he advised.

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