IG Libongani is PF cadre –YALI

Police Inspector General (IG) Stellah Libongani is a Patriotic Front (PF) cadre who has failed to instill discipline in the service to help stop the violence that is taking root in the country, says Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) president Andrew Ntewewe.

And Patriotic Front (PF) deputy Secretary General Situla Sikwindi says that Police have every right to deny political parties permits to hold meetings.
Mr. Ntewewe said that the conduct of Ms. Libongani was not inspiring and  failed to promote peace and order in the country because she was biased towards PF.

He said that it was sad that despite the people of Zambia supporting her appointment as the first woman to hold the office of IG, she had let down people’s hope and trust as she was behaving like a pure PF cadre.
“She has just proved to be a disappointment for many people including the women movement today. They are worried whether she will be able to guide us through this trying moments where PF thugs have taken up the position of policing. PF thugs have taken control of everything and this is a well known fact that police has no say about what is happening in the country,” said Mr. Ntewewe.

Mr. Ntewewe observed that the violence being experienced in the country perpetuated by the PF thugs had the capacity to destabilize the nation’s peace and make Zambia ungovernable.

“Especially where you have police IG siding with thugs, where you have police IG behaving to protect the same PF thugs, it is only fair that she changes her attitude or steps aside and leaves the service for another woman to take control of the police. She does not have the heart of a mother.”

Mr. Ntewewe who was speaking on Radio Phoenix’s Face the Media programme yesterday, warned that police officers and others should know that political parties and politicians in government come and go but the system remains.

And featuring on the same programme, PF Deputy Secretary General Situla Sikwindi said that police had the right to deny political parties permits whenever they so wished.

‘Police have every right to deny political parties permits according to the law whenever they feel so especially if there is some activity that will be in conflict with peace and stability of the nation. They can deny anyone permits,” he said.

Mr. Sikwindi said that those that were asking or demanding for the removal of police IG were not sincere because in most cases they found themselves on the other side of the law.

He accused the civil society of supporting and working hand in hand with the opposition political parties to destabilize the party in power, adding that political players and CSOs were not the only people in the country who should enjoy peace.

And UPND deputy general secretary Kachunga Simusamba said that the PF should take responsibility over the accelerating and escalating violence the country.

He said that all the violent activities in country by PF thugs were being carried out in full view of police and senior government officials.

He said that there was no longer freedom of assembly, expression and movement and worship in the country because the PF government had made it policy to attack and beat up people with divergent views.
“I don’t want to talk about things that have not happened, our youths wanted to demonstrate but were beaten and taken to court. PF thugs attacked us at Parliament and were arrested and fined for attacking us.
“So the PF should take full responsibility of the situation in the country because they have been given five year mandate by the people of Zambia to govern in an acceptable manner,” said Mr. Simusamba.

Source: http://zambiadailynation.com/2013/06/21/ig-libongani-is-pf-cadre-yali/