Lungu Admits Public Confidence In Police Is Very Low

President Edgar Lungu has admitted that public confidence in the Zambia Police Service is very low and has urged officers to address the people’s concerns in order to win back their confidence. 

The president’s comments came during the swearing in of Patrick Mutale as the new Chairperson of the Police Public Complaints Commission.

President Lungu warned that public attention was fixed on August’s elections and that the new complaints chair should “prepare adequately to receive and solve complaints from the public fairly but firmly” in the lead up to polling day.

He further charged Mr Mutale with redressing a lack of public confidence in the police service, drawing on his expertise as Deputy Chief State Advocate to “turn around the negative public perceptions of the police service”.

Public confidence in the police has plummeted even further in recent months following the killing of Nsama Nsama Chipyoka and Joseph Kaunda outside police HQ in Lusaka last December.

A report into the killings, which occurred during a protest in support of UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema, was handed over to President Lungu in January but has not been made publicly available. 

The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) has demanded that the report be published, arguing that “Nsama’s and Kaunda’s families and loved ones need to know the truth”.