Police not expecting violence-Kabonde

By ALEX NJOVU

INSPECTOR General of Police Francis Kabonde says the Zambia Police Service is not anticipating violence in the run-up to and after the September 20 elections.
“We want to ensure that this year’s elections are peaceful and violence-free. So far we have had a relatively peaceful run-up to the elections. For instance, the nominations of aspiring candidates in the election were peaceful throughout the country,” he said.
Mr Kabonde was speaking during a consultative meeting with religious organisations and civil society groups at Moba Hotel in Kitwe.
He said Zambians are peaceful people by nature, who cannot be easily swayed by few selfish people into engaging in violence.
Mr Kabonde said Zambia has had peaceful elections since 1964, and that this year’s polls will just be a continuation of that trend.
“Zambia Police Service, as a custodian of law and order, is ready to manage this year’s elections in response to the demands of majority of Zambians. We, however, know too well that we cannot successfully guard this peace without involvement of important stakeholders such as the Church, civil society organisations and political players themselves,” Mr Kabonde said.
He said the service started preparing for this year’s elections way back with the help of the government and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Zambia.
Mr Kabonde said workshops for provincial police commanders were held, which culminated into formulating and publication of a handbook titled Policing Elections in Zambia.
“This is the first of its kind in the history of the Zambia Police Service. This police handbook on policing elections contains topics such as democratic elections and human rights, international,regional and national standards relevant to elections, police powers of arrest, detention, search and seizure, crowd management, use of force, duties and responsibilities of police during the electoral process, conflict management and resolution and community policing and leadership,” he said.
Mr Kabonde said the police have finally conducted examinations countrywide whose questions included policing elections.
“Our role as Zambia Police Service during the elections in general is to maintain law and order by regulating assemblies, public indoor meetings and processions in accordance with the Public Order Act, Electoral Act and Electoral Code of Conduct,” he said.
 Northmead Pentecostal Assemblies of God Bishop Joshua Banda said dialogue is important in resolving differences in communities.
Bishop Banda, who was the moderator of the meeting, said it is important that people iron out their differences amicably.
And Copperbelt police commanding officer Martin Malama said the Zambia Police Service is committed to enforcing law and order in the country.
Dr Malama said the police will continue creating partnerships withvarious stakeholders in ensuring there is peace in the communities.