LUSAKA LAWYER SIMON MWILA COMMENDS POLICE CONDUCT.

Today, when Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda appeared before the Drug Enforcement Commission, many of us watched with anxiety. Not because our church leader should be above the law, but because in Zambia, encounters between citizens and law enforcement around politically sensitive moments have not always ended well.

What stood out today was the posture of the Zambia Police.

They were present. They were firm. They were visible. But, importantly, they were restrained.

There was no unnecessary violence. No reckless use of force. No scenes that left families mourning by nightfall. Instructions were given. Order was maintained. And the situation, though tense, did not spiral out of control.

That matters because for those of us with memory, it is impossible to look at today without remembering the past.

During the Patriotic Front era, policing of public and political events often came with fear. We lost innocent lives. 

We remember Mapenzi Chibulo, a young woman shot dead during political unrest. We remember Nsama Nsama Chipyoka, a public prosecutor who died in circumstances that should never happen in a country governed by law.

These were not statistics. They were human beings. Families were shattered. Trust in institutions was deeply damaged.

That is why today’s conduct by the police deserves to be acknowledged and appreciated.

Professionalism is not about who you are protecting. It is about how you exercise power. It is about restraint. It is about respecting life. It is about understanding that uniforms and guns exist to protect citizens, not to intimidate them.

This does not mean institutions should not do their work. The law must apply to everyone. But how the law is enforced matters just as much as the law itself.

One important caution, however, is that professional policing must not depend on who is in power, who is summoned, or how politically sensitive the moment is. It must be consistent. Today. Tomorrow. Under any administration.

If today is a sign of growth, then let it be permanent.

And as we commend improved conduct, let us never forget those who paid the ultimate price in the past. Their memory should be the reason Zambia never goes back to reckless, politicised, and deadly policing.

A nation moves forward not by pretending yesterday did not happen, but by ensuring it never happens again. 📌 

Simon Mulenga Mwila - Aspiring Mayor of Lusaka