Lungu elevates all instructors in police training colleges

HOME affairs minister Edgar Lungu has elevated all instructors in police training colleges to the next rank.

During the pass-out parade for 599 police officers held at Lusaka’s Lilayi College, Lungu, who was until yesterday acting president, said it was demeaning for police recruits to be instructed by mere constables.

“I would also want to address this anomaly in training colleges where we have allowed recruits to be instructed by constables. There is no way these officers can be instructed by their fellow constables. I am directed that all instructors in police colleges to be elevated to the next rank,” he said.

And Lungu urged graduating officers to uphold discipline and perform their duties diligently.

“As you discharge your duties in the field, you must take cognizance of the fact that the police, in the eyes of society are supposedly as the reservoirs of honesty, uprightness, austerity, integrity and all the goodness that one can look to for support against all vices that are common place in the communities,” he said.

“You are required to transform the theoretical principles learnt during training to excellent service delivery to the citizenry.”

And Inspector General of police Stella Libongani expressed concern over increasing cases involving brutal murders and gender based violence.

Libongani said all police colleges needed to undergo rehabilitation.

“The state of infrastructure at this college and the two other training schools namely; Geoffrey Mukum and school of public order and maintenance (SPOM) at Kamfisa, is worrisome. Thus, as a short term measure, it is imperative that we rehabilitate these training schools. Notwithstanding the above, the lasting solution would be the construction of modern buildings,” said Libongani.