THE 2016 elections revealed that we still have some unprofessional officers in the Zambia Police Service, says home affairs minister Stephen Kampyongo.

Prior to the last year’s general elections, some angry police officers joined the UPND’s ‘operation watermelon’ campaign strategy as a protest to “abuse” by the PF government.

“When you have a sober government leadership in place, the police don’t need a labour union, but what is going on in this country leave us with very little option. This stupid abuse by the PF has to end because we can’t take it anymore,” an officer who spoke on behalf of the frustrated others said.

But officiating at the 2016 Zambia Police Service annual ball held yesterday, January 13, 2017 in Chamba Valley, Kampyongo said police officers were always supposed to be loyal to the ruling party.

“The Zambia Police Service in 2016 nearly scored distinctions all round, unfortunately, a few indisciplined, unprofessional officers made that goal a little too far. The 2016 presidential and general elections revealed that we still have some unprofessional officers in the Zambia police service. Such officers failed the simple test of professional security officers never being involved in partisan and in the promotion of partisan political interests on and off duty,” Kampyongo said.

“You owe the Commander-in-Chief, the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu and the people of Zambia in general, preservation of a professional and competent police service, that is always loyal to the government of the day. You cannot, therefore, afford to retain politicians in uniform. In that regard, it should be noted that the political party the officers support is not an issue, the issue is the involvement of our officers in active politics, whether on or off duty.”

He asked police officers who wanted to crossover to active politics to leave the service.

“Those of you who choose careers in the Zambia police service have no place in the political arena. Those who wish to cross over to politics should, therefore, voluntarily leave the Zambia police service. It should be noted that my government, as indeed any government in a democratic multi-party political dispensation cannot tolerate nor afford to have politicians and politics in the security institution,” Kampyongo said.

Meanwhile Kampyongo disclosed that President Lungu had authorised the procumbent of the 197 motor vehicles at a total cost of K91,200,000 in 2016 meant to mordenise the police service.