SPECIAL Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Isaac Chipampe says President Edgar Lungu does not spend all his time reviewing an individual’s performance, in reference to Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja.

Meanwhile, Alliance for Community Action executive director Laura Miti says the six-month contract that President Lungu gave Kanganja to regain public confidence, was a mere pronouncement to calm citizens.

In an interview, Wednesday, Chipampe said appointments and disappointments of public officials including the Inspector General of Police was a prerogative of the President.

He said the public would be informed on whether Kanganja would continue as Inspector General or not.

“The appointments and disappointments of public officials including the IG is the prerogative of the President. So, the President will make a decision on whether he continues or not. The President doesn’t spend all the time just reviewing someone’s performance, the President has a lot of things to do. If he is happy with the performance of a public official including the IG, he will let him continue. If he is not happy then he makes a decision. So, the public will be told if the IG continues or not. That is why I am saying let us wait and see, there are a lot of public officers who report to the President and we cannot just focus on one individual,” said Chipampe.

Meanwhile, Alliance for Community Action executive director Laura Miti said the six-month ultimatum was just a mere pronouncement.

“The President has made a habit of making promises that he does not keep, and doing what is called kicking the can down the road. I think when he spoke to the nation about Kanganja, he was just trying to pacify citizens who were very unhappy with Kanganja and hoping that they would forget about his promise. This is one of the many promises that the President just makes. That is very unfortunate, you cannot be a President who makes promises, then decides that he will not keep them,” said Miti.

“As for Kanganja, his term of office has been an extension of politicians. So, he has been more of a political appointee than he thinks he is, than the head of law enforcement and that has shown. I feel very sad for the people he has overseen. I think the police officers under Kanganja have been asked to do some of the most unprofessional acts in the history of Zambia. It will be a good day when we don’t have him in office anymore.”

On December 29, 2020, President Lungu fired former deputy inspector general of police for operations Bonnie Kapeso and deputy inspector general of police for administration Eugene Sibote and further gave Kanganja a six-month contract to reorganise the service and regain public confidence. This was after he received a preliminary report on the killing of Nsama Nsama Chipyoka, a prosecutor at the National Prosecutions Authority and UPND sympathiser Joseph Kaunda.

“His Excellency Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia has received a preliminary report on the killing of two citizens in Lusaka and has made changes in the police service command to allow for a speedy inquiry. The President says the report is not conclusive as yet and has asked the Inspector General of Police to expedite the investigations. The President says investigations into the matter have not been concluded. I therefore call upon witnesses apart from those interviewed already to help police. I don’t want the matter to be prejudiced so let us allow investigators to do a professional job regardless of who is involved,” read the statement issued by Chipampe last year.

“Meanwhile the President has made changes to the Zambia Police Service command. The President has given Inspector General of Police Mr Kakoma Kanganja a six-month contract to transform the institution and regain people’s confidence. The letter to Mr Kanganja reads in part “ This is to enable you to conclude the investigations into the killing of two innocent Zambians and allow you to reorganise the police service with a view to restoring the eroding public confidence in the Service. This will form the basis of your performance appraisal for further consideration.”