We wish to once again recognise and thank the majority of our men and women in uniform, such as the Zambia Police Service, Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service, and other security personnel, for the great sacrifice and dedication they maintain under very difficult working conditions.
We are fully aware of the numerous challenges you face and the pressures you are coming under, and we continue to commit ourselves to improving your working conditions once in office, for example through promotions for professionalism and improving living conditions in the camps.
We know that there are moments when you are subjected to implementing unprofessional orders that go against the principles of democracy, but we call on you to continue to rise about party political lines and to treat all citizens as equal, regardless of their political affiliation. We caution you not to commit offences against humanity based on unprofessional orders issued for partisan purposes, but to continue to stand up and defend democracy at all costs and in a fair and equitable manner.
In the discharge of your duties, you must at all times keep reminding yourselves that you are dealing with fellow citizens who are equally undergoing economic hardships and frustration with the lack of planning and leadership from the top that is needed to improve the lives of our people.
We also remain aware of the ongoing victimisation and intimidation, even witch-hunting, that some of you are being subjected to on mere suspicion of belonging to opposition political parties, yet you are simply performing your duties diligently and even-handedly. We assure you that come next month we will work to protect the professionalism of service, improve working conditions and end party political interference in your operations so that you can continue in your critical work of defending democracy and protecting the rights and safety of all our people.
Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President
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