HRC commends Kanganja for continuous training of officers

THE Human Rights Commission has commended Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja for prioritizing the continuous training of police officers.

HRC chairperson Mudford Mwandenga said the training would ensure that police officers adhered to high standards of professionalism and upheld and
 protected human rights in the execution of their duties.

“The Commission is therefore encouraged that the Police Command has taken 
a self-introspection and responded to the need to build the capacity of the
 Zambia Police Service in human rights as such efforts will help police officers
t o effectively perform their duty of protecting life and property while
 respecting human dignity,” Mwandenga stated in a statement.

“Command is taking seriously the Constitutional provisions that mandate the
 Zambia Police Service to uphold human rights. Article 193 (2) (e) of the 
Zambian Constitution [Amendment] Act No. 2 of 2016 obliges the Zambia 
Police to, among other things, uphold the Bill of Rights. 
The Commission believes that the change in name from Zambia Police Force 
to the Zambia Police Service as stipulated under Article 193 of the
 Constitution, will require a paradigm shift that can be brought about through
 such continuous training programmes so that the spirit of service and respect 
for fundamental human rights is reflected in the attitudes and conduct of the 
law enforcement officers. It is in this regard that the Commission welcomes 
Inspector General Kakoma Kanganja’s emphasis on human rights as one of 
the issues that would be given serious attention during the in-service training 
programmes for police officers at Lilayi Police Training College, Godfrey 
Makuma in Sondela and Kamfinsa School of Public Order Maintenance.”

He stated that the HRC would continue to work closely with
 the Zambia Police Service in this process of transformation and ensure that
 there is compliance to human rights standards.
“The Human Rights Commission is a National Human Rights Institution
 established under Article 230 of the 1991 Zambian Constitution as amended
 by Act Number 2 of 2016 to, among other human rights functions, ensure that
 the Bill of Rights is upheld and promoted,” stated Mwandenga.