RETIRED COPS JOIN ELECTION MONITORS

By NATION REPORTER THE Police Retirees Association of Zambia (PORAZ) has conducted a detailed workshop to empower former police officers with knowledge to monitor the August 12 general elections. PORAZ president Hendricks Mufaya said the workshop was held in line with the association’s objective to engage police retirees, widows and surviving children as a deliberate effort to empower them with socio-economic support. The training workshop was held in Ndola. He said the workshop was aimed at helping police retirees with capacity to monitor the elections, promote peace, security and unity at community and national levels. Mr Mufaya said the event looked at the role of the election monitors at polling stations, national and district totaling centres, showcasing constitutional and ECZ mandate to conduct elections. PORAZ secretary general Stephen Simasiku said that election monitoring involves the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, including from another country or from a non-governmental organization (NGO). He said as monitors, the retired police officers have massive experience to maintain security and the important need for them to complement Government and other players in ensuring fair election activities before and after the polling day of elections on August 12, 2021. Facilitator of the workshop, Victor Kabeleka, explained that key stakeholders in the electoral process included citizens, voters with the constitution mandate and privilege to elect the leaders as well as candidates seeking the mandate of the people to aspire for public service. Mr Kabeleka said when civilian police personnel were deployed to polling stations, they ought to be provided with training specifically focusing on key security-related functions. The participants praised PORAZ for holding a platform where electoral related issues were shared with retired officers from the police service in the election monitoring process. Ndola District chief environmental health officer Luck Silengo shared information on how monitors could avoid contracting the Coronavirus (COVID-19) when conducting their duties as election monitors.