By MARVELLOUS SAKALA
AS the saying goes “your attire is a reflection of your personality,” recent studies reveal that the clothes one wears have an effect on their behaviour, sense of self as well as attitude.
Clothes can also improve the mental and physical state and also boost confidence.
Borrowing the words of President Hakainde Hichilema “it is very important” to pay attention to what members of our society wear because their clothes have an influence on their behaviour.
In March of 2018, the former Zambia Police Inspector General Mr. Kakoma Kanganja issued a press statement after he observed a recurring trend where some political party cadres were wearing military outfits during their respective political party activities. He called for the ban on civilians wearing military fatigues.
Mr. Kanganja’s call to ban political cadres from wearing military regalia was timely, but whether it was adhered to is a story for another day but I think the current Inspector General of Police must pick from where his predecessor left.
Mr. Lemmy Kajoba must go a step further by ensuring that the law is enforced and culprits who illegally wear military fatigue are brought to book.
The law clearly states that any person be it a cadre or otherwise other than the military personnel is not allowed to wear uniform or anything that resembles the military uniform as doing so is a criminal offence.
According to the State Security Act CAP 111 Section 6(1)(a) of the Laws of Zambia, any person without lawful authority who uses or has in possession, imports or manufactures any uniform of the Defense Force or the Police Service or any other official uniform or any dress closely resembling the same as likely to deceive or falsely represent himself to be a person who has been entitled to wear any such uniform, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to conviction to imprisonment for a minimum of fifteen years.
The law is crystal clear and the onus is now on the Police who are the law enforcers to enforce this law and bring sanity back to society because citizens are tired of seeing civilians clad in military regalia threatening and disturbing their peace.
Why should citizens’ rights be infringed by criminals illegally wearing military regalia? Mr Kajoba please put an end to this illegality.
The Police Service must not sit back and watch lawlessness being perpetrated with impunity because if this trend is allowed to continue sooner than later it will become a monster that will devour our society.
Political party leaders must also help the Police to put an end to this illegal trend by educating and advising their cadres and followers to desist from wearing military fatigue.
The truth is that some political party leaders are the biggest culprits because they are the ones who buy or give money to their cadres to buy the same military attire.
I know that these politicians want to flex their political muscle by moving around with bodyguards or security personnel clad in military regalia but the law is clear on this issue of wearing military fatigues, it is illegal and not authorised by law.
It has now become a norm for political party youth wings to dress as soldiers or “commanders” as they like to be addressed, but regardless this does not make it legal.
Political parties must courage their cadres
enand followers to operate within the law because as a society we are not guided by Jungle law where we are not unrestrained by any established law or civic control.
President Hichilema has shown that he does not want to run a country that promotes lawlessness as evidenced by his strong directive that cadres should not be allowed in markets and bus stations, the law enforcers must ensure that these cadres do not continue wearing military fatigue.
For society to be orderly, laws must be followed because not doing so promotes anarchy in Society. We owe each other a duty of care by following laws and respecting each other’s rights as enshrined in the Zambian Constitution. For instance if you are driving a car, you ought to be thankful that your fellow drivers on the road are following the laws otherwise you will be involved in an accident if they were not.
By and large this issue of breaking the law with impunity by political party cadres who wear military fatigue must be brought to an end because the rule of law clearly states that no one is above the law and we are all equal in the eyes of the law.
No ordinary members of society must be allowed to walk scot-free despite breaking the law.
The latin Maxim “lex caeca” means the law is blind, that being the case, the clarion call on the Zambia Police Service is to enforce the law under the State Security Act CAP 111 Section 6(1)(a) of the Laws of Zambia without putting into consideration political party colours when bringing to book culprits who illegally wear military fatigue.