Ministry of Defence permanent secretary Stardy Mwale says people must provide evidence of any military officer harassing civilians in Lusaka.
And Mwale says military personnel will remain in the streets until cholera epidemic is completely eradicated and the central business districts are thoroughly clean.
Speaking to journalists at his office, Wednesday, Mwale encouraged victims to present evidence of being brutalised by defence forces to the ministry.
“The Defence forces are expected to discharge their cleaning exercise amid of the cholera epidemic in a more professional manner. I want to tell you that the ministry will not condone any form of harassment of civilians by the military,” Mwale said.
“We are receiving complaints from the media but you see, we would want a well informed position from somebody who has been physically harassed, somebody who has been physically manhandled in this process. You see, personally, I don’t want to believe whatever I see on the social media
because Zambians generally have become very good architects. They will take my picture and post it that I was watching Victoria Falls when in fact not. So we have seen these pictures going round on social media but we don’t want to believe in that. We want to get a specific
complaint from the victim himself or herself. So let them come and report to us by presenting necessary evidence for the commencement of disciplinary procedures against perpetrators.”
Meanwhile, Mwale said soldiers would remain on the streets indefinitely.
“I know people are asking for the duration and saying remove these people who are doing a good job from the street. I think those people have to be there so that we can make sure that the streets and districts throughout Zambia are clean. You have seen yourselves what we
are doing. And for now, we do not have a period when they are supposed to be removed from the streets. They will remain on the streets until the job is done,” said Mwale.