Barotse activist cop welcomes dismissal

Barotse activist cop welcomes dismissal
By Mwala Kalaluka
Tue 26 Apr. 2011, 04:00 CAT

MAYBIN Sikwa says he will rebut his dismissal from the Zambia Police Service over his alleged involvement in Barotseland Agreement activism with a court action.

Police last week said Sikwa, a 54-year-old Lusaka-based Police assistant superintendent who was early this year released through a nolle prosequi on a charge of treason linked to the Barotseland Agreement of 1964, had been dismissed from the Zambia Police Service.

But Sikwa said his dismissal was illegal and poorly calculated.

Sikwa, who vowed to continue with the struggle for Barotseland during the burial of former Barotse treason accused, 71-year-old Mwiya Sihope in Mongu, said in an interview yesterday that he was nevertheless thankful that he had been released from the Zambia Police Service.

“The question they have to answer is two months have passed, what were they waiting for?” Sikwa said. “They police are in trouble but we will not just leave them like that. I am thankful that they have released me but what I know is that they are still in a quandary. I can now do what I could not do freely.”

Sikwa said apart from the suspension letter that was served on him during his arrest at Force Headquarters in Lusaka, he had not received any dismissal letter.

“I will take legal action because they are failing to follow the same law they are supposed to enforce,” Sikwa said. “Now that they have released me I can take legal action against them.”

Sikwa said his children were still in a Police house but that he would move them out soon. He said the Police thought they were clever to hastily dismiss him on the strength of the speech he gave at Sihope's funeral in Mongu.

“They were rushing to do that so that I lose my benefits. We can rebut it to say it is illegal execution of an individual, because if somebody is arrested his employers should wait for the court to decide,” he said.

Sikwa said if the courts acquit the person, the employer had no option but to reinstate that person and that if he was convicted for the alleged offence then a dismissal was proper.

“We shall drag them to court to see what the court will decide. I know they are happy I made that statement,” he said.

Sikwa said the Zambia Police’s act to dismiss him in such a manner affords him a good platform to seek legal redress.

“Even if they don't give me those benefits, I am not worried because the cause I was championing was the right cause and I will continue championing this cause,” said Sikwa. “I don't care about those benefits because there are a lot of people that have lost their jobs and they have lived through it. We shall survive.”

Zambia Police Service spokesperson Ndandula Siamana said last week that Sikwa was dismissed from the Service after he was arrested in connection with activism around the Barotseland Agreement of 1964.

Siamana said Sikwa could not be given his dismissal letter because he was incarcerated and now that he was out of detention, he would be served with the letter in question.

However, Sikwa was released from detention by a Lusaka court via a nolle prosequi on February 25, 2011.