What our police should not be doing- djshuly

What our police should not be doing

Sylivester Ernest 

By Sylivester Ernest

Posted  Sunday, February 8  2015 at  13:10

In Summary

However, there is every sign that those in the powers that may be are ignoring the very issues that caused failed states to reach to that stage. One such issue is the use of excessive force by state organs. Whether one agrees or not, a precedent is being set, slipping into lawlessness is at times a matter of seconds. People’s confidence on the police, for instance, is going down. And this is bad.

I’ve never thought of Julius Nyerere’s land, Tanzania, as a failed state. Its economy may be weak, its government in financial crisis, corruption rocking it and press freedom under threat, but it would be an exaggeration to say it is a failed state. Things are much worse in the so called failed states.

However, there is every sign that those in the powers that may be are ignoring the very issues that caused failed states to reach to that stage. One such issue is the use of excessive force by state organs. Whether one agrees or not, a precedent is being set, slipping into lawlessness is at times a matter of seconds. People’s confidence on the police, for instance, is going down. And this is bad.

The brutal manner in which the police suppressed the peaceful demonstrations by members of the Civic United Front (CUF) is uncalled for. Video footages show that some of those who were arrested got beaten even when they were already under police hands.

Principles of human rights and good governance were clearly violated in the incident. Only under rare circumstances can the police use force, normally in self-defence. Video footages show there was no resistance whatsoever from those who were being arrested.

Our country is not under military rule, so such incidents were not to be expected of the police. The argument that the police are taking the measures to prevent terror threats just doesn’t fit in the scenario. CUF might not have been allowed to demonstrate, but I don’t think beating them up that much was of any help. In fact, the police only end up creating more defiance.

Could we say that the police were acting under instructions from some politicians? If that was the case, then it’s one of those issues being ignored that could cause us trouble. If anything, such acts only fuel hatred between the police and the people. This is not what we want, no?

Events like this are very disturbing. People become even more resilient. We’re in a crucial year in which very important events have been scheduled to happen. Let the police and politicians handle matters with extra-care for the good of the nation.

Instilling fear, treating people unfairly are what the government should refrain from. Let’s focus on what will help to cement our nation as one rather than on those that divide us.

Sylivester Ernest is a Chevening Scholar studying for an MA in Media and Development at the University of Westminster, UK. Twitter: @MahwahwaJr