Katanga’s conviction, a serious warning to current, future thieves n public office

By Daily Revelation Editor

The Magistrates Court two days ago convicted and jailed former deputy Inspector General of Police Charity Katanga for corrupt practices.

In jailing her, magistrate Chibwili told her that she had dishonored the uniform she wore proudly with her conduct and put a stain on the police as an institution.

But Charity through her lawyers in mitigation said serving a jail term for the crimes she committed was synonymous to having all the energies she expended as a police officer into a bottomless pit.

Charity is among those people who you either like or hate, and we can safely say that her conduct did not endear her to the majority in this country. It is one thing to be corrupt, but another thing also to behave properly and professionally towards people. However, Charity failed terribly on both scores, as not only was she corrupt but showed herself to be one of the most partisan senior police officers around. As a result of that, her judgment was clouded when it came to handling political and other hot button matters in the country.

There is this phenomena where some corrupt thieves actually gain public sympathy whenever they are convicted and sentenced, mainly because of their attitude towards other people. When a sad situation like the one Charity has found herself in happens, human sympathy must automatically be channeled towards them. It’s not always exciting to see a bad thing happening to another person, especially one who spent a long time in the service of her career. Alas in Charity’s case, people were salivating for the reality of what has just happened to her. They were looking forward to her being punished and that is what has exactly happened. Many are celebrating Charity’s conviction, sad as that sound. However, it is true.

This should always send a message to those currently serving in these public positions, especially those in state institutions. You must remember that these positions you are holding are temporal and will go away one day. The power you hold today will not be there tomorrow. While you are in these public offices behave properly towards people as one day you be out of there. It does not pay to indulge in overly partisan postures and seem to be overly doing the bidding of the politicians in power. As you hold those positions, put in your level best to serve as professional as you could so that you maintain your standing when those who you are serving under are voted out of office.

Instead of helping to perpetuate the taint on the institutions you are serving, be as professional as you can to raise the image of those institutions. And while you are there, try by all means to live within your means. Remember, you have those salaries, allowances and other privileges which millions of other Zambians out there are not privy to. Live within your means. What you are getting may not be enough, but you are actually better off than the millions out there. If you feel your entitlements can’t match your ambitions, please leave that space you are occupying for the others who will treasure them, and you can move on to where you feel the remunerations will match your ambitions.

Otherwise if you remain in a place where you feel your insatiable appetite cannot be matched you will start abusing those public offices to service your ends and not the people you were appointed to serve.

Indeed, this conviction should send serious warnings especially to those who are serving now. Live beyond reproach.