A memo by police inspector general Kakoma Kanganja is circulating on social media, stating that police in Zambia have been banned from marrying foreigners.

The memo, dated 11 January, said that the police who were already married to foreigners should declare this within a week. Not doing this would attract disciplinary action.

Police spokeswoman Esther Katongo declared that issues of security are delicate. If not careful, foreign spouses can be spies and they can sell the security of Zambia.

This is not a new ban

Ms. Katongo told the BBC that an order had been issued, notifying police officers of the measure, but the ban itself was not new.

She said officers had obeyed the ban in the past but the new order had been thought necessary because some police had begun ignoring the ban.

Ms. Katongo said that some officers had married foreign women and that they are ignoring the previous requirement and this is why another standing order has been passed to remind police officers what they are supposed to do and not supposed to do.

She added that it was likely that police officers who had married foreigners would now be given some rules that they should follow.

There are bigger dangers than foreign spouses

Ms. Katongo also declared: "When you get married, they say that you become one. You know what marriage is, you share secrets. And you can tell police officers 'do not disclose' but you do not have control. You won't be in their homes to always check them.

However, Reginald Ntomba, on a Facebook post declared "Police officers who shoot and harm innocent citizens are a bigger danger to national security than the nationality of their spouses."

Reginald added that the 'High Command' is more concerned about its officers' spouses than the appallingly low levels of professionalism in its ranks reflects a frightening misallocation of priorities.