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There is nothing partisan about Zim police: Chihuri

by Staff reporter
23 Feb 2012 at 21:08hrs | Views
Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga and Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri share a lighter moment at a passout parade at Morris Depot in Harare
THE Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri says there is absolutely nothing partisan about a Zimbabwean police officer loving his country and being prepared to sacrifice and die for it.

He said no one should apologise for such a disposition.

The force, Comm-Gen Chihuri said, has dignity in the face of the public because the supremacy of its constitutional mandate was paramount.

"As police, we hold the dignity of the Zimbabwean people and the supremacy of our constitutional mandate as paramount. Law enforcement is at the heart of a peaceful and restful nation. Zimbabwe is one such nation.

"In this regard, there is absolutely nothing partisan about a Zimbabwean police officer loving his country and being prepared to sacrifice and die for it. There should not be any apology for this disposition," he said.

On complaints raised by transport operators about police blitzes, Comm-Gen Chihuri said the police will remain on the roads in full force carrying out their lawful duties.

Kombi operators alleged that traffic policemen were harassing them and extorting money.

Operators plying the Harare-Norton route on Monday withdrew their services in protest over the police blitz.

The kombi crews said they were paying in excess of US$50 per day in bribes to traffic cops.

But Comm-Gen Chihuri said the traffic unit had formed anti-corruption committees to deal with the scourge.

"As Commissioner-General of Police, I will be grossly irresponsible to take the officers from the roads and accommodate them in offices just to lazy around. Their work is out there and they will remain out there," he said.

He was speaking at a passout parade for 290 policemen and women in Harare yesterday.

Comm-Gen Chihuri took a swipe at the private media, which he said continued attacking the police by writing negative stories without facts, misleading the public.

"The unwarranted attacks have been ignited by the intensity of police presence along our roads and this has been misconstrued as a deliberate harassment to the motoring public.

"The torrent of these accusations mask a deliberate play and ploy of a hand that intends to use the police force as fodder for political ambition and office.

It is our view that, if these machinations are allowed to continue, the ordinary people may be entrapped into a web of deception," Comm-Gen Chihuri said.

He said it was important that public intelligence was not insulted by lawbreakers and outright criminals to further their misguided ambitions and egos.

"There should not be any apology for this disposition. Let me state categorically that the reckless and misguided call to remove the traffic police from the roads is a non-starter," he said.

Comm-Gen Chihuri urged the police to remain vigilant to ensure total peace, security and safety of all.

He said the ZRP abhors corruption not only on the roads but also in all areas of operation and within its rank and file.

He said they had always appealed to the public to report any cases of corruption and where corruption has been detected so that appropriate action would be taken. The Comm-Gen said in many cases, the concerned officers had been fired from the force.

He said they had noted that those who were operating kombis illegally and those driving without licences were on the forefront of corrupting police officers for their benefit.

Comm-Gen Chihuri said: "We want to assure the nation that we will continue to deal with the corrupters and the corrupted in the same vein. Our appeal if that anyone who has a genuine case against police officers is invited to approach any police commander or any police station with his/her complaint."

He said the force had scored many successes as a result of the intensification of police patrols and presence on the roads.

According to police, cases of carjackings and armed robbery, smuggling of goods and copper, road carnage, traffic congestion and illegal operators, have gone down.

"We are pleased that the courts have been in support of the police effort and they are currently reviewing the token for traffic violators. Let me also advise the nation that those who are complaining and who are known to use the words partisan and police state interchangeably are doing so as a strategy for their own benefit," Comm-Gen Chihuri said.

He said these poisonous accusations were meant to sow discord and divert focus of the police.

"Unfortunately this will not happen as the ZRP has an accurate understanding of its mandate and the expectations upon it as custodians of peace and order in terms of the constitution," he said.

Source - TH