Chihuri faces revolt

Police commissioner general Augustine Chihuri faces a revolt from his subordinates following his reported ban for all officers from operating in the transport sector arguing that the practice was negatively affecting their duties.

Chihuri reportedly issued a ban last Friday for all police officers in the transport sector to immediately cease operations.

However, junior officers who have been supplementing their meagre salaries with running commuter omnibuses said there was no way they would stop.

"We have families like the senior officials. During the land reform, the senior police officers got farms and we did not. Many have mines all over the country and companies," said a junior police officer from Gweru.

"When it comes to junior officers, we are banned from any activity to make extra money when we also have the same family obligations like the senior police officers.

"There is no way we are stopping operations in the transport sector. It is where we are getting money to fend for our families. They want to condemn us to poverty yet they enjoy with their families, it's not fair."

A former senior police officer said, Chihuri major headache lay on the implementation of the ban.

"The junior officers can either use people to front for their businesses or simply transfer ownership of those vehicles to their spouses or close relatives," the former officer said.

"The ban will only serve as rhetoric but nothing should be expected from it because it is loose ended. The monitoring of the implementation of the ban will only give them more headaches."

Police national spokesperson, senior assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba declined to comment on the matter when contacted.