17 Zimbabwean officers off to South Sudan for peacekeeping

THE Commissioner General of Police, Godwin Matanga, has called upon officers who are leaving for a United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan to prioritise their duty of fostering and sustaining peace.

Seventeen Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers will soon be deployed for the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan.

Of the 17 officers, 10 are female. Comm Gen Matanga said the people of Sudan will put their trust on these officers to keep the peace as they rebuild their country.

"Just like what I have always done, let me also say to the departing contingent, as you partake of the demanding task ahead, always be mindful that the main reason we are sending you to lands far away from your homes and families is to foster and sustain peace," he said.

"Always take pride in the knowledge that your selfless contribution to peace will find its place not only in world history, but also in the hearts of generations to come.

"It is also noteworthy for you to remember that your colleagues that have served in many other UN missions across the world before you have set the bar too high. You should, therefore, bear in mind that we have sent you to be representatives of the organisation and indeed our beloved nation."

Comm Gen Matanga reminded the officers that discipline should always come first.

"I call upon each and every one of you to shun all forms of behaviour that might bring the ZRP and our country into disrepute," he said.

"You should always remember the fact that discipline should manifest within the contingent itself first before we talk of the deserved respect for police colleagues of other nationalities.

"Dispel the misinterpretation of the UN's stance on having a rank-less mission under which some among you might be tempted to end up being contemptuous of authority of the command element within your contingent. You should rather always exhibit the highest standard of discipline and ethical conduct."

Comm Gen Matanga said the deployment comes at an unusual time where the Covid-19 pandemic has altered everyone's traditional way of life.

"In this regard, let me say to you that we are all duty bound to continuously conform to the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for travel and gathering, among others," he said.

"In line with the precautionary measures aimed at enhancing safety, I would like to take this opportunity to challenge all of us in our respective communities to embrace the vaccination programme which is being conducted free of charge and to shun vaccine timidity, misinformation and the negative conspiracy theories."