The Sunday Mail
Editor’s Brief
Victoria Ruzvidzo
A few days ago, a video was circulating on social media, of a mob that attacked police officers who were trying to arrest two men in one of Harare’s high density suburbs. It was not clear what these two men had done, but what shocked me was the fact that the crowd turned on the police and some people started beating them up. One of the officers fell into a ditch in the process.
A few days later, a picture circulated on the restive social media, this time showing a woman and her two toddlers who looked like twins below four years of age detained at Rhodesville Police Station in the capital. We were made to understand that the mother had been thrown into the cells because her two kids were not wearing masks. She had a mask herself.
The picture was quite sad and shocking to the extent that even the national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi moved quickly and issued an apology, saying investigations into the mishap had been launched. This was a regrettable occurrence.
Among other psychological issues, the children were, in fact, exposed to the disease more in the cells than at home. They still had no protection when the picture was taken.
We find these two scenarios quite unfortunate and disconcerting, requiring that both the police and the general public sober up somewhat in dealing with issues. Mob psychology on the part of the first case and seeming overzealousness on some policemen in the minors’ case are toxic and counter-productive to say the least.
Case Number 1
The police in this country and in any other jurisdiction, are a symbol of peace and security in the communities they serve. Their instructions should be followed to the letter as they ensure provisions of the Constitution and other laws and guiding principles are observed.
The police are the go-to people when anyone’s rights are infringed upon, particularly those to do with peace and security. Since childhood we have always known that the presence of a police officer pacifies any situation hence they need to be respected and allowed to carry out their duties well.
The rising number of cases where policemen are brutalised or disregarded is a worrying trend that should not be allowed to deteriorate further. If communities disempower the police through such unruly behaviour, who then will safeguard their rights.
Harassing the police was something that was unheard off in years gone by. It was taboo. It did not happen. Suggesting any such would elicit unprintable superlatives but sadly this has now become the order of the day in towns and cities.
Visuals of police officers running for dear life have now become common sight and yet they are supposed to be the ones to induce fear into criminals or anyone displaying untoward behaviour.
A few of our good police officers have even been run over at roadblocks as unscrupulous drivers try to evade potential arrest.
We have noted even at road-intersections when they are controlling traffic where some drivers have the temerity to disregard their instructions by the police officers and simply drive through when they have been signalled to stop. This causes chaos and avoidable accidents that the police will be trying to avoid.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police is established by Section 219 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which provides that:-
There is a Police Service which is responsible for –
Detecting, investigating and preventing crime;
Preserving the internal security of Zimbabwe;
Protecting and securing the lives and property of the people;
Maintaining law and order; and
Upholding this Constitution and enforcing the law without fear or favour.
This is not difficult to understand and it’s such a shame when we find people from all walks of life getting in the way of such noble assignments.
The Police Charter is clear that the Zimbabwe Republic Police is a people-oriented police service provider that seeks to maintain law and order towards the socio-economic development of the people.
Its mission is to maintain law and order, protect and secure the lives and property of the people and to institute dynamic policing practices that engender effective prevention, investigation and detection of crime.
This sounds simple and straightforward. How some individuals and institutions can disregard such authority from a well-meaning arm of the Government baffles the mind.
But what is certain is that this is something we cannot allow to continue.
The law must come down harder on those that physically or verbally attack these men and women who do their best to maintain law and order.
Let us work towards restoring police dignity and ensure they conduct their duties without fear. They should not always be in anti-riot gear for them to be feared. Instead we should respect them and allow them to do their work for the betterment of the communities within which we live. They do not have to be throwing tear gas or water cannons to induce fear but their orders must be respected and taken as is.
Case number 2
However, in some cases, the police have exhibited harmful levels of excitement where basic logic and common sense need to prevail.
As with the case of the minors that were thrown into the police cells with their mother, the excitable officers should have realised their action was more damaging to the minors.
Throwing them into those confined and presumably overcrowded areas without masks and exposing them to the usually unwholesome talk by offenders and alleged offenders in the police cells and other misdemeanours was most unfortunate. Such innocent lives need total protection by the police and the community at large.
Other cases of police insensitivity have been reported countrywide. These have not helped the lot and the resultant disrespect says it all.
The fact that some of them have openly defied the laws they are supposed to enforce, has seen them lose their stature with the public. Indiscipline should never be a word in the police vocabulary.
Furthermore, reports have been submitted where in this lockdown the commuter omnibuses on the roads are said to belong to the police, in flagrant disregard of Government’s directive. The cliché that who should police the police becomes a question that needs answers.
Many police officers now openly demand and receive bribes, while others are involved in other corrupt practices that line their pockets while damaging their reputation. There can never be any justification to such immoral behaviour.
The civilians that steal uniforms and masquerade as police offers demanding money from the public do not help matters either.
This emboldens the need for the police force to have a form of identification that is full proof and distinguishes the genuine from fake. Many people have lost money and other material goods to those purporting to be police officers.
In many instances the very active and alert Asst Comm Nyathi has step in to warn people against criminals masquerading as police offers, sending the later into hiding. They then resurface at a later stage to torment unsuspecting members of the public once more.
The beauty of it all is that the police has provided statistics to show that the indisciplined lot among them are very few hence our confidence in the police force remains well-placed.
It is unfortunate that in life the few bad once spoil the broth. We only hope that more disciplinary measures are instituted to tame the wayward ones.
Otherwise our police is one to reckon with. Internationally, this country’s police force is renowned for discipline and hard work. It has been engaged by the United Nations on a number of missions over the years. It has not disappointed at all but has carried Zimbabwe’s brand with much aplomb.
The ZRP, in its charter, states that it aimed to be the leading police service provider in the world by the year 2020. We are not sure if this has been achieved or its still work in progress.
In God I Trust.
Twitter handle: @VictoriaRuzvid2; Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
