Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) ,Victoria Falls Launches Service Charter

When we talk of the Zimbabwe Republic police force, we should clearly let the nation know that, as of today, the punitive US$100, 00 road fines are now officially in place. Suffice it is to say that, ZRP,welcomes all drivers to 2016, please remember to carry your wallets on you all the time!..lol

Anyway, on a more serious note, the traditionally brutal Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has now launched a district service charter in Victoria Falls town.

This document is designed to create community awareness about the police force, improve police/community police relations , police effectiveness peace and security in Victoria falls and across Zimbabwe as a whole.

The reader knows very well that cooperation and support of stakeholders including local business, religion, sport, cultural, health and education government departments , Human rights lawyers, and donors amongst many, is critical to the fulfilment of this objective, however Mugabe’s lawlessness and lack of respect for the rule of law, clearly stands in the way of such progress within the community.

It is important for the country to ensure that all laws are aligned with the new national constitution so that we can achieve positive transformation of the police service to the people of Zimbabwe.

In a nation which holds respect for the Rule Of Law, a client service charter becomes a binding social contract between the service providers, who are the police service in this case and the service recipients, who are the local community.

The social contract is empowering for the people on the ground, giving the ordinary person in the street, the voice, by making the police accountable with respect to the promised service.

Twenty years ago, I was travelling nationwide in Zimbabwe, throughout all provinces, and meeting interested parties including the Police HQ, publicity department in Harare. I toured the country meeting the grass roots communities affected by the police service and listening and documenting their concerns and how best they felt these could be addressed in teamwork with the police force.

I published these documents and engaged the communities through disseminating all the gathered information in books published then, The Police and Your Rights, and translated versions of the same documents in Shona (Mapurisa nekodzero dzenyu) and Ndebele (Amapholisa lama lungelo enu) which were made available in community projects mini project libraries. Members of the public greatly enjoyed the information and put it to full good use, thereby positively changing their lives, obviously to the displeasure of Mugabe’s ruthless Zanu PF as the information reached out to their powerhouse, but thats another chapter.

Obvious, today, what I continuously fought for 20 years ago now makes sense to the police force. The Police Service Delivery is important, so, well done but let it not be theoretical, as the people need to see you deliver as per your promise. This is of paramount importance for good community relations, peaceful co-existence with our neighbours and a peaceful 2018 ballot.

I covered wrote, edited and translated into Ndebele, Shona, and English, numerous topics on good governance, democracy, human rights and voting, topics which the target communities, people at grass roots level enjoyed and couldn’t get enough of, topics which were inherently suicidal to delve in, back then, but my defiance to oppressive authority will always be firmly expressed at the very least through my writings, which are no longer limited to the grass roots communities but reaching out to all interested parties, in Zimbabwe and across the globe through both social and mainstream media. By Sibusiso Ngwenya

photo-The booklet, (The Police and Your Rights, and translated versions of the same documents in Shona (Mapurisa nekodzero dzenyu and Ndebele (Amapholisa lama lungelo enu)