The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) says it
will not brook mediocrity in its ranks and
that all cases of political violence reported
before, during and after political parties’
internal polls, including the forthcoming
harmonised elections, are dealt with
expeditiously and professionally.

Responding to media questions yesterday at
a press conference on law and order around
the 2018 harmonised elections, Senior
Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba
said the police force had introspected and
knew exactly which areas required redress.

“The police are no longer doing business as
before, but in this new trajectory, police
officers have been given guidance and there
is a vision to deal with all cases irrespective
of your political party, your stature in life,
your colour or your gender,” said Snr Asst
Comm Charamba.

“Inasmuch as you (journalists) are also
asking about the statement, it means that
something was not being done in the way
that you expect police officers to do their
work. I am saying this time around the
leadership has made it very clear that it is no
longer business as usual and all police
commanders were addressed and people are
working to achieve results,” she said.

“Internally, we have also introspected and
seen that as police, there are areas where we
need to improve. You are free to assess as
media after at least one month if police are
genuine,” she said.

Speaking at the same press briefing, Senior
Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza,
who has been appointed Commander 2018
ZRP Harmonised Elections, said the police
would do everything in their power to
ensure the forthcoming national elections
were violence-free.

“We are saying no to political violence. It
does not pay anyone anything. We do not
want political violence. We are going to put
into practice what I have just been talking
about. We are going to make sure that there
is no violence. We want a free, credible and
transparent election,” said Snr Ass Comm
Makodza.

“That is what every Zimbabwean is wishing
for. That is what the region is wishing for.
International observers also are wishing us
the same thing, so we must respect that.
Basically, we are not theorising anything,
what we are saying is what we are going to
do.

For your own information, (in) the fewer
cases we have recorded so far, most of the
accused persons have been arrested and
some of them are in jail as we speak after
being denied bail,” he said.
Snr Asst Comm Makodza said the judiciary in
liaison with the police and other
stakeholders has set up special courts
throughout the country to speedily deal with
politically motivated crimes.

Similarly, the police “has set up teams of
experienced investigators in provinces to
expedite the investigation and compilation of
dockets for prosecution”.

The ZRP, he said, had also engaged political
parties, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
(Zec), the Zimbabwe Human Rights
Commission and other stakeholders to
ensure that an environment conducive for
holding of peaceful, credible and violence-
free elections in the country- The Herald.