We’re ready for elections: ZRP 

Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Harare Province has said it is ready to maintain law and order, before, during and after harmonised elections slated for July 30.

Addressing police officers at Harare Central Police Station last Friday, Officer Commanding Harare Province Senior Assistant Commissioner Elias Mvere said the officers were all aware that President Mnangagwa had proclaimed July 30 as the date when people would cast their votes.

“Harare Province’s area of policing has 29 constituencies according to the BVR registration exercise and these fall in five policing districts,” he said.

The five districts are Chitungwiza, Harare South, Harare Central, Harare Suburban and Mbare.
“The province has a total of 671 polling stations, 19 constituency command centres and 53 collation centres,” said Snr Asst Comm Mvere.

“As you are all aware, both Zanu-PF and MDC-T political parties have all gone through their primaries. In both instances, the province managed to professionally police these events, notwithstanding policing challenges such as inadequacy of human, financial and material resources.”

Snr Asst Comm Mvere said the province would benefit immensely from the input of the Police General Headquarters 2018 Harmonised Elections Committee.

The committee is being led by the 2018 ZRP Harmonised Elections Committee Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza, who has embarked on a tour provinces to check the preparedness of police officers.

Last week, police said they were ready to deploy ahead of the forthcoming harmonised elections and urged officers to heed the call by President Mnangagwa to deal with all politically-motivated crimes.

In a statement recently, Snr Asst Comm Makodza said the ZRP had a constitutional mandate to ensure that the forthcoming harmonised elections were held in a peaceful, tranquil and violence-free environment.

He said the Commissioner-General of Police Godwin Matanga had set up a committee to co-ordinate, guide, supervise and ensure police deployments were focused towards a conducive atmosphere for holding of free, fair and credible elections.
Comm-Gen Matanga said in line with the pronouncements by President Mnangagwa, the force had a zero tolerance on all forms of politically-motivated crimes and will arrest anyone who engaged in any form of violence.

In February, President Mnangagwa urged the police to play a pivotal role in ensuring the harmonised elections were held in a conducive atmosphere through effective policing.