via Chihuri blames poor pay for ZRP sleaze 10/11/2013 NewZimbabwe
ZRP chief Augustine Chihuri has urged the government to address working conditions for the police and suggested that poor salaries were encouraging vice in the organisation.
Junior police officers are notorious for demanding bribes, especially from motorists, but the ZRP was recently forced to admit that the rot also affected its top ranks.
Addressing a senior officers’ conference in Harare last week, Chihuri said an improvement in the conditions of service was needed adding the situation was quite “dire” in many cases.
“Conditions of services, particularly salaries and accommodation, are at the centre of hardships faced by police officers,” he said.
“I am not at all trying to justify corruption and those who are corrupt will surely face stiff punishment, but some of the situations are just dire and provoke corrupt tendencies.
“Honourable ministers, the following areas need urgent attention from Government to help smoothen police operations; underfunding which has become perennial, erratic and unpredictable not only continues to choke police operations, but in some cases has eaten away the gains achieved over the years.”
Zanu PF has since agreed to increase civil service wages in line with the country’s poverty datum line which the government estimates at US$540 per month.
The ZRP recently admitted that a number of senior cops had been forced to retire after being implicated in corrupt activities.
Chihuri initially claimed the cops were leaving after reaching the retirement age of 50 only for his national spokesperson to admit, a day later, that some had been kicked out over graft.
Said Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba last month: “The involvement of Commissioner Oliver Chibage and others in all these cases is a matter which falls in the purview of police discipline which has already been handled under the Police Act and the matter has been finalised.
“With regards to the issue concerning Commissioner Chibage, we wish to advise as follows; that the action taken by the police is commensurate to the involvement of the said officers.
“The organisation has no policy of over-killing a matter in pandering to the whims of the hard-hearted who would want to see a mountain falling and burying Chibage.”
COMMENTS
While it is true that poo.r wages are the cause of cop corruption, we expect a bit more from you defenders of the law. At times munozonyadzisa… But rambai makashinga, we are in
RUBBISH, CHIHURE!
A person given a bmv plus navara were they underpaid
I am asking cause I really don’t know. What do you mean ?
Corruption in ZRP is not only tolerated, it is encouraged. It is an integral part of the body of corruption that is the life-blood of the ruling party. You cannot have a uncorrupt police force upholding the rule of law when all levels of government are riddled with corruption. They would be arresting all sorts of “do you know who I am?”s
Is this a warning to all potential tourists to zimbabwe.
We are being told senior officials who engaged in corruption are being dealt with. How come Chihuri himself, who among other things, claimed to be 90% disabled in order to defraud the War Victims Compensation Fund has not been dealt with.
One other fact is that any Police Officer chosen to go for peace keeping duties has to surrender part of his/her earnings to Chihuri. This is an open secret.
Even Chibage wasn’t adequately dealt it. He committed criminal offences and should therefore have been tried in a court of law.
Naiye Chihuri imhondi!
Corruption must stop with Mugabe, he must resign call for new election, fire all his stooges in the likes of Chiwenga, Chihuri and Bonyongo and Zimhondi. Then corruption will just go with them. How can a crab tell its off spring to move straight.
How come these so-called under paid police personnel have money to drink in public places with hooligans? When you confront them why they are doing that they black list you and stop your vehicle for funny check ups.I remember one day telling two policemen to be proud of their organisation’s uniform and badge because I caught them drinking outside a grocery shop with local criminals.Corruption has nothing to do with low salaries but greediness and abuse of power.Please stop justifying corruption by giving silly excuses.
Though elections are over, they have clearly shown that elections have not been effective to bring about a desired government in Zimbabwe. In future, Zimbabweans have to be sure of the independence of any electoral commission before they agree to an election. To be insane is to keep doing something over and over again, though it continually yields the same undesired outcome.