ZRP officers resist arbitrary transfers

via ZRP officers resist arbitrary transfers New Zimbabwe 17/01/2015

THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched yet another round of staff transfers with officers being arbitrarily moved to different stations around the country.

But according to sources officers are this time around resisting the move with some preferring to resign instead of being moved to areas they don’t like.

Last year police commissioner Augustine Chihuri transferred over 2000 officers, in a major shake-up which the ZRP said was aimed at minimizing corruption within the force.

At the time junior and senior officers from all police departments were moved from urban to remote areas and vice versa around the country. The transfers would see traffic cops working from Zvishavane, transferred to as far as Mt Darwin, Chirundu, Victoria Falls and Mutare among other locations.

Sources Saturday said the officers at Gweru Central police station were last week resisting transfers that were not announced and done without consultations.

“We received a radio communication and the Officer in Charge was busy handpicking people for transfers but we were not told the criteria being used,” said a source.

“I for one was told that I will go to Mutapa police station while my other colleague has been transferred to Kwekwe Central police station.”

“The only problem we are having is that it seems those selecting people to be transferred are doing so based on their relations with other officers,” said the source.

Officers who spoke to Newzimbabwe.com said these transfers did not stem corruption because those responsible for it were the ones sending innocent officers to other stations.

“There is need for a commission to investigate all senior officers and their business interests,” said a source adding: “it is not fair that you are told of a transfer when children are opening schools.”

Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said there is nothing unusual in transferring police officers.

“It’s an organisation policy to transfer officers and no one should spend more than two years at one station,” Charamba said.

“Even the senior officers are sometimes transferred to other stations so those complaining may be the new recruits who do not yet know the policy.”

A few years ago the Anti-corruption Trust of Southern Africa found that Zimbabwean traffic cops were the most corrupt in the region.