Police to retrain Junior Officers to avoid another January fracas

Following public anger over the manner in which police officers handled countrywide protests that broke out in January during which a reported 17 unarmed civilians were killed, Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga has revealed that the police force is set to re-train its junior officers to equip them with the latest trends and better skills to deal with riots.

While officially opening the re-training program, Police Commissioner-General Matanga said:

Some operational shortcomings have been laid bare by the recent events especially the violent incidents that engulfed the nation in August 2018 and January 2019, respectively.

It is in this regard that government has seen it prudent that the Zimbabwe Republic Police begins in earnest to implement recommendations of the commission of inquiry into the post-election violence which was chaired by former South African President, His Excellency, Kgalema Motlanthe.

… Key among these was the need for equipping the police with the skills and capacity for dealing with rioters.

The police to be further trained in order to be professional and non-partisan in the interest of national cohesion and the protection of all citizens. Corporate failings to be prevented.

Towards that end, training and supervision of police officers shall be on-going in order to ensure that all strategies to rebrand and transform the organisation dovetail with the government’s trajectory.

A total of 62 officers have been chosen as pioneer group to undergo this course which shall cover duties and responsibilities of an officer in charge, resource management, management of discipline, corruption, customer care, briefing and debriefing among others.

Mail and Telegraph