Police Undergo 20-day training ‘in Brutality’ as Zimbabwe tick-tocks Towards 31 July

An apparently jittery Zimbabwe Government, visibly caught in sixes and sevens as the envisaged July 31 mass protests continue to gather momentum, has reportedly devised desperate ways of stifling dissent, including the 20-day training of police officers ‘in brutality’.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has since sent memos to various stations across the country in which nominees for what it calls ‘Public Order Management Re-training’ are expected to attend, starting next Monday.

In one such memo seen by Zwnews, the training for Bulawayo Province wil be held at Ntabazinduna Training Depot.

“Addresses are advised that Training and Development intends to conduct a twenty (20) day Public Order Management re-training for Bulawayo Province at Ntabazinduna Training Depot,” partly reads the memo penned by the Dispol for Nkulumane addressed to all stations in the Nkulumane policing district.

“All participants and trainers will be accommodated and fed at Ntabazinduna depot during the entire training period.’

But commenting on the latest move, fugitive former cabinet minister Professor Jonathan Moyo suggested ways through which Zimbabweans were supposed to conduct themselves during the planned nationwide protests.

“Take Glen Norah A, B (and) C in Harare. They have one police station with 21 officers. If Glen Norah demonstrations (and) sit-ins are at its shops (and) offices, the 21 officers can’t use brutality,” Professor Moyo said in comments posted on his Twitter handle.

“Another Harare example is Waterfalls. It encompasses Parktown, Zindoga (and) Mainway Meadows; all with one police station that has less than 30 officers (and) no cars. If Waterfalls residents demonstrate at shops (and) sit-in at public offices there, 30 #ZRPs won’t manage,” he said, while signing off all tweets with the increasingly trending #ZanuPFmustGo hashtag.

The impending mass demonstrations are being fronted by activist Jacob Ngarivhume but the Zimbabwe Government has pointed fingers at MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, with former minister Patrick Chinamasa challenging the popular opposition figure to lead in the front than exposing the masses to brutality from state deployed security forces.

Zwnews