Police officers who man the Zimbabwe United Passenger
Company (Zupco) urban buses have petitioned government and the bus company over
unpaid overtime.
In the petition, seen by Southern Eye, the police officers
said they were working more than 18-hour shifts, which they alleged begin at
3:45am and end at 10pm.
“When those duties started, we had two shifts, one starting
at 3:45am to 1pm and the other at 1:01pm to 10pm. But the command said one
shift was enough,” read the petition.
The officers further said they spend many hours in the
buses plying different routes, which they felt was unhealthy.
“For 18 hours, we are given only lunch, which is not
enough,” the petition read.
They said Zupco was supposed to pay them an allowance of
ZWL$30 daily, which should through their command, but they had never received
the allowance.
“We hear news that Zupco pays travelling and subsistence
allowances at RTGS$30, but it does not reach us. Many have fallen sick due to
this strenuous duty,”
the petition read.
The police officers alleged that the Zimbabwe Republic
Police was engulfed by so much panic such that even those at police stations
were doing 12 hour-shifts.
“Security wise, we have so much fatigue. At Bulawayo
Central, they have 12 hour-shift again and there is panic all of a sudden. You
greed (sic) pay us our
allowances.”
Contacted for comment, national police spokesperson
Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said there was a period when officers
manning Zupco buses had to work
for longer hours due to logistical problems that the
force’s Bulawayo province command was working on.
“I admit that we had a period when our officers had to work
longer hours on the buses. This was due to logistical issues we had, but we
managed to solve that
within three days,” he said.
However, Nyathi said if members of the police force had any
problems, they knew the communication channel within the force, adding that
their grievances
would never be ignored.
“Our position as the Zimbabwe Republic Police is, we are
fully aware of the communication channels that we use in the event that we have
grievances. Right now,
members are doing a two shift system, and I believe some of
the allegations are exaggerated,” he said.
The police officers in their petition also complained over
lack of winter uniforms.
“We do not have enough winter uniforms. Is our police commander
aware of this?” the petition read. Responding to the complaint, Nyathi said: “I am not aware
of that, even the issue of ZWL$30 a day is new to me. Like I said, if police
members have a problem,
they should use the proper communication channel, and
desist from running to the Press.”
Zupco acting chief executive Everisto Madangwe distanced
the company from any responsibility to police officers on duty aboard their
fleet.
“I am not in a position to comment about the police
welfare, I can only talk about the welfare of the Zupco employees, which
happens to be my dispensation,”
Madangwe said.
ZRP officers have been on duty, maintaing security, ever
since the threat of violent demonstrations by angry citizens, particularly in
Harare, following fuel hikes in January. Newsday
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