In a development that has highlighted how much the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is incapacitated, Rujeko Police Station in Masvingo urban is reported to have hijacked City Council’s public toilet which is a few meters from the station and is reportedly locking away members of the public who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of the facility.
This came out in a full council meeting held at Town House
on April 21 2022 when the recently re-elected ward 7 councilor Richard Musekiwa
raised the concern.
Musekiwa said the police post has no toilet of their own,
and officers have resorted to using the public toilet which they are reportedly
personalizing.
“Police in Rujeko have personalized the public toilet in
the suburb yet it is a council-owned property and it should be accessed by the
public not the police to make it their property,” said Musekiwa.
He said police have since put a padlock to deprive hundreds
of people who ply and stay close to Rujeko A shops.
Ward 8 councilor Against Chiteme also said the police camp
should construct their own toilet than depriving residents access to their
toilet.
“Rujeko police station should construct their own toilet
instead of taking over council property leaving the public without ablution
facilities,” said Chiteme.
Masvingo City Council Mayor Collen Maboke said the police
station should just be closed as no such institution is allowed to operate
without a toilet.
“No one is allowed or should operate without a toilet and
those without toilets must be shut down. So if Rujeko police base does not have
a toilet, they should just close,” said Maboke.
Efforts to get a comment from acting provincial police
spokesperson Sergeant Lloyd Masundire were futile as he was not reachable.
When Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage,
Kazembe Kazembe and Commissioner General of Police, Godwin Matanga visited
Masvingo in April 2021, they toured police posts including Rujeko and were told
that there were lots of shortages in terms of resources in police departments,
chief among them being shortage of toilets at many camps.
Officer Commanding Masvingo Province Commissioner David
Mahoya told Kazembe and Commissioner General Matanga that the province was
faced with shortages of toilets, offices, police vehicles, stationery, fuel and
accommodation among other things and also said the case of Rujeko police
station was worrying saying under normal circumstances, the station would be
condemned as there were no toilets as well as office space.
“Literally there is no police station here, there are no
toilets, the place is small, officer in charge shares offices with other
staffers and no vehicles to deliver services,” said Commissioner Mahoya.
During that visit Kazembe said government was aware of the
challenges being faced by the police which include accommodation for officers
saying concerted efforts were being made to address that but up to now nothing
has materialized. TellZimNews
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