NewsDay Weekender learnt that police transferred at least
66 top officers from various provinces.
The affected officers are expected to report to their new
stations by March 3.
A police internal communication seen by NewsDay Weekender
showed that officers affected in the transfer were senior cops ranking from
assistant inspector, superintendent, sergeant and constable among others.
“The following transfers have been approved and should be
implemented accordingly ...,” the memorandum read naming the transferred senior
officers.
But national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner
Paul Nyathi yesterday said he was not aware of the memorandum.
“I am not aware of the memorandum. Can you send it to our
WhatsApp number,” Nyathi said.
He had not yet responded by the time of going to print.
Last year, a Zanu PF central committee report disclosed
that some police officers attended the ruling party’s Herbert Chitepo School of
Ideology to “re-orient” them ahead of the watershed elections.
In separate interviews, political analysts said while police
regularly transfers its officers, the timing raised eyebrows.
“Going into the elections, it is crucial that the police
keep a distance between themselves and political parties and operate in terms
of the Constitution. Otherwise, we are going to see the police acting as if
they were party enforcers,” political analyst Effie Ncube said.
Ncube also said forcing police officers to attend Zanu PF’s
Chitepo School of Ideology orientation was “completely unacceptable and a
threat to democratic governance”.
“When applying the law in such a scenario, the police can
only selectively do so and exempt the party they are affiliated to. This is
what our Constitution sought to avoid,” Ncube said.
“Sadly, it is being ignored as if it does not matter. This
has led to the deepening of the political and economic crises and further
reduced chances for a free and fair election.”
Another political analyst Vivid Gwede said history shows
that transfers in the police force have sometimes been done “in bad faith to
punish or reward police officers”.
“However, having senior officers attending the Zanu PF
ideological school is unconstitutional. It is also a threat to the rule of law
and justice, which require impartiality by law enforcement Institutions,” Gwede
said.
The opposition has accused police of being biased towards
the ruling party. Newsday
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