Zimbabwean lawmakers have urged the government to improve the living and working conditions of the police force, saying that most of the infrastructure used by the law enforcement agents is in a state of disrepair.
The MPs said that some police stations still have wooden offices that are leaking and falling apart, and some police officers lack access to clean water, health facilities, and transport.
Admire Mahachi, a member of the ruling Zanu PF party representing Mutare North constituency, asked the government what its policy was regarding the welfare of the police force.
He cited the example of the provincial headquarters for Manicaland province, where the Murahwa building that houses the police offices has a leaking roof and is no longer fit for use.
He also mentioned the Marange police station, which was built using wood and needs to be replaced with bricks.
Mahachi called on the government to make plans for the refurbishment of police stations and camps across the country.
Water and Transport Challenges
According to a report by NewZimbabwe.com, Mahachi also raised the issue of water supply in some police camps, saying that some officers have to fetch water from nearby rivers, which is unsafe for human consumption and affects their performance.
He gave the example of Mudzi police station, where the officers get their water from a river instead of a borehole.
Another MP, Biatah Nyamupinga-Karimatsenga, who represents Goromonzi West constituency, also complained that some police officers do not have transport to attend to cases of gender-based violence, especially in rural areas.
She said that people report such cases, but the police say they do not have vehicles to go to the scene of the crime.
She asked the government what it was doing to ensure that the police are well-equipped to deal with such issues.
Government Response
The leader of government business in parliament, Ziyambi Ziyambi, who is also the justice minister, responded to the MPs’ concerns.
He said that the 2024 national budget will address the issue of police welfare, and that the government has been working to improve the situation.
He dismissed the claim that the police do not have transport, saying that the president has done a lot to capacitate the police, the army, and the prisons with vehicles in the past two years.
He informed them that the presence of vehicles from the security sector within the community has increased, and MPs should be honest about that.
It was also stated that the government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of the people of Zimbabwe, and that the police force is an important part of that.
