Depot in Harare were turning out to register at the Market Square Registrar General’s offices. Accompanied by their bosses from ZRP, the recruits were in a queue separate from other applicants, whose line was long and winding.
The police recently revealed plans to recruit about 20,000 officers to beef up the 40,000 strong force in preparation for elections set. Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri, who has openly sworn allegiance to Zanu (PF), is on record threatening to purge ZRP of officers sympathetic to MDC-T.
In January he urged wives of senior officers to show their “patriotism” by voting for Zanu (PF). It is not yet clear how police officers are going to cast their ballots but, in the past, they have been forced to do so at their work stations under the supervision of their bosses.
Some recruits told this newspaper that they were not being asked to provide proof of residence, as required by the Electoral Amendment Act. “We are only being asked to produce our national identity documents and ZRP IDs,” said one of them.
The Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, Solomon Zwana, confirmed receiving reports regarding preferential treatment being given to security officers and said the trend was worrying as it was likely to lead to irregularities in the process.
“We urge the responsible authorities to make sure that correct and proper procedures are followed so that we do not have a breach of the procedures,” he said.
The Director of the Election Resource Centre, Tawanda Chimhini, said the issue of giving preferential treatment to uniformed forces at voter registration centres raised questions regarding the credibility of the process.
Junior army officers are being directed in where and when to register. “I was trained at 5 Brigade in Kwekwe where we were ordered to go and register and reminded that we should protect the country’s sovereignty by voting for Zanu (PF) in the next election,” a junior soldier told The Zimbabwean.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, said there was nothing unusual about police details being directed to register in numbers. “Police officers are entitled to register and vote like any other Zimbabwean and those misguided elements who are of the view that they are being told to vote Zanu (PF)should continue dreaming,” she said.
Post published in: News