The development likely to create chaos, saw Mpofu yesterday suddenly announcing that he has reduced the number of senior police officers to be retired from about 30 to 11.
“This letter serves to advise you of your retirement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police in terms of section 22 subsection (3) of the Police Act Chapter 11:10 effective from midnight on the 19th of January 2018,” reads one of the letters.
“You will be paid three months’ salary in lieu of three months’ notice of termination of service.
“The Acting Commissioner General of Police avails himself this opportunity to sincerely thank you for having diligently served the organisation and the people of Zimbabwe. Wishing you and your family a pleasant retirement.”
A further source said the shakeup was not complete as more cops would be retired.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Obert Mpofu said he had not been formally informed about the issue.
“The police are employed by the Police Service Commission, so I wouldn’t want to comment about something that I have not been formally informed about,” he told the state media.
On Thursday, police sources said those that had been served with retirement letters were Deputy Commissioner-Generals Innocent Matibiri (Human Resources), Levie Sibanda (Operations) and Josephine Shambare (Crime).
Commissioners Olga Bungu, Mekia Tanyanyiwa and Grace Ndebele also received their letters.
Others were Senior Assistant Commissioners Charity Charamba, Godfrey Munyonga, Angelina Guvamombe, Justice Chengeta, Robert Masukusa, Eve Mlilo, Grace Maenzanise, Prudence Chakanyuka, Erasmus Makodza, Wiklef Makamache, Edward Fusire and Douglas Nyakutsikwa.
The retirement letters were signed by Acting Comm-Gen Matanga and were titled “Retirement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police in Terms of Section 22(3) of the Police Act Chapter 11:10”.
Extension of service for members beyond 50 years is governed by Section 22 (3) and (4) of the Police Act Chapter 11:10.
Section 22 (3) states that a regular member of the force, whatever his length of pensionable service, shall retire from the regular force at midnight on the 50th anniversary of his or her birthday.
A provision in the same section empowers the Commissioner-General of Police to extend the service of the member if he considers it in the public interest and the member is medically fit.
He may extend the tenure to 55 years on yearly extensions.
Section 22 (4) states that any member who has continued to serve in terms of subsection (3) shall retire at 55 years of his anniversary.
A provision in the same section empowers the Commissioner-General of Police to extend the service of the member if he considers it in the public interest.
The extension would be 12 months at a time.
In terms of the Police Act Chapter 11:10, the extension of service after 50 years is exclusively the prerogative of the Commissioner-General of Police.
Post published in: Featured