MARONDERA - Junior Police officers here have commended The Zimbabwean for exposing the abuse of policemen at a police farm project.
The Zimbabwean carried a story entitled Police become farm workers in its issue of December 17, 2009. Following the exposure, police hired civilian casual workers from the community, to replace police officers engaged as farm workers at the Semi Luis farm, on the outskirts of town. Before the publication of the story, our integrity was bartered as we used to be paraded and hand picked for farm duties. This was despite the shortage of personnel to combat crime in the province. At least we are relieved by the hiring of civilians as farm workers. Workers are transported every morning to the farm in a police truck, said a police sergeant at the district headquarters.
Other police officers said the paper was a true mouth-piece for the voiceless. Contrary to what was impressed upon us by senior officers, that The Zimbabwean has a political agenda, we have realized the paper voices concerns of the down trodden, said another junior officer at the station. Junior members in the uniformed forces not benefiting from Zanu (PF) patronage politics, rely on the independent media to convey disgruntlements to decision makers in their organisations.