ZIMBABWEANS are an angry lot and are bleeding profusely inside their hearts, tortured by the realisation that institutions established to defend and protect them are doing the complete opposite. They force them to pay money for public services that ordinarily must be free.They force them to travel long distances to access vital public services because they want citizens to feel that they are important. They corruptly flex their muscles to accumulate obscene riches at the expense of the poor.They are a sham to society and dent the image of important national institutions. We are referring to institutions like the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). Publicly, this force prides itself for serving people selflessly, yet most of its officers have transformed into rouge elements and criminals that don’t deserve to wear that esteemed uniform anymore. They have become lethal human beings that don’t serve but abuse, kill or steal from citizens. It is so sad. We are concerned that the rot that has crept into the ZRP has been left for long to flourish. It seems no one cares to protect society from the adventures of rotten apples within the force. This week, we were again shocked by the spectre of rouge officers storming a bus and firing teargas on innocent passengers. We wondered if those shameless criminals have been trained in human rights or if they know how dangerous it can be to fire volleys of toxins at defenceless citizens. If the ZRP wasn’t moved by scenes of women jumping off the bus through windows to flee brainless officers, then nothing else will. We remind the ZRP that what happened on Monday was unacceptable. It only confirmed our fears that this force is determined to violate people’s rights with reckless abandon. The shooting and injury of Tinashe Zharare, an unarmed Chitungwiza vendor and brutalisation of citizens during the lockdown period are some of the abuses that have dented the force’s image. The unfortunate incident in which armed police officers opened fire on an unregistered speeding kombi, killing one passenger along the Mutoko-Nyamapanda Highway last month is yet another example of how not to enforce law and order. Police need to be reminded that while they are there to enforce the law, they are not above the law.
