Zimpapers Logo

Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE new police Commissioner General Tandabantu Godwin Matanga should be given a chance to restore the integrity and credibility of the police force without being judged based on the conduct of his predecessor, a Cabinet Minister has said.

The Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi, said this during a question and answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Cde Ziyambi was responding to MDC-T Binga North MDC-T legislator Mr Prince Dubeko Sibanda’s claims that Comm Gen Matanga was part of police bosses who presided over falling standards in the police force.

Comm Gen Matanga was on Monday appointed substantive Commissioner General, a position he had been holding on an acting capacity following the retirement of Dr Augustine Chihuri in December last year.

Cde Ziyambi said Comm Gen Matanga is a new man on the job and should be judged on how he conducts himself going forward.

He said the new police Comm Gen has been assigned to restore the police force to its untainted image.

“As you may be aware, we now have a new Commissioner General of police. One of his functions is to ensure that the integrity of the force and status that it enjoyed in past is restored. It is our hope that the Commissioner will do his duties accordingly,” said Cde Ziyambi.

He said it was unfair to claim that the new police boss had a tainted image without substantiating the claims.

“The Honourable Member is casting aspersions on the character of the Commissioner General without any evidence — which, with all due respect, I believe is not necessary. He is a new man on the job. He has been tasked to do a job and casting aspersions on his character without any substantive evidence is wrong,” Cde Ziyambi said.

“The way I responded is the Hon. Member has indicated that the Commissioner General is tainted and in the absence of what has tainted him, he is deemed to be an innocent man.”

Cde Ziyambi said Comm Gen Matanga is a constitutional appointee and his character should not be assassinated based on unfounded claims.

“He is a constitutional appointee appointed by the President after consultation with the Minister responsible for police and what I was alluding to is he is a new man on the job; he should be judged according to his own shoes that he wears,” Cde Ziyambi said.

“I would not want to belabour questions about the character or things that someone has done that have not been brought either to the attention of Cabinet or to the President.” — @nqotshili