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Kudzai Chikiwa, Chronicle Reporter

POLICE Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga yesterday challenged law enforcement agents to be always alert to ensure that the country is not destabilised.

Comm-Gen Matanga made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Commissioner General (Crime) Stephen Mutamba during the closing of the rebranding and refresher training course for junior police officers from Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South at Ntabazinduna Training Depot. 

The police have now trained junior officers from all provinces.

Comm-Gen Matanga said police should work to ensure that the country continues to be peaceful. 

He said police officers play a critical role in maintaining an environment that is conducive for socio- economic growth.

“Needless to say therefore our constitutional obligation to guarantee peace and security for industry and commerce to thrive cannot be overemphasised. You must therefore go and defend the peace and tranquillity that currently exist in the country, against the evil machinations of those who seek to destabilise our motherland,” Comm-Gen Matanga said.

He said police officers should utilise the skills that they learnt during the training for the benefit of communities they serve and the country at large.

The police boss said Government is aware of challenges that officers face and is working to solve them.

“Government under the Second Republic is committed to transforming the ZRP into a modern police service with the requisite tool of the trade to discharge its policing mandate,” he said.

 Comm-Gen Matanga said the rebranding courses help the police to clean their image that had been tarnished to gain the public’s confidence.

 “The central idea is that through professional and needs based policing activities the ZRP is able to transform the negative attitudes in our citizens of Zimbabwe from apathy in our community policing initiatives to interest and willingness to be part of them; from hostility in our operations to empathy and understanding, from ignorance in our roles and mandate as the police, to knowledge and finally from prejudice to acceptance as well as support,” he said. – @tamary98