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Sikhumbuzo Moyo

Every Wednesday police officers throughout the country are expected to depart from the charge offices and head for various sporting fields, of course not all of them for obvious reasons.

Wednesday is a day set aside by police commanders for officers to take part in sporting activities and also mingle and interact with one another in an out of office environment. It is a time to exercise, make friendships, cement relationships and also share official notes in a different atmosphere.

The weekly games are also a precursor and a selection process to the regional.

Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisations Games (SARPCCO) where the Zimbabwe police officers have raised the nation’s flag sky high.

There is a big reason why police commanders decided to have a sports day. Reasons for this day are many and all very important to the organisation.

What however is of worry, lately is that Wednesday police sports days are now turning out to be mainly football days, at least judging by what is happening in Bulawayo.

We have so many sporting disciplines which give officers wide choices. Every police officer, if interested in sports, can always have his or her discipline but as said, it seems only football is being considered to be the only discipline and again crucially and sadly, for male police officers.

Great women sports police officers have been produced here in Bulawayo in the past.  You talk of the likes of Maria Ndlovu in tennis, Nontokozo Moyo also in tennis and netball as well as Nokuthula Nare in darts. There was also a good number of volleyball players scattered in various police stations in the city. Where are these officers? Why are they no longer participating in sports? Are women police officers being frustrated out of sports?  If so by who and for what?

Are police commanders aware that Wednesdays are now merely for men football?

Women police officers are now just reduced to cheer leaders during these football matches as was witnessed on Friday at Mpopoma High School during a ZRP Entumbane and Traffic match.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police as an organisation has a fully fledged sports office but the absence of active female police officers should and must worry police commanders, unless if they are not aware of this handcap in the organisation, especially in Bulawayo.

Wednesday sports days are supposed to be a busy, refreshing and exciting day for our hard working police officers.

Every sport code ought to be represented, literally. Yes perhaps it could be an issue of resources for some sport codes but not all sport codes require expensive equipment. Even if they do, ZRP has mutual relationships with a number of corporates who might be all too willing to offer assistance.

Police commanders in Bulawayo province need to take a deliberate move to try and encourage women police officers to participate in sports. Commanders must also take sports seriously and make sure sporting facilities within their stations are kept in good condition.

Women police officers themselves must also come to the party and take an initiative instead of choosing to go shopping or visiting relatives on Wednesdays.

They should not be seen only when the process to select squads for the SARPCCO games gets underway.

The commanders who chose to have a sports day knew what they were doing but they certainly did not put the day aside for male officers only.  It was all police officers regardless of age, gender or rank.

In 2019 while officiating at the Commissioner General Sporting Gala in Harare, Deputy Commissioner Stephen Mutamba said police officers should take sport seriously as it enables them to keep fit and remain disciplined while discharging their duties since sport goes hand in hand with discipline.

He said sports also builds good health, confidence and discipline. It transforms players into leaders and teaches participants how to strive for a goal, handle mistakes and cherish growth opportunities.

We surely need our female police officers to keep fit and remain disciplined as alluded to by Dep Comm Mutamba, not that they are not fit and disciplined but participating in sports increases those attributes.

We have so many female officers in our stations and the question is why are they not that visible on Wednesdays except as cheer leaders when their male counterparts are playing?