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Members of the public look up to the police to maintain law and order by enforcing the country’s laws. It is the police who are expected to fight all forms of crime. Motorists, passengers and even pedestrians look up to the police to enforce traffic rules and regulations to ensure there is sanity on the country’s roads.It is the enforcement of traffic rule and regulations that can help reduce the carnage on our roads. Residents can only sleep peacefully if they are guaranteed police protection from burglars and other criminal elements. Members of the police force are therefore not expected to be among those that violate the country’s laws.
Reports that police officers are operating shebeens in Mangwe district in Matabeleland South province are very disturbing. Who then will police the area if the very people who are expected to ensure there is law and order commit crime? The reports of police officers operating sheebens in Mangwe have been confirmed by the Minister responsible for police, Deputy Home of Affairs Minister, Cde Obedingwa Mguni.
We have no reasons to doubt the accuracy of this information given the fact that Cde Mguni is also the Member of Parliament for the area. The shebeens, Cde Mguni said, were fuelling criminal activities in the area. He said it had come to his attention that some of the police officers in the area had engaged workers to operate shebeens and other illegal businesses.
He said this explained why the illegal activities had persisted for several years despite complaints from locals. Cde Mguni said squatter camps had mushroomed in the mining areas in the district and it was at these squatter camps that shebeens, illegal butcheries and grocery shops had been opened. Many locals, Cde Mguni said, had lost livestock and they suspect those operating the illegal butcheries were responsible. Community leaders have also complained about increased number of young girls engaging in prostitution at the shebeens.
Cde Mguni urged the police to act urgently to stop the illegal activities in his area including shebeens that are said to be operated by police officers. He said Mangwe Rural District Council should also stop collecting rates from squatters. The council in our view has legalised the squatter camps by collecting rates instead of being in the forefront in ensuring orderliness in its area of jurisdiction.
The council should immediately destroy these squatter camps that are causing locals sleepless nights because of high crime rate in the area. Now that Cde Mguni is in charge of police, we expect him to descend heavily on his police officers so that they stop forthwith engaging in illegal activities that tarnish the image of the police.
The individual police officers operating shebeens and other illegal businesses should be disciplined. It is these few bad apples that tarnish the image of the entire police force. Police officers, as already alluded to, should be men and women of high integrity whose conduct should be beyond reproach.
Society looks up to the police officers to fight crime and protect citizens from criminal elements. We want to once again implore Cde Mguni to immediately take measures to ensure the illegal activities in Mangwe are stopped and that the bad apples from the police force are weeded out.
Online Reporter