Vusumuzi Dube
Members of the police force must be loyal and dedicated to duty and put their country and people first ahead of personal interests, Commissioner General of Police, Godwin Matanga said on Thursday.
He said this during a briefing and debriefing of incoming and outgoing police officers to and from South Sudan on a peacekeeping mission.
Matanga also paid tribute to the returning five officers for the outstanding performance that they displayed whilst in South Sudan, resulting in their other five counterparts having their tenure extended by another six months in that country.
“The exploits of these police officers during their stint in South Sudan epitomize the deep-seated work ethos and discipline resident within (the) Zimbabwe Republic Police. To date, a good number of our police officers have earned accolades and medals on similar international assignments.”
“More so, the fact that five (5) of their counterparts had their tour of duty extended by another six months is a ringing endorsement of this contingent’s professionalism and dedication to duty. This indeed is a standing testament to the character of the organisation through our police officers over the years,” he said.
He said the event bore testimony to the indelible footprints that the Zimbabwe Republic Police continues to leave on the international peace-keeping arena, adding that over the years, the organisation’s contribution and performance profile in peacekeeping missions had left a consistent, traceable and broadly acknowledged success story.
He also commended the returning officers’ commitment, courage and tenacity, which he said is a true embodiment of policing excellence and a real demonstration of our African values of Unhu/Ubuntu/Botho, including the abhorrence of conflict.
“At this juncture, let me hasten to say that I am aware that the duty of peacekeeping has its own challenges. The returning contingent has seen first-hand, the negative ramifications of violent conflict to a nation state, that we in non-conflict countries take for granted.
“It is also clear that while your duties placed you in harm’s way, such experience no doubt engraved in you the virtues of self sacrifice, justice and morality even as you join your peers and colleagues at the various workstations,” Matanga said.
He implored the officers to draw lessons from all the situations that they grappled with during their international peacekeeping stint, saying it is now time to blend such experience with that of their colleagues back home as they collectively seek to make the country free from all manner of criminality.
“Certainly, you have returned at a time the country is preparing to host the SADC Summit in August this year, just a few weeks from today. As I welcome you back home, I wish to take this opportunity to urge you to quickly adjust in order to be in step, more so as you resume your day-to-day duties,” he said.
New Ziana
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter