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and human rights abuses before and after the referendum and harmonised elections set for this year, deputy Officer Commanding Police in Matabeleland North province, Assistant Commissioner Musarasana Mabunda, has said.
Officially opening a week-long workshop on peace building and conflict management for police district community liaison officers from police stations in the province in Victoria Falls on Tuesday, Asst Comm Mabunda said the police and members of the public should work together for the betterment of the country.
The workshop was organised by the Silveira House Development Centre.
“Learning does not end and as we move towards the referendum and the harmonised elections, human rights topics become very relevant. With the elections coming up, we should declare zero tolerance to violence. We must all understand the human rights, as these will guide us throughout the elections,” he said.
Asst Comm Mabunda added: “Now that the elections are upon us, preparations for the elections should be centred on human rights.
“We find the human rights in the outgoing Zimbabwe constitution and we see them in the new constitution,which is subject to the referendum. You find the human rights everywhere from as early as the year 1215, when they were first recognised. So they need to be recognised.”
He said human rights were international norms that help to protect all people everywhere from different types of abuses.
Asst Comm Mabunda also said the police still maintained zero tolerance to corruption.
“We have zero tolerance on corruption. Corruption is evil in society as a whole. People who must have the highest degree of hatred of corruption in any country are police officers because they should be instrumental in suppressing this social ill,” he said.
In an interview, the workshop organiser from Silveira House, Mr Isaac Mumpande, said there was need to build bridges between the police and members of the public.
“We realised that there was a time when the relationship between the police and members of the public was a bit strained hence the decision to hold such workshops for the police officers who deal directly with the public.
“We will also call members of the public on Friday(tomorrow) to give them an opportunity to share their views with the police in the hope of building bridges,” he said.
The workshop continues today.
Online Reporter