Police recover US$15m stolen funds

Trust Freddy

Herald Correspondent

POLICE have recovered over US$15 million out of US$64 million stolen by armed robbers in separate incidences, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, has said.

This also comes as over 11 000 police officers have been retrained as the Second Republic moves to ensure law enforcement agents bring peace and tranquility to the country.

Minister Kazembe announced the development to Members of Parliament attending a 2026 pre-Budget seminar in Bulawayo yesterday.

He said despite financial challenges, police officers are making progress.

“Zimbabwe Republic of Zimbabwe managed to recover US$15 million out of US$64 million, which was stolen through armed robberies,” he said. “That’s a big achievement. In fact, their target was only 15 percent, and that amounts to 24 percent and that is regardless of the challenges that we are facing financially.”

Minister Kazembe also revealed that while using the limited resources, the department is making strides in smart policing, adding that over 11 000 police officers have been retrained.

“We have started computerising our operations. We have procured nine drones. We have computerised 72 offices and at least for the first time in a very, very long time, we have managed to retrain 11 000 police officers.

“Mr Speaker, we have gone for years without retraining, it’s very important. It’s not a once-off to train police officers, we need to continuously train them as they execute the mandate as time passes by,” he said.

Police officers must know of their mandate and remain ethical in their conduct, added the minister.

Law enforcement agencies were also commended for their role in maintaining peace and tranquility, with Minister Kazembe adding that the realisation of an upper middle-income economy is dependent upon the police executing their mandate without obstruction.

“We want to acquire a certain level of income by 2030, which is our vision, all of us,” he added.

“But for that to happen, we need to have peace and tranquility in this country. The peace that we are enjoying now is not cheap and the police have managed to ensure that there is peace and tranquility in this country. “

Minister Kazembe also revealed that the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) had been roped in to participate in the digitisation programme as the Second Republic leverages on local expertise.

Zimbabwe has started to deploy the electronic crime management system, as Minister Kazembe believes that to be efficient police and the Ministry of Home Affairs, there is need to computerise operations.

“We need to deploy technology and police is not spared; so, we have started to deploy computers and to also deploy electronic systems in all our police stations.

“We are working with HIT because we know we don’t have the money, but we are using our own local resources and HIT, who have developed a very good system, which we are testing at Warren Park Police Station.”