Public urged to maintain law, order during polls

Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent

Police have advised the public to maintain law and order during the upcoming 2023 harmonised elections, adding that they were prepared to enforce the law to ensure public safety.

Speaking during a discussion on Zimbabwe’s electoral preparedness ahead of the 2023 elections organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said everyone should desist from violence and maintain peace before, during and after the elections.

“We are aware that currently people are in the mood for elections and there are various processes which are being undertaken by political parties,” he said.

“There is a need for law and order to be maintained in the country and I am happy to say that Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga is working with various stakeholders, including the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, which is mandated to ensure that elections are conducted in a peaceful manner.

“No one is allowed to be violent towards others or to instil fear in others. We are fully aware that there are political parties that are in the process of selecting candidates for the National Assembly, Senate and local authority, before we move on to the national elections and as the police, we want to urge all the contestants to ensure that peace prevails before, during and after the electoral.”

Asst Comm Nyathi said they do not expect double standards from candidates, where they discourage violence publicly while going on to encourage violence in private.

“Candidates should also be very careful with the way they use their language because it can either make or break a country.

“Our language as we lead up to the elections has to build people and not a language which separates people,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

At the moment, the police are conducting public order training for their officers throughout the country ahead of the polls.

So far, about 75 percent of police officers have been trained, said Asst Comm Nyathi.

It is hoped that by the end of April, the exercise would have been concluded.

“The Commissioner General of Police has also set up a ZRP Elections Committee to coordinate the deployment of police officers at all polling stations to make sure that peace is maintained at these polling stations.

“I also want to assure the country that we have got enough police officers to deploy at polling stations,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.