UN recruits Zimbabwean cop despite bad police record

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

The United Nations (UN) has appointed a senior Zimbabwean police officer to draft a police techniques curriculum despite fierce criticism against the local law enforcement agency’s human rights record.

Police chief, Augustine Chihuri on Thursday sent off Chief Inspector Tapfumanei Christopher who will work in South Sudan advising the UN on the curriculum.

“The officer was competitively selected by the UN after a global selection process. He will take up the post of adviser to the joint integrated police in the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan,” Chihuri said.

South Sudan is saddled with a devastating civil war after gaining self-rule several years ago.

President Robert Mugabe, while speaking at the national Heroes Day commemoration last week, hailed the Zimbabwean police for external appointments and maintaining internal peace and stability.

However, embassies, war veterans, human rights defenders have rapped the police for brutality in handling citizen protests.

In July, police ruthlessly assaulted, arrested and tortured civil protesters who were demonstrating against the Mugabe government, resulting in at least one death of a minor.

Police were captured on video beating up a defenceless woman as a senior officer held her wailing child.

Following arrests of hundreds of protesters, lawyers lodged complaints of inhuman treatment of their clients.

Over the years, police details have persecuted critics of the Zanu Pf government but no redress has been effected.

Chihuri, a war veteran, is a self-proclaimed supporter of Zanu PF and recently warned that the police would crush future protests. Nehanda Radio