Drunk cops in trouble
POLICE have instituted disciplinary proceedings against three Buhera constables facing charges of unprofessional conduct emanating from an incident in which they allegedly quarrelled with members of the public at a bottle store while clad in police uniform.
In a fiasco which occurred on February 9 at Buhera business centre one of the cops allegedly uttered unprintable obscenities towards a patron who was wearing a Zanu-PF T-shirt bearing the image of President Mnangagwa.
The junior officers, who were allegedly in drunken stupor, started chanting MDC-Alliance slogans, forcing other patrons to join them.
Officer Commanding Manicaland Police Commissioner Wiklef Makamache said drastic measures would be taken against officers who put the name of the organisation into disrepute.
“As we speak right now, disciplinary measures are being taken against the accused persons. This is an internal process and I assure you that criminal proceedings will also follow as soon as the in-house remedies are exhausted.
“As police we do not condone rowdy behaviour within the rank and file of the organisation.
“We get more worried if our members conduct themselves unprofessionally while wearing police uniforms.
“Undermining the office of the President of the country is a serious offence and we want to get to the bottom of what really transpired,” he said.
Commissioner Makamache urged members of the public to report cops who behave unprofessionally to the nearest police station. He said the ZRP was rebuilding its image and thus there is zero tolerance to corruption and unprofessional conduct.
Circumstances to the Buhera incident were that on the day in question at around 9pm Const Shushai Chiringa (36) who is stationed at ZRP Murambinda was clad in police uniform when he arrived at Matombo Bottle Store which is run by Takunda Chipenzi.
He allegedly confronted one Munoda Katiza who was wearing a ZANU PF yellow T-Shirt and a green cap with the image of the President Mnangagwa.
The cop allegedly touched Katiza’s T-shirt and shouted obscenities in vernacular language saying “Muchiri kupfeka hembe dzemunhu uyu arikutitambudza, bvisa madhodhi ayo. Mashaya hembe dzekupfeka here?”
He also spitted saliva on the ground.
Inside the bottle store Chiringa confronted Panganai Chifamba who was also wearing Zanu-PF Party T-shirt and a cap.
He uttered the same obscenities towards Chifamba. He then sat on the bottle store counter and started chanting MDC Alliance political slogans.
The two other constables, Terrance Makombe (27) and Ationeishe Musaigwa (32), stationed in Buhera, who were also drinking beer in the bottle store while in police uniform, joined in and responded to the slogan that was being chanted by Chiringa.
The situation got tense and the matters only chilled after the bottle store attendant switched off the radio and threatened to close shop as there was now chaos and disorder.
The three suspects subsequently left the premises.
The constables were arrested the following day after police intelligence officers picked up information about the case and carried out investigations.
Statements were recorded from witnesses who chronicled how the incident occurred.
Chiringa is being charged for undermining the authority of or insulting the President as defined in Section 33 (2) (a) (i) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23.
The three constables are also jointly charged for contravening paragraph 48 (1) (2) (g) of the Schedule to the Police Act Chapter 11:10 as read with Section 29 and 34 of the said Act which does not allow officers to be identified with an organisation or movement of any political character.
They are also being charged for contravening paragraph 35 of the Schedule to the Police Act Chapter 11:10 as read with Section 29 of the said Act which does not allow the officers to act in an unbecoming manner prejudicial to good order or discipline or reasonably likely to bring discredit to the police force.
The trio is currently on suspension awaiting appearance before the criminal and disciplinary courts.