Sunday, March 6, 2011

Spot fines benefiting police force

Published in The Standard 6 March 2011

The recent survey by Mass Public Opinion Institute (Mpoi) on the corruption in the police force has to be attended to without delay. You only have to be a driver to come face to face with the stinking corruption in the police today.

What baffles me most is the pretence of holding those receipt books as if they would be writing down information on charging the offender. In fact what would be happening is a serious negotiation for the alleged offender to pay less to individual officer.

When I was faced with the choice of paying half the fine and not get the receipt, I opted for the payment of the full amount and the officer just could not believe my generosity.

She was even prepared to lower the amount I would to pay as long as it was not going into the state coffers. This is how low our police force has sunk.

Most of the road blocks mounted are money-making ventures for the police force. One wonders whether this is actually the “training” the modern police force is going through.

They almost do the same in terms of how they swindle money from the public.

What is more disturbing is that in some instances, there would be senior officers manning these road blocks watching, as if in approval the corruption going on. No wonder people are saying it is official. But should the ministry responsible just watch as this practice continues unabated?

Is it the work of the police to swindle the offenders? What happened to being charged and going to pay at the police station? The spot fines are only benefiting the corrupt police force. No wonder those yellow sleeves police put on are now called “money-links”.

A couple of months ago one officer looked for a defect on my car and asked me to pay for it. I had very little money on me and for me to be allowed to proceed with my journey the officer asked me to give him that whole amount. Up to now I feel bad even though the money was very little. Are there still police with conscience in our beautiful country or corruption has taken the upper hand?

By Rev Dr Levee Kadenge

RESPONSE FROM ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
ZRP not corrupt: Bvudzijena

The Standard, Monday, 20 March 2011 09:47
The characterisation made by Rev Levee Kadenge about the Zimbabwe Republic Police in his letter to the Editor titled “Spot fines benefitting police force” is very surprising and disturbing, particularly as it comes from somebody we believe is an opinion leader judging from his title of Reverend.

We applaud him for refusing to pay a bribe in the first part of his narrative but would like to indicate that he is an accused person for paying a bribe “a couple of months ago” with the “little money” that he had, as admitted in the last part of his letter.

We do not expect such behaviour from a man of the cloth and I hope he would not like us to address all reverends as corrupt.

The ZRP has been very clear and is on public record that it will deal sternly with members of the organisation who commit crimes, including that of bribery. Some have been discharged from the organisation for accepting bribes.

Such members have been dismissed because somebody somewhere took a stand and the ZRP appropriately responded.

Such members of the public have assisted in ensuring that the organisation cleanses itself instead of glorifying the demise of a national institution such as the ZRP. I hope Rev Kadenge will take a cue from this.

It did not and does not need the Mass Public Opinion Institute for us to respond to issues of corruption. Since the launch of our Service Charter in 1995, and the ZRP being the first organisation to do so, we have pleaded for co-operation with and assistance from members of the public to ensure that we deliver a satisfactory service.

We still stand by the pledge we made and those who wish to help, hopefully, will do so.

Let me also hasten to disabuse Rev Kadenge of the notion that the ZRP is corrupt. The ZRP is not corrupt and about 99% of the force are honest and hardworking civil servants.

W Bvudzijena (Senior Assistant Commissioner)
Chief Staff Officer (Press and Public Relations)

RESPONSE FROM SMS FEEDBACK THOURGH THE STANDARD

March 27
Why does Bvudzijena deny what is obvious?
I write to comment on police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena's response to Reverend Levee Kadenge's letter. Bvudzijena must be from outer space. It's common knowledge that the ZRP is corrupt and rotten through and through. The drivel about 99% of the force being honest is laughable. Can he tell us what the ZRP has done to the ZANU PF thugs who he admitted were equally responsible for the recent poliyical disturbances in Harare? Nothing. It's a shame to be so partisan. by Concerned

March 27
HA ha ha! - ZRP not corrupt? Who does Bvudzijena think he is fooling? - I suppose the ZRP are not that either, going by his stetement. He is wasting his breath and newspaper space. by Justice.

RESPONSE FROM AN ORDINARY READER
Bvudzijena hiding behind a finger on ZRP corruption.
Sunday, 03 April 2011 13:57

When I first read the initial letter from Rev Levee Kadenge, I was pleasantly surprised that finally something was being said in the open about this current scourge of corruption within the ZRP.

However on reading police spokesman Ass Com Wayne Bvudzijena’s response (if one can call it that) in The Standard of March 20, I was left speechless and emotions of anger came over me. Bvudzijena made a total mockery of the serious issue that was raised.

He cannot respond with such blatant impunity and seriously expect to get away with his nonsensical response to an issue that, for a very long time, has overwhelmed the ZRP.
Every Zimbabwean who drives knows fully well the experiences we all go though when stopped at police road blocks. How dare Bvudzijena remark that Rev Kadenge is an “accused person”. If this be the case, then we all are.

I cannot believe that he doesn’t know that when stop-ped at a police road block, the officers in attendance circle around your vehicle like a pack of lions about to pounce on its prey, looking for any excuse to issue a ticket in order to extract a bribe.

Bvudzijena should be asha-med of himself for addressing the nation in such a condescending tone — does he take us all for fools? He needs to take a good look at himself and seriously consider the issues raised in Rev Kadenge’s letter instead of being arrogant and clever for nothing.

Bvudzijena should think before spewing out his asinine drivel to cover up what everyone knows. I think he got the percentage numbers mixed up in his final remark that 99% of the force aren’t corrupt becase they are, and he knows it


“Not fooled”
Quibusd antiunt, Ferrente

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