BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA
The president of Zimbabwe Cde Dr Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa a lawyer by profession is alive to the fact that Human Rights Standards
International human rights law is binding on all States and their agents, including law enforcement officials. To that end he has made changes in the police by appointing Goodwill Matanga as the Police Commissioner General who has not disappointed.
Matanga in following the clear instructions of his principal has imparted in the police the understanding that Human Rights is a legitimate subject for international law and international scrutiny. Matanga has put upon Law enforcement officials an obligation to know, and to apply, international standards for human rights.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has moved from being a force to a service thanks to the human rights space opened by Emerson MNANGAGWA the soft as a wool listening president.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has developed programmes to ensure that all its officers and staff understand the principles of human rights and the obligations placed upon them. This is reflected in the policies, planning and practice of the Service.
Police Commissioner General Matanga set up a Policing Board which is responsible for monitoring the performance of the Police Service in complying with the Human Rights as enshrined in the National Constitution. To achieve this Police Commissione General Matanga and police service developed a monitoring framework for human rights, which allows the government to measure the Police Service’s performance against human rights standards.
Thanks to the listening president Zimbabweans now can trust their police than before.
The police in the new dispensation are professionals who understand that Human rights are central to everything the Police Service does to meet its commitment to keeping people safe. They are woven into the fabric of the policies of open door system introduced by President Mnangagwa.
This has improved the Police operations and everyday contacts with the community. In line with what MNANGAGWA has ordered for his people Matanga has taken an approach to preventing and investigating serious offences such as murderous attacks on our officers and other members of the community, disrupting and dismantling organised crime gangs and extend to preventing death on our roads, finding vulnerable missing persons and indeed all areas of police business including protecting property and maintaining peace and order.
Policing is changing in response to the very challenging public finance environment. While Matanga has changed the police substantially, the process is far from complete.
The president cde Emerson Mnangagwa has revamped the depleted fleet of the police cars and provided new cars to be used in a war against crime.
Just after three years in office Zimbabwe is already seeing real and positive benefits to the new national policing model. It is, the speed MNANGAGWA is using in delivering which has made the , community have faith in the commitment that the president has shown in policing and keeping human rights.
The scale of the projects the president is doing for his country should not be underestimated. Nor should the fact that the project has been implemented while continuing to deliver a service to the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and against a backdrop of severe sanctions against the nation.
The police have implemented structural changes and are also striving to make a processes more relevant to the demands and expectations of modern society. The Zimbabwe republic police works closely with partners in the Ministry of Justice and the National Public Prosecution Authority to develop ‘faster, fairer justice’ through more efficient working together, embracing new technology, driving forward a forensic strategy and renewing community resolution procedure.
The new dispensation has brought in a Police service with
Ethical and Legal Conduct based on Human Rights Standards understanding that
Human rights derive from the inherent dignity of the human person.
The Zimbabwe Police have adopted a policy to at all times fulfil the duty imposed on them by law, by serving the communi- ty and by protecting all persons against illegal acts, consistent with the high degree of responsibility required by their profession. The new dispensation has brought a police service which respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons regardless of their political inclination. Under MNANGAGWA all police actions respect the principles of legality, necessity, non-discrimination, proportionality and humanity.
<a href="http
://newsofthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IMG-20210921-WA0210.jpg”>
Contrary to what the detractors will say Zimbabwe under Mnangagwa has introduced a considerable responsibility to Democratic policing at the coalface of human rights and the legal system. That is to say, in Zimbabwean democratic society the police are the first and central actors in mediating between social conditions and legal structure, determining in large measure what is legal, fair, and just.
At the same time, MNANGAGWA has caused policing in Zimbabwe to demand attention to human rights and constitutional protections. Local policing is on the front stage of the legal system and invested with considerable discretion in determining.
It is this human rights legacy Mnangagwa brings to Scotland as he carries the Zimbabwean flag very high. We must always remember Zimbabwe is the only country we can call ours in the whole world. Let us all rally behind Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
Comments
About Author
