Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF party has launched what it calls a civic education program in which police are being re-oriented towards supporting and voting for the ruling party ahead of the 2023 harmonized elections.
According The Standard, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s party has engaged in a massive ideology-orientation scheme and voter mobilization campaign, among the rank and file of the police.
The newspaper reports that Zanu PF is educating police about the principles of the former liberation movement.
Some police sources told The Standard that similar programs were conducted by the ruling party when the late former President Robert Mugabe was still in power.
Police are expected to attend eight hour sessions Monday at all district headquarters in Zimbabwe. The first training was done in Harare and Bulawayo last week.
The Standard quoted a senior police officer, who requested not to be named in fear of being victimized, as saying, “We have received a radio (police internal communication) this morning (Friday) that every police officer should attend what they call the civic education training
“The training has been done in Harare and Bulawayo, with ruling party officials facilitating them. “According to the internal communication, the police officers will divide themselves into two groups at each station in every district so that one group attends the training while the other conducts the policing work. The radio emphasised that everyone should attend."
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told The Standard that police were undergoing the training but professed ignorance of Zanu PFs involvement.
Senior Zanu PF officials were unavailable for comment as they were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.