'Don't eat, smoke in public,' Zim police warned

Zimbabwean police have reportedly been banned from eating and smoking in public, as the country's recently appointed police commissioner, General Godwin Matanga, seeks to clean the image of the force ahead of a crunch election.

According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, Matanga has also banned the police from walking around with hands in their pockets.

He said that police officers should always wear their uniform to increase visibility, and also stop spending time on social media on their mobile phones.

Matanga said this while addressing senior police officers in Harare last week.

He also warned the police against engaging in corruption and extorted discipline.

This came a few days after Home Affairs Minister, Obert Mpofu, signed a memorandum of understanding with Belarus, with the view to transform the Zimbabwe Republic Police into a modern and people’s force.

According to New Zimbabwe.com, Belarus was last year named among top ten countries with the lowest crime rate and high safety and security level in the Crime Index for Country 2017 compiled by Numbeo.

Mpofu said Belarus would help the southern African country in restructuring the police force into a police service after it lost trust with the citizens due to corruption allegations.

He said the two countries woukd help each other in fighting general crime, trafficking of drugs and human traffic as well as anti-terrorism.