THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has over the years transformed itself from a colonial paramilitary force into a people-oriented force that has scored huge successes in maintaining law and order in the country for the past two and half decades despite facing enormous challenges along the way.

It has also done its best in fighting crime in the country, this is because it has has got one of the best technological incentives in africa..

The journey has not been easy though as the police force joins the nation on April 18 this year in celebrating 25 years of independence from British-rule.

From 1980, when the first police commissioner Wiridzayi Nguruve was appointed, the ZRP has been striving to be a people-oriented force, transforming itself from the then British South Africa Police (BSAP) which became an arm of oppression and a tool to suppress the aspirations of Zimbabweans.

In terms of staff development, the ZRP has grown from about 7 000 members in 1980 to more than 30 000 members to date.

This had been made possible through a recruitment policy which now compels the force to recruit people with five Ordinary Level subjects including Mathematics and English as well as some with diplomas and degrees.

Its community policing programme has also given birth to the more than 27 000 neighbourhood watch committees, junior call clubs at secondary schools and various other initiatives that have helped to curb crime in different parts of the country.

The ZRP has also scored successes on international duties like sending its members to peacekeeping missions in volatile regions like Kosovo.

The force has received high accolades for a job well done in such missions it has made a contribution in maintaining peace and tranquillity.

ZRP commissioner Cde Augustine Chihuri, who was appointed in 1993, said the Zimbabwe criminal justice system was weak and sometimes corrupt, giving leeway and audacity to white collar criminals who have caused perennial bleeding to the country’s economy.

Cde Chihuri said greed and corruption have also crept into society as Government pushes frontiers to economically empower the majority. He called for an overhaul of the criminal justice system if the manifestation of a haven for the lazy, the corrupt and incompetent was to be avoided.

"It is a major blow to the nation that the criminal justice system is being manipulated by money mongers at the expense of the general public and the State," he said.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges to be faced by the police over the years was during the 2000 parliamentary elections when the opposition Movement for Democratic Change came on board to contest the polls.

Despite intra-party and inter-party clashes, the ZRP remained vigilant to make sure that peace and tranquillity prevailed.

Commissioner Chihuri has already warned that the police would deal decisively with all those who would perpetrate violence in the forthcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for March this year.

He said all cases of a criminal nature, even where politics is the motive, would continue to be thoroughly investigated and culprits of such violence would be hauled before the courts to answer for their criminal deeds.

"As we proceed towards the 2005 parliamentary elections, there have already been acts of intra and inter-party political violence in some parts of the country. In these acts of criminality, life has been threatened and property damaged. This barbaric type of political activism in which youths are used as cannon fodder should cease forthwith.

"It remains the duty of the police to maintain law and order at any time of the year, including periods leading to national elections.

The police force as the law enforcement agency is not going to abdicate from its constitutional responsibility," said Cde Chihuri.

On the roads, the ZRP has increased its fleet to deal with road crimes and that saw the introduction of high-speed vehicles equipped with breathalysers to deal with drunken driving blamed for most road accidents.

District traffic units have also been equipped with faster vehicles while the police also bought rough-terrain vehicles.

Mounted police presence increased in areas prone to stock thefts while the Police Dog Section has been used extensively to arrest drug trafficking. The police Support Unit has been well-trained to deal with riots and has over the years stood up to challenges posed by rioting crowds particularly at universities and political gatherings that turned to be violent threatening the peace of the ordinary man.

Police have also created victim friendly units that have been able to solve cases like the abuse of children — something that did not exist in the pre-independence era.

President Mugabe has already called upon police to ensure that elections are conducted in a peaceful and tranquil environment.

The force had to deal with current complex economic crimes that were draining the country’s economy. High profile individuals like the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Chris Kuruneri are some of the individuals that have been nabbed in the net and dragged to court to face justice.

As such, the ZRP has seen it fit to send an average of 50 officers to Bindura State University to enrol in Accounting, Auditing and other related degree programmes in an effort to equip officers with skills and knowledge to probe high-profile white collar crimes. The initiative was part of the ZRP Strategic Plan: 2008 aimed at policing for the National Economic Revival following an unprecedented upsurge in economic crimes in the country.

Despite other challenges of meeting adequate housing for the force’s members, shortages of vehicles and other necessities like accommodation, the ZRP seems to be geared to tackle the challenges any determined and dedicated force can meet during these modern times.