Zimbabwe’s armed and Security Forces have always been the pride of our nation and an envy of the world.  Police officers from the Zimbabwe Republic Police have been called on various United Nations peace keeping and policing initiatives in a number of conflict ridden parts of the world.  These include among others, Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina, where they have helped with the restoration of law and order under the UN banner.

The Zimbabwe National Army has also participated in United Nations and African Union peacekeeping missions where they have demonstrated a high level of professionalism and service.  Our armed forces have also participated in exchange programmes and training initiatives with other armed services from SADC and United Nations security organs.  All this is due to the recognition of the level of professionalism and quality of service that lies at the heart of our armed and security services.

However, the ZANU PF government has sought to tarnish the image of our armed and security services by abusing some of their units and turning them into tools of repression and torturing of Zimbabwean people.  The Police Riot Squad and Police Support Unit are only supposed to be used in times of national emergency situations that threaten the peace and security of Zimbabwe’s citizens.  But we have seen these units used to inflict injury, pain and suffering on innocent Zimbabweans.  They have been used as tools to violently silence the genuinely dissenting voices that dare query the self-serving policies of the ZANU PF government.

The ZPDP party has noted with great concern that the army has been used to beat and torture innocent civilians who dare criticize the government.  Some army barracks have been turned into torture chambers where a good number of innocent civilians and political opponents have met violent untold suffering at the hands of our supposed protective army at the behest of the powers that be.

The Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) has been turned from a professional and admired intelligence organization to a dreaded repressive apparatus that terrorizes the innocent lives of Zimbabweans.  All this has never been questioned because it is now seen as the prescriptive role of the army, police and CIO.  This goes against the conscience and founding principles of the ZPDP party.

A ZPDP government will put a stop to this unprofessional and desperate politicization of our armed and security forces. Our government will seek to retrain, re-orient and rededicate our armed and security forces to their primary role of protecting and safeguarding the security and safety of the Zimbabwean people.  Our government will restructure the army, police and CIO, and will enlist professional and logistical support for our armed and security services so as to have a positive projection of their image to the whole nation.

No Zimbabwean must ever live in fear of their own army, police or CIO.