Zimbabwe’s government has implemented an immediate ban on mobile phone use by police officers while on duty.
According to an official memo, police officers must surrender their personal phones upon arrival at their stations, only permitted to retrieve them during designated break times.
While the memo does not explicitly state the reason, many believe the restriction aims to curb corruption within the force.
This bold measure follows a recent scandal in Harare, where two traffic officers were caught on video accepting bribes from public transport drivers.
The footage quickly went viral, sparking outrage and placing a spotlight on the issue of corruption in Zimbabwe’s police force.
The police spokesperson, Paul Nyathi, addressed the incident by describing the arrested officers as “bad apples who do not deserve to be serving in the police service.”
The ban seeks to build on a previous order issued to police stations last month.
Urging all commanders to enforce strict rules against mobile phone use on duty.
Despite repeated directives, the compliance level had reportedly been low, with some commanders failing to reinforce the policy among their teams.
Police protesting
The recent memo clearly states, “No member is allowed to be in possession of a cell phone whilst on duty.
Cell phones should only be used during break and lunch times.”
Station commanders who fail to enforce this policy now face disciplinary actions.
The memo notes that supervisors will be held responsible if officers under their watch are caught with mobile phones while on duty.
Many Zimbabweans view this directive as an essential step toward reducing police corruption.
Which has long been an issue amid low wages and challenging working conditions.
The perception of corruption within the police force has been widespread.
Further Zimbabwe’s officers are often viewed as part of one of the most corrupt institutions in the country.
With the ban now in effect, the government appears to be pushing for a cleaner and more disciplined police force.
