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Integrity Scorecard

2009 Assessment

Zimbabwe: Integrity Indicators Scorecard

Zimbabwe : Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Law Enforcement
Indicators		Score
83	Is the law enforcement agency (i.e. the police) effective?	42
84	Can law enforcement officials be held accountable for their actions?	75

Indicator and sub-Indicator Details

Is the law enforcement agency (i.e. the police) effective?

83a: In practice, appointments to the law enforcement agency (or agencies) are made according to professional criteria.

Score:

100

Comments: Initial appointments to the police force are made on merit. Typically, the minimum qualifications are five ordinary level subjects including Maths and English. However, promotions are a closely guarded secret. The president has huge discretionary powers when making appointments to senior positions in the uniformed forces.

References: Transparency International Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Mass Public Opinion Institute, "National Integrity Systems: TIZ Report", TIZ, Harare, 2007

George Smith, "President making unlawful appointments", The Zimbabwe Independent, Oct. 29, 2009

83b: In practice, the law enforcement agency (or agencies) has a budget sufficient to carry out its mandate.

Score:

100

$Scoring Criteria :: 100 Score Criteria: The agency (or agencies) has a budget sufficient to fulfill its basic mandate. <p>50 Score Criteria: The agency (or agencies) has limited budget, generally considered somewhat insufficient to fulfill its basic mandate. <p>0 Score Criteria: The agency (or agencies) has no budget or an obviously insufficient budget that hinders the agency\'s ability to fulfill its mandate.$

Comments: The police force has an insufficient budget to carry out its mandate. The police force has inadequate resources for transport, accommodation and other resources.

References: Zimbabwe Independent, "Recruits asked to pay for upkeep", [ LINK ]

Transparency International Zimbabwe and Mass Public Opinion Institute, "National Integrity Systems; TIZ Report", TIZ, Harare, 2009

Peer Review Comments: Most police officers use public transport or are given "free rides" by motorists. This diminishes their status and make them prone to corruption.

83c: In practice, the law enforcement agency is protected from political interference.

Score:

100

Comments: The president makes appointments to senior ranks in the police force and there have been accusations that appointments are made along party lines and therefore the police force is biased towards the ZANU PF.

References: International Bar Association, "Partisan Policing: An Obstacle to Human Rights and Democracy in Zimbabwe, 2007, [ LINK ]

George Smith, "President making unlawful appointments", The Zimbabwe Independent, Oct. 29, 2009

Peer Review Comments: The current police chief has openly declared his support for ZANU (PF).

Can law enforcement officials be held accountable for their actions?

84a: In law, there is an independent mechanism for citizens to complain about police action.

Score:

YES

Comments: The ombudsman can investigate human rights violations and citizens can bring legal suits against the police.

References: Constitution of Zimbabwe

Police Act

Ombudsman Act

Peer Review Comments: What is important to note about the office of the ombudsman is that it is not known to the public. I personally witnessed it as an undergraduate, where in a tutorial group of 15 students, there were only two students who knew about the office.

84b: In practice, the independent law enforcement complaint reporting mechanism responds to citizen's complaints within a reasonable time period.

Score:

100

Comments: Investigations of complaints against the police force may be delayed or not undertaken at all.

References: Hiuman Rights Watch, "You will be thoroughly beaten: the brutal suppression of dissent in Zimbabwe" [ LINK ]

Transparency International Zimbabwe and Mass Public Opinion Institute, "National Integrity Systemes", TIZ Report" TIZ, Harare, 2007

84c: In law, there is an agency/entity to investigate and prosecute corruption committed by law enforcement officials.

Score:

YES

Comments: They are the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Internal Investigation Section at Police Headquarters.

References: Prevention of Corruption Act

Constitution of Zimbabwe

Police Act

Chihuri A, Police Commissioner, "Compols presentation on Community policing in Zimbabwe",

84d: In practice, when necessary, the agency/entity independently initiates investigations into allegations of corruption by law enforcement officials.

Score:

100

Comments: The effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Commission is questionable because despite numerous allegations of corruption by the police force, there have been only a few investigations.

References: Transparency International Zimbabwe, "TIZ Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre Update July 2009," [ LINK ]

Peer Review Comments: And the results of such investigations have either been negative or kept secret.

84e: In law, law enforcement officials are not immune from criminal proceedings.

Score:

YES

Comments:

References: Police Act

Constitution of Zimbabwe

High Court Act

84f: In practice, law enforcement officials are not immune from criminal proceedings.

Score:

100

Comments: Law enforcement officials are not immune from prosecution but there have been allegations of police brutality and other abuses that have remained unprosecuted.

References: Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, "Zimbabwe Facts and Fictions," November 2005, [ LINK ]

International Bar Association, "Partisan policing: An obstacle to human rights and democracy in Zimbabwe", 2007, [ LINK ]