THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is training crack special tactics units to clampdown on any anti-government demonstrations being anticipated due to the economic challenges the country is currently facing.
The units are being trained in Shamva and Manyame, a source close to the development recently revealed to Zim Morning Post.
This publicationcan exclusively reveal that at least 300 male police officers are being trained to thwart any anti-government demonstrations.
The well-placed source revealed that there had been a call for able-bodied men only, leaving out women and any others who could have been willing to undergo the paramilitary training.
“The radio broadcast specifically called for able-bodied officers, most of whom happen to be newly graduated officers who then had to undergo medicals at public hospitals.
“Some 300 officers are now being trained specifically for demonstrations, which the police know are coming. This exercise started some time back, and I can tell you some of those you identify as soldiers during clampdowns are usually police officers,” revealed the source.
“No women were recruited into these units; I do not know why. The last time I checked, about three batches of officers had undergone medicals and still no women had been recruited.”
Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi dismissed the information, saying it was false.
“That source is giving you wrong information. I can tell you authoritatively that the information is false. There is no such training taking place,” he said.
The violent protests that rocked the country in January prompted government to pump out a whopping US$4.5 million towards the purchase of emergency warning equipment for ZRP’s anti-riot squad, Zim Morning Post exclusively revealed in May.
The emergency warning equipment was purchased from a South African company called Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement, and the ‘buy’ includes teargas, helmets and batons.
Impeccable sources told this publication that the payment was made through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
