…need for police liaison officers to redefine skills

Colleen Chitsa

Masvingo- Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Acting Officer Commanding Masvingo Province, Assistant Commissioner Fredrick Mbengwa has challenged the Community Relations Liaison Officers (CRLOs) within the force to update their skills through learning new things as a way to meet the demands in modern policing.
Officiating at a refresher course on March 22, 2023 sponsored by Envision Zimbabwe Trust Women Network for CRLOs who were drawn from different operational districts in the province, Ass Com Mbengwa advised the CRLOs to seek knowledge and saturate themselves with wisdom in order to curb crime trends in society.
“The modern policy requires regular updating of skills to keep personnel abreast with ever changing policing landscape. Mediocrity and ignorance has no match to modern criminal sophistry” he said.
Quoting book author Ian Fleming, Ass Com Mbengwa said it is better to have few knowledgeable officers than to have battalions’ who are blind to the demands of their work.
“Learning is a process not an event, a second before death you learn something and when you die you learn something, which means you continue leaning from birth until death.
“Wisdom comes not from age but from education and learning, so we need to continuously learn so that we develop wisdom from the knowledge” he added.
He also reiterated the ZRP’s effort in ensuring gender equality within their rank and file (at the workshop with a total number of 26 CRLOs in which 14 were men and 12 were women).
“The enrolment of a balanced number of males and females signifies efforts by the ZRP to maintain gender equality by ensuring that both men and women have access to some opportunities and rights.
“It is of interest to note that the province is augmenting the implementation of the ZRP women networks full key result areas which are training, development, equal career opportunities, combating sexual gender based violence, noting nation building and social responsibility” added Ass Com Mbengwa.
He added that the organizational thrust’s training is critical because CRLOs are the ZRP brand ambassadors.
“Their strategies must be well taught out and displayed at the highest levels of professionalism hence this workshop is going to enrich them.
“CRLOs, you are our important assets in the organization as well as in the community because you bridge the gap between police officers and the community and I therefore charge you as public relations officers, as gatekeepers of organizational values in order to portray the organization in a favorable light,” he added.
He also said that ZRP is a community based organization that relies on the benevolence of the community and in order to accomplish the goal of reducing crime, the ZRP needs to work hand in hand with the community.
“Just like how the strength of the fish is in the water, our strength as the ZRP is in the community, we need the community to assist us and through its benevolence, we have cracked numerous cases,” added Ass Com Mbengwa.
Chief Superintendent, Press and Public Relations Staff Officer Blessing Chishaka from ZRP head office in Harare said the importance of the workshop was to reshape the skills of the CRLOs in order for them to work well with people in the community.
“The commissioner general of the ZRP approved that we refresh and re-skill our CRLOs in order to enhance their capacity and ability to engage members of the community,” said Chishaka.

By Zvikomborero Sibanda

In February 2023, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) officially migrated from disseminating Zimbabwe dollar (ZWL) inflation statistics to blended inflation reporting. This was made through the promulgation of Statutory Instrument 27 of 2023 (SI 27-2023).
Through the 2023 Monetary Policy Statement (MPS), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) argued that ZWL inflation was no longer reflecting the true market dynamics as the bulk of banking sector deposits (64.2%) and market transactions (76.56%) were now conducted in USDs in 2022.
The RBZ advocated for blended inflation statistics. Blended inflation is a weighted average increase in general prices based on ZWL and the United States dollar (USD). The increased use of stable USD in the economy gives the greenback more weight when calculating blended inflation figures.
Authorities have struggled to clamp currency volatility since 2019. As such, resorting to blended figures will help them portray macroeconomic stability, especially in the upcoming election season. The nation is constitutionally expected to hold harmonized elections between August and September 2023.
Economic literature supported by Zimbabwe’s own experiences shows that government often spends excessively during election seasons offering unproductive subsidies, generous tax incentives, and undertaking massive infrastructure projects to garner electoral votes. This excessive fiscal spending destabilizes the ZWL and is highly inflationary.
The majority of lower-income earners live in rural areas – the stronghold of the ruling political administration. Also, because of slow speed and expensive internet access coupled with limited years of schooling and the existence of political gatekeepers like headmen and chiefs, rural folks have a restricted ability to filter propaganda.
Due to the aforementioned limitations, rural dwellers are likely to take what they hear from national news broadcasters as is when compared to their urban counterparts. So, reporting ZWL metrics will affect the campaign messaging of the incumbent government as these numbers will show dismal economic performance.
ZWL metrics will also rightfully direct all the blame on government institutions, for instance, excessive money printing by the central bank. This explains why RBZ has abruptly stopped publishing weekly reserve money (M0) updates under the guise of shifting from money supply targeting to interest rate targeting.
Since the 12th of June 2020, RBZ has been publishing M0 weekly as a way to increase transparency, reduce speculation, and boost market confidence. Fast forward to 2023, the Bank had published weekly M0 statistics only once since the start of 2023 to date.
This was then followed by ZimStat which had stopped publicly disseminating ZWL inflation statistics in February. ZWL inflation statistics last released in January 2023 showed year-on-year (YoY) and month-on-month (MoM) inflation outturn at 229.8% and 1.1% respectively.
When the rebranded Zimbabwe dollar dubbed the RTGS dollar was introduced in February 2019, the country began to struggle with incessant price growth. Statistics show YoY and MoM inflation mounting unsustainably, averaging 304.09% and 11.33% per month between Feb 2019 and January 2023.
In other words, Zimbabwe was in a hyperinflationary mode during this period. With effect from 1 July 2019, the Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB) directed all reporting entities to apply the requirements of International Accounting Standard 29 (IAS 29). IAS 29 gives guidelines for financial reporting in hyperinflationary economies.
However, the adoption of blended metrics now paints a better picture which is misleading. ZimStat’s blended YoY inflation rate for February 2023 as measured by the all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI) plummeted to 92.3% while the MoM inflation rate fell to -1.6%.
So, from an MoM perspective, Zimbabwe technically entered a deflation period in February 2023 as the inflation rate fell below 0% (a negative inflation rate). This clearly shows the dangers of blended metrics. The metrics are showing falling prices of basics which is out of sync with lived realities, especially for those leaving in urban areas where food prices have hit the roof.
Statistics are also showing that the government is still largely earning in ZWLs and largely paying its civil servants, contractors, and suppliers of goods and services in ZWLs. More so, statistics are showing that in year-to-date (YTD) terms, the ZWL has erased more than 25% of its value against the USD in both markets after losing about 84% of its value in 2022 alone.
To reduce exchange rate losses, businesses are indexing their ZWL prices at parallel market rates. Resultantly, ZWL prices are upscaling whenever the ZWL nosedives against the USD in the parallel market thereby significantly reducing the purchasing power of those largely earning in fragile ZWLs. This alone clearly shows that the government cannot solely rely on blended inflation figures without increasing the USD salary component of civil servants.
Somehow blended statistics can have an economic sense if both the government and private sector companies adjust the USD component of workers’ salaries in proportion to USD usage in the economy as measured by ZimStat’s classification of individual consumption according to purpose (COICOP).
For example, since the latest COICOP survey shows that 76.56% of formal transactions are being conducted in USDs, then at least 70% of a worker’s monthly salary must be in USDs. This should be done after pegging all salaries in USDs say at US$540 per month for a public teacher. The arrangement is however difficult to implement across all sectors buttressing the fact that government policy can’t be informed solely by blended statistics.
Furthermore, authorities should not only use USD metrics when it is in their favor. ZimStat provided a blended inflation rate taking advantage of the dominance of stable USD to mask the fragility of the ZWL but went on to provide poverty metrics entirely in ZWLs.
The poverty metrics showed that an individual required about ZWL22 386 in February 2023 to be considered food secure and about ZWL29 563 to be considered above total consumption poverty which includes both food and non-food expenditure requirements.
Using February 2023 ‘overvalued’ official interbank rate of ZWL/USD 889.13, the aforementioned poverty metrics translate to about US$25.18 and US$33.25 per person respectively. These USD figures are too conservative and highly contestable because they are misaligned with obtaining market prices.
It will be misleading to estimate that an average family of four (4) can survive on US$133 per month and be considered both food and non-food secure. But to mask this reality, ZimStat elected to report poverty statistics entirely in ZWLs (high nominal amounts) yet its inflation metrics were presented in a blended format.
In other cases, authorities are embracing the rapid re-dollarization of the economy despite the prior official position that Zimbabwe is pursuing de-dollarization. For instance, in a letter dated 26 February addressed to the Intensive Energy Users Group which includes miners, the finance minister directed companies to pay ZESA electricity tariffs 100% in hard currency.
Also, the Treasury has increased USD taxes, permitted various government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), and exempted other sectors such as fuel and petroleum products to charge exclusively in foreign currency. Yet, the poor majority are earning in fragile ZWLs. This clearly indicates a lack of government confidence in its own currency which is plummeting perpetually.
While I have nothing against the publication of blended statistics, using blended metrics for official policy guidance is uncalled for. Many countries have dollarized before but there is zero evidence of these using blended metrics.
To me, blended statistics will distort various facets of the economy such as financial reporting, asset valuation, business contracts, interest rate setting, tax policy, regulation, indexation, pay setting and wage negotiations, research and analysis, and estimation of production costs among many other effects.
All of the foregoing can obliterate market confidence by severely jeopardizing the credibility of the government and its policies, especially in the current risky election period. As such, authorities must publicly disseminate separate USD and ZWL inflation statistics otherwise the market will resort to speculation and sometimes exaggerated unofficial statistics.

Zvikomborero Sibanda is an economic analyst and an astute researcher. He writes in his personal capacity. He can be contacted via email:

bravosibanda@gmail.com
Twitter: @bravon96

Perpetua Murungweni

Masvingo Agricultural Finance Corporation bank (AFC) commissioned its Nyika branch building in Bikita on March 20, where the financial institution expressed commitment towards their clients in the district.
The bank has been operating on rented premises at Nyika Growth Point for a long time before they built their own building.
Speaking on the official opening ceremony AFC bank Managing Director Keneth Chitanda said Nyika branch shows their efforts in assisting and coming closer to their customers as well as assisting the vision of making Bikita town a reality.
“The opening of this branch is part of our growth ambition and efforts to come closer to our customers and assisting the vision of making Bikita a town in 2030 by having a branch that is built according to world class standards,” said Chitanda.
The bank’s Executive Director Devine Ngwenya expressed his gratitude to Bikita Rural District Council (RDC) for giving them land to construct their fixed asset (the bank) on.
“We have been operating just across the road where we were renting a small building but council heard our cry and gave us land to build on and we are grateful for this chance to shine and expand our business,” said Ngwenya.
He also acknowledged their customers’ loyalty and said without their support ‘making it to this this day would have been a failure’.
“Without our customers’ support, the efforts of producing such a master piece of a branch would have been wasted and we are grateful for our customers’ support and they are the reason we are here today,” said Ngwenya.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira hailed AFC bank as an important industry contributing to the attainment of upper middle income society by the year 2030.
“AFC bank is an important industry in our province as it contributes to the attainment of upper middle income society by the year 2030. I am happy to witness AFC bank doing well towards providing funding to our industries and individuals as well as enhancing employment for people.
“We are grateful as a province that AFC bank is a critical partner in both provincial and national development and this helps agriculture to remain a critical sector in the economy,” said Chadzamira.
AFC Commercial bank provides retail banking services, discounting bills, treasury services and bridging finance and agricultural related loans to its customers by giving them access to affordable finance and farming equipment.
AFC bank also supports Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector through its one-stop offer of financial and agricultural support services.

Colleen Chitsa

Following concerns raised by residents on the clamping and towing fees charged by the council as being relatively high, Masvingo City Council Finance Director Dannister Jori said the council will revisit the fines.
Responding to residents during a meeting between Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) and council management on March 24, 2023 at Civic Center, Jori said the purpose of pre-paid parking is to control parking and ensure that motorists observe traffic laws.
“Our pre paid parking is governed by Masvingo Pre Paid Parking Disc and Clamping and Tow away By-Laws of 2015 Statutory Instrument 18 and our by-law guides us on the penalties and the idea is to decongest our Central Business District (CBD) and ensure convenient business.
“Clamping and towing is our last resort. It is usually done for the notorious motorists who refuse to adhere to the law of pre-paid parking,” said Jori.
Currently the penalties for clamping and towing are US$ 30 and US$ 100 respectively and some residents feel the need for adjustments of the fines.
One resident bemoaned the penalties saying they are too high and suggest that some parking marshals need to do their work professionally before clamping cars.
“The clamping and towing fines are a bit too high for us. Sometimes when our cars are clamped, it is not because we do not want to adhere to the parking laws but some of these marshals deliberately hide when they see a car entering a parking lot and clamp it as soon as they see the owner leaving my car,” said the resident.
A request for senior residents and those living with disabilities to be exempted from paying the fines was also made by one resident.
“My plea is for the council exempt senior citizens and those living with disabilities from paying such penalties because it is difficult for them to raise the money. If possible, council should make some type of identification and exemption cards so that they won’t have their cars clamped or towed away,” said the resident.
Another resident raised an allegation about some parking marshals being corrupt when charging the clamping and towing penalties.
“There are some allegations about corruption where parking marshals clamp your car and ask you a lesser amount of money like US$ 5 or US$ 10 in order for them to release your car without taking it away and because the penalties are too high, I end up giving them that money to get my car back,” the resident said.
Jori however ensured the residents that they will look into those issues and on the by-law and reviews on the grievances will be considered.
“Under whatever circumstances, we should not condone corruption and it is my plea that if you see such actions from our marshals, contact me with provided evidence of the corruption and we will immediately deal with the situation,” said Jori.

Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo City Council has moved in to clarify the billing system used in coming up with final bills to be settled by residents and other stakeholders they offer services to.
Addressing stakeholders on March 24 at the Civic Centre during an engagement meeting between council and Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Association (MURRA), council Finance Director Dannister Jori said the pricing of service provision by the local authority is guided by the laws of the land.
“Our budgets are informed by the Urban Councils Act which guides council operations and Public Finance Management Act which governs the use of funds in Zimbabwe.
“The public finance management act does not allow us to charge more than the costs incurred for providing that service. This year when we carried out the cost build up processes, the water charge was at US$ 1.30 and refuse collection was US$ 2.06 and US$ 2.36 including Value Added Tax (VAT).
“Sewer reticulation was US$ 0.98 per kilo liter of water consumption, so its amount of water used multiplied by US$ 0.98 but for households we have limited that to 5 kilo liters but in the commercial industry, we use the actual amounts used. So basically refuse collection per month is US$ 9.48 while sewer reticulation is US$ 5.57 and supplementary charge is US$ 4. For water charges, there is a fixed charge of US$ 6.50 basing on a consumption of 5 kilo liters then anything above 5 kilo liters is considered excess charge,” said Jori.
He pointed out that meter readings are usually done from the first day to the 15th of every month.
“Meter readings are counted from the 1st of the month to the 15th and these readings are captured in the system from the first day of the month.
“The billing and access to statements can be made from the 20th day of the month to the 25th, from 25 to 30, council will be distributing statements.
“If you are aware that council employees cannot get access to your households, you are allowed to submit your readings although we will be cross checking time and again,” said Jori.
He also said calculations using a consumption of 40 kilo liters the bill will be US$ 45, so from the billing dates, the prevailing official exchange rate will be used to convert it to local currency.
“What we encourage to residents is to avoid getting disconnected. It is advisable to approach any of our offices for a payment plan,” said Jori.
Some residents at the meeting pleaded with council to consider reducing rates for people with disabilities and the old aged as well as to consider reducing the reconnection fee which is pegged at US $ 10.
Council also said residents can enquire online or through telephone their water bills to avoid inconveniences such as water disconnections.

Colleen Chitsa

Masvingo- Executive director of Envision Zimbabwe Women’s Trust Anyway Mutetwa applauded the relationship between the organization and Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) saying their partnership should be a demonstration that Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) can work well with the government in building a better Zimbabwe.
Speaking at a refresher course for ZRP Community Relations and Liaison Officers (CRLOs) drawn from different operating stations in Masvingo Province held at Urban Lifestyles lodge in Rhodene, Mutetwa said the training workshop was the fifth around the country since last year.
“This is the fifth training workshop we have partnered on since last year and we are excited to witness the progression of our long relationship with the ZRP.
“Let the relationship between Envision Zimbabwe Women’s Trust and the ZRP be a substantiation that NGOs can indeed work positively with government in modeling a better Zimbabwe for all,” he said.
Mutetwa said as a women’s organization, the promotion and protection of women’s rights, gender equality and women empowerment form part of the key objectives and their partnership with the ZRP will go long way in achieving this.
“We appreciate the important work that the police play in law enforcement but more importantly for us, the protection of rights of women and girls in our country is critical and we will continue seeking ways to support this work,” he added.
He also said the organization recognizes the importance and centrality of the CRLOs in interfacing the ZRP as the policing organization and the general public it serves.
“It gives us profound pleasure to be part of this training workshop, we have partnered on as we believe and support policing excellence and recognize the importance of continuous learning.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Commissioner General of Police and his esteemed team for accepting us as a partner in this endeavor,” said Mutetwa.
The training workshop saw a total of 26 participants comprising of 14 men and 12 men undertaking the refresher course.

Colleen Chitsa

Masvingo Town Clerk Engineer Mukaratirwa has spoken about the council’s plans to relocate flood victims in Runyararo West suburb to other areas as well as mobilizing resources to put up new structures for them.
Speaking during a residents engagement meeting between Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) and council at Civic Centre on March 24, Eng. Mukaratirwa said council is undergoing the process of identifying stands for the affected families.
“We have started engaging with government regarding this issue and have concluded that the permanent solution to that situation is relocation of the victims to other safe areas.
“As council, together with government are in the process of identifying stands to relocate those people and mobilize resources to put up some structures in those areas,” said Eng. Mukaratirwa.
He said a total number of 21 properties were affected by the floods but six were more affected and this year they are prioritizing on assisting the six families first.
“Runyararo West’s Davis Mugabe Street is the worst affected and because of the effects of climate change, we do not see the situation getting better anytime soon.
“We have identified 21 properties affected but six are very critical and this year we are targeting those six properties first. What we want to do is, if you had your six bed room plan before the flood, we just build the same plan on another stand for you so that your space that you were used to does not change,” he added.
During the heavy rains that hit Masvingo before Tropical Cyclone Freddy, the affected people were temporarily accommodated at the District Development Fund (DDF) offices in Mucheke suburb.
Challenges have been experienced on properties built on wetlands or along stream banks of Mucheke River which if flooded would extent to the nearby properties.