POLICE officers should maintain a high level of discipline to create confidence in the public, corporate world and public institutions, deputy officer commanding Matabeleland South province Assistant Commissioner Israel Makuvaza has said.
Speaking at a farewell function for the outgoing officer commanding Beitbridge District Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, Makuvaza said police work required loyalty, dedication and honesty.
“Your commanders should be able to say there is someone on the ground. There are instances when people say there is no one when there is someone because of poor performance, which was not the case in Beitbridge,” Makuvaza said.
Nyongo’s term in Beitbridge had the most challenging demands including the fight against crossborder criminal activity during the COVID-19-induced lockdown.
The period was characterised by massive smuggling and illegal human movement between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
It was also a time when thousands of Zimbabweans were voluntarily repatriated from South Africa to Zimbabwe.
It was also the time the national operation No To Cross-border Crime involving all uniformed forces was launched. The operation encountered many challenges including the arrests of deployed personnel for various crimes including robbery.
“Beitbridge is, indeed, a challenging district, but Nyongo stood tall above the demands. At the police headquarters everyone knew positive results would come,” Makuvaza said.
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“He retires after 33 years of service and he is doing it in honour after he acquitted himself well. He leaves us in an adorable legacy, he did well.”
Beitbridge West Member of Parliament Thusani Ndou said Nyongo’s fountain of knowledge would continuously be needed, adding that Beitbridge would not let go of him.
“He was an exemplary policeman who had high levels of discipline and wisdom in his administration. As Beitbridge we cannot let him go, we need his knowledge even after he is retired. He was an asset,” Ndou said.
In an interview, Beitbridge town clerk Loud Ramakgapola said Nyongo’s open door policy helped to solve many criminal cases in the border town and he was able to bring police closer to the community.
Nyongo bowed out advising other officers to remain focused and do more good than bad.
“The good you regularly do will outweigh the bad but strive to remain focused. Maintain relations with your background and home which is where I am going happily,” Nyongo said.
