The
hearings
will
be
held
by
the
Parliamentary
Portfolio
Committee
on
Defence,
Home
Affairs,
Security
Services
and
War
Veterans’
Affairs.
The
Police
Amendment
Bill
(H.B.11,
2025)
proposes
changes
to
the
appointment,
promotion
and
discipline
of
police
officers,
as
well
as
the
establishment
of
a
Police
Service
Commission.
It
also
sets
out
a
fixed
five-year
term
for
the
Commissioner-General,
renewable
once,
and
states
that
the
office
holder
must
act
in
accordance
with
written
policy
directives
from
the
minister
responsible
for
policing.
The
Bill
further
proposes
replacing
the
term
“police
force”
with
“police
service”
to
align
with
the
Constitution.
Speaking
on
Asakhe
Online’s This
Morning programme,
lawyer
Joseph
Makuni
of
Legal
Resources
Foundation
said
while
the
Bill
seeks
to
reform
policing
structures,
it
raises
questions
about
constitutional
alignment,
accountability
and
the
concentration
of
power.
“Members
of
the
public
should
look
at
whether
efficiency
is
being
prioritised
over
accountability,”
he
said.
“They
should
also
consider
whether
it
is
necessary
to
limit
access
to
independent
courts
in
disciplinary
matters
and
whether
we
are
not
centralising
authority
in
the
Commissioner-General
while
allowing
ministerial
directives
to
take
priority,
which
risks
politicising
policing.”
Makuni
also
raised
concern
over
what
he
described
as
broad
and
vague
grounds
for
the
dismissal
of
police
officers,
arguing
that
poorly
defined
terms
could
allow
arbitrary
decision-making.
“People
should
look
into
what
‘unsuitable
for
service’
means.
Such
terms
must
be
clearly
defined
so
that
officers
understand
the
standards
expected
of
them,”
he
said.
Beyond
policing,
the
Bill
proposes
amendments
to
other
statutes,
including
the
Criminal
Law
Code,
the
Prisons
and
Correctional
Service
Act
and
the
Private
Voluntary
Organisations
(PVO)
Act
—
a
move
Makuni
said
required
careful
scrutiny.
He
questioned
proposed
changes
to
the
Criminal
Law
Code
relating
to
participation
in
acts
deemed
to
threaten
Zimbabwe’s
sovereignty,
particularly
where
the
requirement
to
prove
intention
may
be
weakened.
Makuni
said
several
provisions
risked
clashing
with
constitutional
rights,
including
freedom
of
expression
and
association,
and
warned
that
unclear
clauses
could
expose
the
government
to
legal
challenges.
“We
risk
passing
an
Act
that
is
open
to
multiple
constitutional
interpretations
and
litigation,
especially
where
court
jurisdiction
appears
to
be
limited,”
he
said.
Former
police
officer
Leonard
Koni
said
members
of
the
public
making
submissions
should
also
focus
on
operational
challenges
within
the
police
service,
including
discipline,
manpower
shortages
and
delays
in
handling
criminal
cases.
“It
is
important
to
ensure
that
cases
are
attended
to
as
quickly
as
possible
and
that
the
police
have
adequate
resources,”
he
said,
adding
that
limited
personnel
often
affected
the
investigation
of
serious
crimes.
Koni
also
expressed
concern
about
illegal
detentions,
where
suspects
are
allegedly
held
beyond
constitutionally
permitted
time
limits
before
appearing
in
court.
“These
are
important
issues
for
communities
to
raise
during
the
hearings,”
he
said.