HARARE
–
Zimbabwe’s
top
police
operations
chief
has
had
enough,
and
he
wants
every
officer’s
uniform
selfie
off
social
media.
Now.
Deputy
Commissioner
General
Learn
Ncube
fired
off
an
urgent
nationwide
radio
signal
on
Monday
ordering
all
officers
to
immediately
pull
any
social
media
posts
in
which
they
appear
dressed
in
police
uniform
–
or
face
disciplinary
action.
“This
uncouth
behaviour
is
seriously
damaging
the
image
of
the
organisation,”
Ncube
declared
in
the
signal,
designated
RDO
BD14/26
and
addressed
to
police
stations
across
the
country.
The
directive
names
Facebook,
TikTok
and
WhatsApp
as
the
platforms
where
officers
have
been
caught
posting
in
uniform
without
permission,
a
practice
Ncube
says
has
gone
far
enough.
“Displaying
oneself
in
police
uniform
on
social
media
platforms
without
authorisation
is
totally
unacceptable
and
breaches
the
police
standing
rules
and
regulations,”
he
wrote.
“Such
actions
compromise
the
integrity
of
the
organisation
and
undermine
public
trust.”
Ncube,
who
oversees
operations
at
police
headquarters,
told
provincial
commanders
to
brief
their
troops
without
delay
and
make
sure
the
message
filtered
down
to
every
last
officer
in
the
service.
The
order
leaves
no
room
for
delay.
Officers
with
existing
posts
are
told
to
remove
them
immediately,
not
eventually,
not
soon.
The
signal
warns
that
headquarters
“observed
with
disgruntlement”
the
conduct
that
has
been
playing
out
online,
signalling
the
brass
had
been
watching
for
some
time
before
deciding
to
act.
“As
a
matter
of
urgency,
all
those
with
posts
on
social
media
platforms
whilst
dressed
in
police
uniform
should
immediately
remove
such
posts,”
it
states
bluntly.
“Disciplinary
action
shall
be
taken
against
those
who
fail
to
comply
with
this
given
directive.”
The
crackdown
comes
as
rank-and-file
officers
have
increasingly
taken
to
posting
videos
and
photos
of
themselves
in
uniform
on
social
media
–
dancing,
commenting
on
public
affairs,
or
simply
showing
off
the
badge
–
sometimes
to
wide
audiences
and
not
always
to
the
command’s
liking.
Ncube’s
signal
closes
with
a
reminder,
almost
a
warning,
that
none
of
this
should
have
needed
saying
in
the
first
place.
“This
signal
serves
as
a
reminder
of
the
importance
of
maintaining
professional
standards
and
adhering
to
the
police
code
of
conduct,”
it
reads.