Local NGO brings together community members and ZRP to foster unity ahead of 2023 elections

By Staff Reporter

Election season is  an extremely challenging time for communities and law enforcement agencies in Zimbabwe especially in the rural areas, usually characterised by clashes.

This year’s 26  March by-elections provided a glimpse of that as civilians clashed numerous times with law enforcement agents during political gatherings.

However, non-governmental local organisation 4-H Zimbabwe has committed itself to change the tide and narrative by creating initiatives that foster unity between civilians and law enforcement agents.

Wednesday, 4-H Zimbabwe hosted a community peace talk discussion in Macheke, in which they brought the community and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) together.

“One of our thematic areas as an organization is to push for peace, so as we head for the coming 2023 election we felt it is wise to engage the law enforcers which are the police in this instance and come up with social programs between them and the community members.

“The public should not fear the police but rather they should know that the police are there to protect them and help in maintaining social order but the only way citizens can appreciate this is through educating and informing them, which is why we are here,” said 4-H Zimbabwe director John Muchenje.

The event provided a platform for a community interface with ZRP speaking on some of the challenges they face during election season and in the process also gave citizens a chance to air their worries with the law enforcers, through sport.

Muchenje said, “Sport is a unifier that we all know, so as an organization we saw it wise to include it as part of our program.