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Victor Maphosa Herald Correspondent
POLICE have been urged to spread messages of peace and to maintain high standards of discipline by ensuring that symbiotic and cordial relations that exist between the police and the public are maintained ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections. Speaking at the official closing ceremony of this year’s provincial community relations liaison officers evaluation workshop (press and public relations) in Harare last Friday, Commissioner Mekia Tanyanyiwa said the police have a crucial role in maintaining peace during and after next year’s generals elections.

“Let me remind you that the year ahead will see the country holding general elections to choose political office bearers and in this vein as the press and public relations section, you have a crucial role to play during the period of elections and of course at all other times.

“It is thus incumbent upon you as public relations officers to ensure that the symbiotic and cordial relations that exist between the police and the public are maintained for the benefit of the organisation, the country and for promotion of peace and security,” said Commissioner Tanyanyiwa.

He implored the police to use what they learnt during the course of the workshop with the needs of the ever-mutating policing terrain to realise national goals. “It is without doubt that the organisation and the general public looks upon press and public relations for maintenance of mutual beneficial relations and there is therefore need for police public relations officers to build confidence between the organisation and the society in order to realise cohesion in policing. “As the face of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, you therefore have a call of duty to ensure that this confidence is nurtured and maintained,” said Commissioner Tanyanyiwa.

He urged the police to be good ambassadors of the organisation who maintained high standards of discipline, saying discipline was the cornerstone of every successful organisation. The five-day review workshop was meant to take stock of the targets set for the police during the beginning of the year as per the organisation’s action plan. It was also meant to plan for the year ahead.