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VP Mnangagwa

Herald Reporter
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa last Friday urged Sadc police organisations to embrace latest technologies in their fight against sophisticated crimes and ensure the region’s growth prospects are attained in a peaceful environment.

Officially opening the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO) Centre of Excellence at the Harare regional Interpol Centre, VP Mnangagwa said peace and development are inseparable.

“A few weeks ago, here in Zimbabwe, the Sadc region was grappling with issues of how to improve our economies and add value to our resources before exportation,” he said.

“This economic turnaround can only be achieved in a peaceful and tranquil environment. It is a highly disturbing phenomenon to note that some criminals have the audacity to enjoy their ill-gotten wealth within our borders without fear of arrest.

“The activities of the social malcontents invariably impact on governance and undermine national sovereignty.”

The SARPCCO Centre of Excellence was established following a proposal during the 18th SARPCCO Annual General Meeting held in Tanzania in 2013.

SARPCCO has a membership of 15 countries. VP Mnangagwa said security had become a collective regional responsibility.

“It is thus my fervent hope that the SARPCCO Centre of Excellence will bring about a new era of creativity and dynamism in compounding any fear of crime, thereby, fostering a crime free region,” he said.