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Freeman Razemba in Tanzania

TANZANIA says it is ready to host the 11th edition of the Southern African Regional Police Chief Cooperation (SARPCCO) games, which are meant to create a platform for police officers in the region to engage in fruitful interactions, sharing ideas on policing traditions, fostering regional friendship, and cooperation through sport.

In a statement, Inspector-General of Police Camillus Wambura said the Games will be held at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium from September 3 to 17, while the Games official opening will be on September 9.

Besides the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, other events will be staged at Jakaya M Kikwete Youth Park, University of Dar es Salaam grounds and Gwambina Temeke.

Twelve countries have confirmed participation in this year’s Games, according to Insp-Gen Wambura.

The Southern African countries coming to Dar es Salaam for the two-week games are Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles, Zambia and the host Tanzania.

The SARPCCO games first took place in July 1996 when police chiefs of 12 Southern African Development Community (Sadc) countries acknowledged the need for the advancement of regional cooperation in policing and have since grown into one of the most celebrated events in the region.

The objectives of the games are to organise, regulate and administer sport for serving police officers in the region; to foster partnership in the sub-region and improve co-operation through sport; to build trust and friendship amongst the junior ranks and to advance a common purpose in the region, especially amongst junior ranks.

The various sport disciplines are: athletics, football (men and women), volleyball (men and women), netball, chess (men and women), darts (men and women) and tennis (men and women).

The Zimbabwe Republic Police team arrived in Tanzania for the games yesterday to join their counterparts from the region.

In 2019, the ZRP won the overall trophy at the 10th edition of these games, which were held in Angola, for the fifth time in a row.

Team Zimbabwe scooped 20 gold, 25 silver and 21 bronze medals to make it a total of 66 medals.

Namibia came second with 17 gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals.

Angola were third with nine gold, seven silver and 13 bronze, Mozambique had three gold, one silver and five bronze to scoop nine medals.

Team Zimbabwe also received trophies for netball, athletics and darts.

SARPCCO is the primary force in Southern Africa in the prevention and fighting of cross-border crimes.

Formed in 1995 in Zimbabwe, the organisation has firmly established itself as a benchmark for international police cooperation.

This regional organisation is supported by the Sub-Regional Bureau of Interpol in Harare, which coordinates its activities and programmes.

Priority crimes in the SADC region are terrorism, motor vehicle thefts, drugs and counterfeit pharmaceuticals, economic and commercial crimes, firearms and explosives, trafficking in gold, diamonds and other precious stones and metals, crimes against women and children, illegal immigrants and stolen and lost travel documents, wildlife crime and endangered species and human trafficking.