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Freeman Razemba in DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania 

THE Zimbabwe Republic Police has, for the sixth time in a row, won the overall trophy of the Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisations (SARPCCO) Games after scooping a total of 77 medals.

Since 2009, the Zimbabwan force has been winning the overall trophy in all the editions of the SARPCCO Games held after every two years among member states.

Of the 77 medals, 24 were gold, 34 silver and 19 bronze medals. The team finished with 240 points.

They were followed by Tanzania with 44 medals comprising 21 gold, 12 silver and 11 bronze, and a tally of 157 points.

Namibia were in third position with 22 medals (46 points) which are four gold, four silver and 14 bronze while Mozambique had 10 medals, earning 20 points from one gold, three silver and six bronze medals.

Zambia amassed five medals (17 points) that included two gold, two silver and one bronze while Malawi scooped one gold, two silver and three bronze medals, earning 14 points.

DRC came last with seven points, from one gold and two bronze medals.

The closing ceremony, which was held yesterday at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, was attended by police chiefs from the region including Zimbabwe’s Police Deputy Commissioner General Mike Elliot Ngirandi, Commissioners Abigail Moyo and Charles Musavengana and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Tanzania Anselem Sanyatwe, among other senior officials.

The 11th Edition of the SARPCCO Games, which ended yesterday was meant to create a platform for police officers from the region to engage in fruitful interaction, sharing ideas on policing traditions and fostering regional friendship, understanding and cooperation through sport.

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.

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.