“Overworked and tired” police officers who escort the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) urban buses have written a petition to the government demanding to be paid overtime.
Part of the petition seen by Southern Eye read in part:
When those duties started, we had two shifts, one starting at 3:45 am to 1 pm and the other at 1:01 pm to 10 pm. But the command said one shift was enough.
For 18 hours, we are given only lunch, which is not enough.
… We hear the news that Zupco pays travelling and subsistence allowances at RTGS$30, but it does not reach us. Many have fallen sick due to this strenuous duty.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said that he was not aware of the officers’ lack of uniforms and RTGS$30 allowance they cited in their petition. He said:
I am not aware of that, even the issue of ZWL$30 a day is new to me. As I said, if police members have a problem, they should use the proper communication channel, and desist from running to the Press.
Zupco acting chief executive Everisto Madangwe refused to be drawn into issues to do with police welfare, insisting that he could only talk about the welfare of ZUPCO employees.