Zimbabwe's police force is grappling with severe housing shortages as officers and their families squeeze into single rooms at stations nationwide, with some converting canteens, bars and storage spaces into makeshift living quarters. Internal documents reveal that authorities plan to charge personnel staying in mess facilities a monthly subscription of $100 plus mandatory daily meal fees totaling around three meals' worth of charges, regardless of actual consumption, measures viewed by officers as attempts to clear overcrowded accommodations.
Mess halls originally designed for temporary use by recruits and transferred personnel have become permanent residences for families unable to afford outside rentals on salaries averaging $260 monthly. Facilities feature deteriorating plumbing, non-functional toilets and cracked flooring, forcing some households to rely on buckets for sanitation.
Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed widespread regulation violations while defending the fees as necessary for facility upkeep, though officers describe the charges as financially crippling given their limited earnings.
Mess halls originally designed for temporary use by recruits and transferred personnel have become permanent residences for families unable to afford outside rentals on salaries averaging $260 monthly. Facilities feature deteriorating plumbing, non-functional toilets and cracked flooring, forcing some households to rely on buckets for sanitation.
Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed widespread regulation violations while defending the fees as necessary for facility upkeep, though officers describe the charges as financially crippling given their limited earnings.
