The Herald (Zimbabwe)		 
Police to Set Up Voluntary Counselling, Testing Centres in Camps Countrywide		
23 October 2004

Harare 

THE police will soon set up Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres in most camps 
countrywide with the assistance of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. 
So far the police have managed to set up three Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres 
at Morris Depot, Chikurubi Support Unit headquarters and at Ross Camp in Bulawayo. 
Speaking at a police pass-out parade in Harare on Thursday, the Minister of Health and 
Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa, said his ministry was prepared to assist the police 
in the provision of anti-retroviral drugs and other programmes that were aimed at fighting 
HIV/Aids. 
"I am aware that plans are at an advanced stage to set up Voluntary Counselling and Testing 
Centres in the ZRP," he said. 
"This is a step in the right direction and my ministry is prepared to assist in the 
provision of anti-retroviral drugs and other programmes aimed at fighting the stigma." 
The minister said it was unfortunate that progress in rolling out the programme by the 
police was being hampered by lack of resources, including funding to refurbish the 
identified structures. 
"The Government, through my ministry, will analyse the budgets with the view to commit 
funds to support this noble gesture," said Dr Parirenyatwa. 
He said the establishment of the testing centres was not a new phenomenon in the uniformed 
forces as the Zimbabwe National Army had already taken the lead and had established 
similar institutions in their camps. 
"It is encouraging to note that the ZRP has started drafting a new organisational Aids 
policy, which among other things, seeks to address old practices such as long periods of 
deployments away from families, which seem to accelerate the spread of the disease," said 
Dr Parirenyatwa. 
He said the policy would also go a long way in modernising the administration of health 
provision in the ZRP which still depends on archaic and obsolete pieces of regulations 
such as the Medical and Dental Regulations of 1968, which were crafted long before the 
advent of Aids. 
"Such regulations do not adequately address Aids-related issues. May I take this 
opportunity to assure you of my ministry's support and commitment in giving impetus to the 
implementation of this policy," said Dr Parirenyatwa. 
He said it was unfortunate that some international organisations had decided to politicise 
the fight against Aids, which has threatened to decimate mankind. 
He said the recent controversial decision by the Global Fund to reject the country's 
appeal to access grants meant for HIV/Aids intervention programmes smacked of political 
patronage as there was barely any basis for the rejection of the appeal. 
The pass-out parade was attended by several top Government and police officials. A total 
of 418 policemen and women graduated after undergoing a six-month training course. They 
covered subjects such as common law, statute law, law of evidence, history of Zimbabwe, 
weapons handling and first aid. 
Dr Parirenyatwa urged the graduates to carry out their duties with utmost diligence and 
absolute sobriety. 
"I am convinced that the formative stages of your careers will be characterised by unique 
policing experiences as you are going out at a time when the parliamentary elections are 
just by the corner," he said. 
He said the period demanded long working hours, instant decisions, unfettered virtues of 
loyalty and patriotism. 
"The communities that you will be policing are usually diverse, polarised, volatile and 
dynamic during this period, hence, the need to engage in your duties with utmost diligence 
and in sober senses," said Dr Parirenyatwa. 
He warned that in their day-to-day policing duties they would meet cunning political 
figures, some of whom would be articulating imported and hybrid agendas and the challenge 
would certainly be upon them to identify national values rooted in the history 
characterised by a bitter experience of a costly armed struggle. 
"Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom including their local 
opposition allies will be hair-splitting the electoral process for the slightest excuse to 
discredit the legitimacy of the ballot outcome and the resultant Government," he said.