Anxiety grips Zimbabwe police as senior officers are shown the door, reinstated

HARARE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Anxiety has gripped Zimbabwe's police force following the dismissal and reinstatement of senior personnel last week.

At least 30 senior officers, including former President Robert Mugabe's nephew Innocent Matibiri, were retired with effect from Jan. 19 but were reinstated hardly 24 hours later following President Emmerson Mnangagwa's intervention.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba told the private-owned Standard newspaper that Mnangagwa had reversed most of the dismissals because they had been done outside procedure.

"Yes, it was done when the President was away and when he came back, he discovered we had thrown away the bath water with the child and corrective measures had to be taken," he said.

The number of dismissed officers was subsequently reduced from 32 to nine, with Matibiri, who is one of four deputy commissioner-generals, being spared. Enditem