Drunk, Sleepy Police Officer Removed From Guarding Ballot Papers
A police officer who was guarding election materials at a school in Jambezi, Matabeleland North Province, was detained at Victoria Falls Police Station after being found asleep and drunk on Sunday.
Detective Seargent Shepherd Tokowa was guarding Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) election materials at Sacred Heart Mission.
According to a memo from Victoria Falls police seen by ZimLive, senior police officers conducting spot checks on officers deployed at polling stations spent 30 minutes trying to awaken Detective Tokowa. Reads the memo in part:
At about 9 AM on August 20, a team led by Inspector Mbewe was conducting spot checks at polling stations.
Upon arrival at Sacred Heart Mission Hall where member was deployed, they found out that the polling station was locked.
Another police officer peeped through the window “and discovered that the defaulter was still asleep in the hall where he was safeguarding polling material.” The memo said:
Efforts to awaken the defaulter were made for about 30 minutes when he woke up and unlocked the door.
The ward election officer Sikhumbuzo Moyo, a teacher at Jabula Primary School in Jambezi, complained to the visiting officers that the member’s conduct was not pleasant, and he looked visibly drunk.
The defaulter was relieved of his duties and uplifted to Victoria Falls.
ZEC has sent election materials to 12 374 polling stations countrywide ahead of Wednesday’s general elections and the materials are kept under guard round the clock.
More: Pindula News
