Zimbabwe Republic Police - Formation and Africanisation

Formation and Africanisation

The predecessor of the Zimbabwe Republic Police was the British South Africa Police of Rhodesia and the interim state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.

Following independence in 1980, the force had a strength of about 11,000 officers (of whom about 60% were white) and a further 35,000 police reservists (nearly all of whom were white). After independence, the force followed an official policy of "Africanisation", in which senior white officers were retired, and their positions filled by black officers. In 1982, Wiridzayi Nguruve, who had joined the force as a Constable in 1960, became the first black Commissioner of the force. He was then succeeded by Jim Paul Vanguardia.