The Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission (ZICC) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) to promote professionalism in the security services and strengthen communication with all citizens.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Harare, ZICC chairperson, retired judge Advocate Webster Chinamhora, said the agreement marked the start of a shared effort to enhance the knowledge, conduct and capabilities of security personnel, while deepening research and academic support for oversight functions in Zimbabwe.
Chinamhora said the goals of the MoU would be achieved through training initiatives, capacity-building programmes and collaborative research, noting that the partnership was “an investment not only in institutions, but in people.”
“Today’s ceremony marks a deliberate stride in the maturity of our public institutions — a moment in which the Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission and the Zimbabwe Open University converge in pursuit of a higher ideal: the strengthening of professional standards in the security sector through knowledge and training.
“Professionalism in the security services cannot be an isolated or instinctive quality; it must be taught, nurtured and continually refined. This MoU stands as an expression of that truth. Our Constitution entrusts the ZICC with a solemn mandate: the promotion of integrity, accountability and respect for human dignity within the security services.”
He said the ZICC’s role was to guide and protect the public, the integrity of security institutions and the legitimacy of the State.
The partnership with ZOU, he added, would reinforce this constitutional obligation by bringing academic rigour to the continuous professional development of security services.
“Oversight, when coupled with education, yields not friction but improvement. Around the world, progressive nations have found that training, knowledge and research are indispensable to modern policing and military professionalism.
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“Our security personnel must be equipped with critical thinking, emotional intelligence and human-rights-centred approaches — tools that higher education is uniquely positioned to provide. In this light, the ZOU–ZICC alliance becomes not merely an academic partnership, but a national investment in safer communities, ethical service and enhanced public trust.”
Chinamhora noted that the collaboration would also strengthen sign-language training for officers, saying people with disabilities had for too long faced barriers when seeking assistance or redress from security agencies.
“Inclusion must never be decorative; it must be substantive. By equipping officers with the ability to communicate with vulnerable groups, we humanise our security institutions and restore dignity to those who have historically been marginalized,” he added.
He said the MoU would open avenues for executive courses, academic research, and structured training programmes focused on ethical decision-making, lawful use of force, public engagement and internal accountability.
“Every officer should communicate confidently with citizens of all abilities, and complaints should be understood not as attacks but as opportunities for improvement,” he said.
ZICC executive secretary Netsai Chivake said the commission was confident the partnership would help build security services that communicate effectively with all citizens, including people with disabilities.
“This is not a cosmetic gesture; it is a commitment to inclusivity, dignity and human rights,” Chivake said.
“At ZICC, we have always believed that oversight should not be adversarial. Oversight is not a hammer; it is a compass. It guides institutions toward best practice. It encourages reflection, correction and growth.
“Our colleagues from ZOU bring academic excellence and technical expertise. We bring the constitutional mandate, operational realities and a commitment to promoting justice and public trust. Together, we can produce meaningful transformation.”
The event was attended by ZOU vice-chancellor Professor Paul Gundani, senior security services officials and other stakeholders.
