ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE SALARY SCALE AND PROPOSED BEFITTING RANK STRUCTURE

Current Salary Scale and Proposed Rank Structure and Proposed qualifying conditions for promotion to Role
Rank Insignia Insignia rank
National
Commissioner Commissioner 1 year with rank of DCG. Appointed by Commanders
General General (CGP) Commander-in-Chief as per constitution.
Must be apolitical.
Deputy Deputy 1 year with rank of Comm. Must pass
Commissioner Commissioner promotion accessment exercise. Must be
General General (DCG) apolitical.
Provincial/
Commissioner Commissioner 1 year with rank of SAC. Must pass the ZRP Department/
(Comm) promotion assessment exercise. Must be Directorate
Commanders
apolitical.
Assistant Assistant 1 year with rank of C/Supt. Holder of at least
Commissioner Commissioner any Master’s Degree. Must pass the ZRP
(A/C) promotion accessment exercise. Must be
apolitical.
District
Chief Chief 2 years with rank of Supt. Must pass the ZRP Commanders
Superintendent Superintendent promotion exam. Must be apolitical.
(C/Supt)
Superintendent Superintendent 2 years with rank of C/Insp. Must pass the
(Supt) ZRP promotion exam. Must be apolitical.
Must undergo senior command course.
Station/
Chief Inspector Chief Inspector 2 years with rank of Insp. Must pass internal Troop/
(C/Insp) ZRP promotion exam. Bureau/
Section
Inspector Inspector (Insp) 2 years with rank of A/Insp. Must pass the Commanders
ZRP promotion exam.
Graduate Assistant Any PSM or S/Mjr, any PTO with at least 7
Assistant Inspector years service or any S/Sgt with 2 years in
Inspector (A/Insp) rank. Holder of a Degree relevent to duties.
Must pass the ZRP promotion exam. Must
undergo junior command course.
Discpline,
Assistant Provincial Any senior S/Mjr appointed on merit to Parades,
Inspector Sergeant Major cordinate disciplinary matters, drills and Drills,
Discplinary
(PSM) national ceremonial events within a trials,
province Welfare,
Basic Police
Sergeant Major Any PTO, S/Sgt or Sgt with 7 years service Duties
(S/Mjr) and undertook S/Mjr course to ensure
displine at any station or troop.
Technicians,
Sergeant Major Police Technical Qualified in a technical or a specilised Basic Police
Officer (PTO) profession. A least 2 years service. Clean RS. Duties

Team
Graduate Senior Sergeant At least 1 year with rank of Sgt. Holder of at Leaders,
Sergeant (S/Sgt) least a Diploma relevent to duties. Clean RS. Discpline

Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) At least 1 year with rank of Cst.Clean RS.

Tertiary/PUC/Staff College certificate.
Specilised
Graduate Constable 1 year in SPO rank. Clean RS. and Basic
Constable (Cst) Police Duties

Constable Senior Patrol Attained 2 years of police service. Must

Officer (SPO) have signed re-engagement contract. Clean
RS.
Basic Police
Special Patrol Officer Attained upon attestation. Must have no Duties
Constable (PO) criminal record. Must pass ZRP entry tests.
Notes

1 The proposed structure is befitting for medium and low-income economies such as
Zimbabwe. The treasury can not motivate officers with competent salaries hence
commanders can only motivate through promotion. The current rank structure which
mimic European standards is demotivating since both ranks and salaries remain static for
most individual officers which becomes a source frustration, lack of patriotism and
indiscipline.
2 The proposed system will boost morale especially that of lower ranks. The current
structure is cruel to an extent of having someone retiring as a Constable without any
badge of rank after 20 years of loyal and dedicated service.
3 The new structure will not strain the treasury in terms of salaries as it has been designed
to match the salary scale currently being used to pay police officers.
4 The proposed rank structure will improve command and control among the rank and file
of ZRP and greatly reduce mediocrity and improper performance of duties since it outlines
roles, responsibilities and chain of command.
5 The proposed structure will not compromise the recent 2019 rank restructuring exercise,
instead it will further enhance the restructuring process by addressing the expectations
of lower ranks which were not considered in the previous exercise. The treasury and the
Police Service Commission should ensure that minimum pay notch for any rank should be
higher than maximum pay notch for immediate lower rank. Maximum pay notch for any
rank should be lower than minimum pay notch for immediate higher rank. The current
scale tends to repeat notches for non-commissioned officer grades and pays same
amounts to Assistant Inspectors and Sergeant Majors however Sergeant Major rank is
inferior to Assistant Inspector.
6 Ranks written in bold are commissioned ranks. These shall be officers of the rank of
Assistant Inspectors and above to match world standards to fit in international duties such
as peacekeeping.
7 Non-Commissioned Officers shall be all members of the rank of Provincial Sergeant
Majors, Sergeant Major, Police Technical officer, Senior Sergeant and Sergeant.
8 All members of the rank of Cst and below shall be referred to as Police Operatives.
9 Police Technical Officers will be a rank reserved for qualified technicians and specialised
professionals who perform support and advisory functions within ZRP and are not
engaged in core duties of policing (that is providing direct police service to the public).
This rank will ensure that trades personnel and specialised professionals will be accorded
attractive conditions of service there by reducing brain drain within ZRP at the same time
avoiding the ongoing misuse of the rank of Assistant Inspector. Currently these
technicians are upgraded to the rank of Assistant Inspector, resultantly the organisation
is always generally overstaffed at this level, but Assistant Inspectors engaged in core
duties are always less than the number required, resultantly, supervision at operational
stations is always compromised and inadequate. It has also been observed that since 2015
technicians have not been upgraded and most are Constables but performing same
technical duties with those already upgraded to Assistant Inspector, hence, they are
demotivated, and most are opting to seek greener pastures elsewhere.
10 Intended beneficiaries of the Police Technical Officer rank shall be Caterers, Chefs,
Accountants, Auditors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Radiographers, Teachers, Computer
Programmers, Computer Hardware Technicians, Signals Radio Operators and Technicians,
Motor Mechanics, Auto Electricians, Electricians, Sub Aqua Divers, Plumbers, Dentists,
Physio-therapists, Environmental Health Technicians, Printers, Tailors, Saddlers, Farriers,
Training Instructors, Armourers, Forensic Scientists, Accident Evaluators, Marine
tradesman, Carpenters, Construction staff, Agriculturalists, Chaplains, Lawyers,
Statisticians, Sports Coaches, Gym Instructors, Bandsman, Trumpeters, Buglers,
Musicians, Publications staff and Cameramen among others. It must be emphasised that
once this rank is introduced, all beneficiaries shall still be eligible for promotion to higher
rank based on normal requirements for promotion to that higher rank.
11 Patrol Officers will wear the ZRP badge on shoulders.
12 Senior Patrol Officers, Constables, Sergeants, Staff Sergeants and Police Technical Officers
will wear their badges of rank on the upper right arm for both cloth and anodised ranks.

13 Provincial Sergeant Majors and Sergeant Majors will wear their badges of rank on the
lower part of the right arm.

14 All officers of the rank of Assistant Inspector and above will wear their badges of rank on
both shoulders.

15 The Commander in Chief of Defence Forces - His Excellency the President, The Minister of
Home Affairs, The Police Service Commission, the Commissioner General of Police, the
Deputy Commissioner General of Police responsible for Human Resources and the
Planning and Development section are humbly requested to seriously consider the
proposed structure which reflects the wishes of the demotivated men and women of the
Zimbabwe Republic Police. All we wish for is recognition for the hard work we do with
limited resources to serve a militant and anti-police society.