As drone technology adoption permeates further in government operations in Zimbabwe, the country’s police organisation has just seen 27 members complete pilot training with local academies.
The police officers – who last week attained Level 1 Remote Pilot Licence – are the first group from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to be certified as drone pilots by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ).
“Last week we celebrated the graduation of the Pioneer Class of Drone Pilots from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), a great step forward for Public Safety and Law Enforcement,” said Tawanda Chihambakwe, the managing director at Precision Drone Training, which trained 22 members of the group.
“It was such an honour for me and our team to teach and empower this group with knowledge and practical industry specific drone training through our drone training school.
Our focus for this training was not just to get the ZRP officers certified by getting them their Remote Pilot Licences – which true professionals know is not enough. We went further to train them on the course for tactical operational use case application for security and surveillance and night operations, thanks to our international partner program affiliation through Zimbabwe Flying Labs.”
Which is really greats since, as Chihambakwe acknowledges, a drone is only as good as the pilot behind its controls. The ZRP says it will be deploying drones to crime hotspots and traffic jungles in the capital Harare; while also helping protect key points around the country.
The police brass in the country were first introduced to the opportunities drone technology presented to their operations at the inaugural Zimbabwe International Drone Conference in November 2021, and four years later, they have taken the decision to spread the application of drones beyond only the Support Unit operations.
Said Chihambakwe; “To see the impact of such conversations four years later is truly heart-warming and a testament that you never know when you've planted a seed and when it will bear fruit.
“This training and certification we completed combined with the military grade drones that ZRP has invested in, will give the ZRP a tactical advantage to fight crime and enhance their ability to conduct surveillance, monitoring and overall public safety.”
For the part, the police said they will deploy drones in areas around Harare’s Central Business District and its precincts to complement the newly introduced Electronic Traffic Management System (ETMS) in identifying traffic offenders.
This comes as most towns in the country have become untamed traffic jungles, with the influx of unauthorised taxis – and even the legally operating commuter omnibuses – being a daily headache in the city.
The local Herald newspaper reports common traffic offences as including picking up and dropping off passengers at unauthorised locations, creating imaginary lanes, driving against the flow of traffic, ignoring stop signs and operating public service vehicles without the necessary permits.
It will be to fight such infractions that affect the normal operations for thousands of people in the CBD that the drones will be deployed, according to ZRP spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
He added that his organisation recently flagged 290 motorists for various traffic infractions captured by surveillance cameras and are now set to add drones to enhance order in towns, with the majority being captured through the newly installed ETMS.
“It (the ETMS) is not just a unique system working in isolation,” Nyathi explained.
“It is also integrated with the drone facility, which the Zimbabwe Public Police has also introduced. Now we have got drones at Harare Central Police Station, we can monitor activities as far as 5km, 10km or even 20km away.”
Comm Nyathi said police will be able to monitor activities as far as the Harare Exhibition Park, also known as Showgrounds, from Harare Central Police Station using drones.
“For example, while it is at Harare Central, we can monitor what happens at Market Square (nearly a kilometre away from the police station), at Rotten Row (about 1,5km away); even as far as the Showgrounds (close to three kilometres).
“So some of the errant road users who may think that the system is not effective will be surprised when they get caught through our drone operations.”
Five of the 27 new police drone pilots graduated from Afrostain College, which opened its doors just in March this year. The college’s accountable manager, Wenceslous Nyamufukudza said this graduation marked a transformative milestone in the evolution of Zimbabwe’s drone ecosystem.
“By equipping law enforcement officers with critical drone piloting and data analytics skills, we are not only enhancing public safety and operational efficiency but also laying the groundwork for a tech-enabled future in national security,” he said.
“From an industry standpoint, this initiative reflects growing government interest in mainstreaming drone technology across sectors, an encouraging signal for innovation, investment, and policy alignment
“As with us the drone training school in Zimbabwe, Afrostain College, this represents an exciting opportunity to contribute to a rapidly developing field.
“Since we are rapidly scaling up our training programs, to include several ratings and training categories, this initiative reinforces the relevance of our work and positions us as a vital player in the industry’s growth.”