Tanzania’s minister of Interior, George Simbachewere, has said that traffic police officers with pot bellies will be redeployed because they embarrass the police service.
Speaking over the weekend, during a road safety event in the capital, Dodoma, the minister expressed concerns of bribery and extortion by uniformed men saying;
“They are not popular, how can a police officer have a pot belly?
“Some of our police officers are using their uniforms to extort bribes from motorists. I’m urging all officers to abide by the law.”
He, therefore, ordered the police boss to reassign the officers.
Meanwhile, a human rights activist in a tweet, urged that the policy should not bring about discrimination.
Waziri wa Mambo ya Ndani, Mh.Simbachawene, amemuagiza IGP Sirro, kuwaondoa askari wa Usalama Barabarani wenye vitambi na kuwapangia kazi nyingine kwa wamekosa sifa. Angalizo tusije fanya kosa la ubaguzi kazini. Kumulika magari na kutoza fine hakuitaji maguvu. Labda kwa FFU pic.twitter.com/THAvpjVf1t
— Olaigwanani-Olengurumwa (@OlengurumwaO) May 23, 2020