The Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) Centre of Excellence hosted a graduation ceremony on 05 December 2025 in Harare, the Republic of Zimbabwe. The event marked a significant milestone in regional police capacity development, as 32 senior police officers were conferred with the Diploma in Strategic Management, issued by the University of Zimbabwe, to which the SARPCCO Centre of Excellence is formally affiliated. The graduates represented the following nine SADC Member States: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The representation reflects the region's shared commitment to strengthening professional policing standards and enhancing cross-border cooperation in the SADC Region.
The ceremony was attended by high level dignitaries and guests, demonstrating the strategic importance of the Centre to the region's peace and security architecture, amongst others: Mr. Richard C.C. Luhanga, Inspector General of Malawi Police and SARPCCO Chairperson, Comrade Stephen Mutamba, Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Mr. Ted Barbe, National Commissioner of Seychelles Police Force and Dean of SARPCCO, Professor Kula Ishmael Theletsane, Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, Mr. Sello Moerane, Head of INTERPOL Regional Bureau, Harare, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Artwell Mamvuto, representing the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe and Chief Superintendent Ndadakunashe Shava, Interim Principal of the SARPCCO Centre of Excellence. Their presence underscored a collective endorsement of the SARPCCO Centre's role in professionalising policing and enhancing the region's ability to combat transnational organised crime.
In his opening remarks, the SARPCCO Chairperson, Inspector General Richard C.C. Luhanga, congratulated the graduands for their hard work, resilience, and successful completion of the programme. He highlighted that building a well-trained cadre of senior police leaders is essential for the SADC Region's efforts to prevent and combat evolving security threats. He emphasised the urgent need to strengthen the capacity of Police Agencies across SADC to respond effectively to the rise of transnational organised crime. He called on Member States to empower the SARPCCO Centre of Excellence through investing in its growth to ensure that it becomes the premier hub for transnational organised crime management training in Africa.
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The SARPCCO Chairperson further encouraged the Centre to broaden its academic offerings by introducing specialised short courses aimed at tackling emerging threats such as cybercrime, drug trafficking, terrorism, and human trafficking, noting that these crimes continue to undermine regional stability, socio-economic development, and security.
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On behalf of SADC Member States, he extended profound gratitude to the University of Zimbabwe for its strong partnership, academic oversight, and commitment to quality assurance, factors that ensure the diploma meets both regional and global academic standards.
The SARPCCO Centre of Excellence was established in 2025 by the SADC Chiefs of Police/SARPCCO as a regional mechanism to provide standardised, high-quality training programmes tailored to the needs of Police Agencies across SADC. Its mandate is, amongst others, to strengthen the region's collective ability to combat cross-border crime and promote professionalism within policing institutions. Affiliated with the University of Zimbabwe, the Centre ensures a strong academic grounding for its Diploma in Strategic Management programme, with the certificate conferred by the University of Zimbabwe. Since its inception, it has successfully hosted multiple graduation ceremonies for various intakes (1-6) in 2006, 2016, and 2020, each reflecting steady progress in regional law enforcement training and cooperation.
The 2025 graduation not only celebrated academic achievement but also reaffirmed the Chiefs of Police/SARPCCO's long-standing commitment to advancing peace, security, and stability in the SADC Region. As the newly qualified officers return to their respective Member States, they carry with them enhanced skills, strategic leadership capability and a shared resolve to strengthen regional cooperation in the fight against transnational organised crime. The event stands as a testament to the power of partnership between Member States, regional institutions, academia, and international policing bodies in building a safer, more secure, and more resilient Southern Africa.
