Wearing camouflage remains illegal in Zimbabwe. Police to act

Christmas Day in Harare might as well have been called camouflage day after loads of young people across the city were spotted in the gear.

Now of course it raised debate on whether camouflage was still illegal in Zimbabwe and after scouring different sources, to the best of our knowledge, it remained so.

A communication from ZRP Manyame district offices confirmed this.

It first stated its ‘concern with the increase’ in the donning of the garb by unauthorised members of the public. That means you and you and you over there. As well as you.

It then quotes the Zimbabwe Defence Act Chapter 99 (2) which prohibits the wearing of camouflage before telling its commanders to ensure culprits who wear or sell camouflage should ‘brought to book without fail’. Again that means you and you and you over there. As well as you. Oh and you too.

For the avoidance of doubt that section reads:

(2) Any person who, without authority-
(a) sells, offers or exposes for sale, wears or uses any uniform supplied to or authorized for use by any member of the Defence Forces or other Military Forces; or
(b) manufactures, sells, offers or exposes for sale, wears or uses any uniform so nearly resembling a uniform referred to in paragraph (a) as to be likely to deceive; or

(c) wears or uses any decoration supplied to or authorized for use by any member of the Defence Forces or other Military Forces or any decoration so nearly resembling such decoration as to be likely to deceive;
shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level six or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or to both such fine and such imprisonment:
Provided that this subsection shall not apply in relation to any uniform or decoration for the purposes of any bona fide stage, film or television production or military representation.