Chihuri in tight corner

COMMISSIONER-GENERAL of Police, Augustine Chihuri, has been put in a tight spot after being asked to investigate his boss, Home Affairs Minister, Ignatius Chombo, over possible human rights violations.

Last month, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) recommended that violence and human rights abuses that allegedly occurred at Spring Farm in Karoi, in the run-up to the June 10 Hurungwe West by-election, be investigated.

Implicated in the disturbances that involved rowdy Zanu-PF youths were Chombo; his deputy at Home Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi; and businessman, Phillip Chiyangwa.

In its report the ZHRC wrote: "The evidence gathered from the investigations revealed that people behind the incitement to invade Spring Farm were Hon Ziyambi Ziyambi, Hon Ignatius Chombo and Dr Chiyangwa. Therefore, as a follow up to the investigations, the ZHRC made efforts to interview the three persons mentioned above. Efforts to interview Hon Chombo were fruitless."

The ZHRC then recommended that: "It is recommended that the Commissioner-General of Police should immediately investigate the criminal human rights violations which occurred at Spring Farm, namely torture and assault, and ensure that all the perpetrators are made to account for their criminal activities.

"This is in line with Section 243 1 (h) of the Constitution which empowers the Commission to direct the Commissioner-General of Police to investigate cases of suspected criminal violations of human rights or freedoms and to report to the Commission any such investigations."

Contacted for comment, police spokesperson, Charity Charamba, said she was going into a meeting and would talk to the Financial Gazette later. But efforts to reach her before going to press proved fruitless.

Chombo was reassigned to the Home Affairs portfolio shortly after the Hurungwe West by-elections in which he was heavily involved in campaigning for the party's candidate, Keith Guzah. Chombo was acting in his capacity as Zanu-PF's secretary for administration.

The Hurungwe West constituency fell vacant after the Member of Parliament for the area, Temba Mliswa, was dismissed from Zanu-PF for his alleged links to the country's former vice president, Joice Mujuru, who had earlier been thrown out of the party and government for plotting to oust President Robert Mugabe from power.

Soon after the Hurungwe West seat was declared vacant, about 1 000 Zanu-PF youths subsequently invaded Mliswa's Spring Farm where they reportedly "assaulted, intimidated, harassed and caused strife among Spring Farm workers because the lessee of the farm, one Temba Mliswa", was contesting Parliamentary elections as an independent candidate, according to the ZHRC report.

Although the ZHRC report came as a surprise from a government that has hardly publicised such adverse reports, analysts remained skeptical that the ZHRC recommendations would be treated any differently.

"I don't think there is anything that will come out of this (report) when NGOs (non-governmental organisations) also make their own recommendations that are never listened to. That's the nature of our country," said political commentator, Vince Musewe.

A legal expert who asked not to be mentioned by name said the ZHRC should follow-up on the matter if they want to be respected as a commission.

"They should exercise their mandate," she said.

The ZHRC chairperson, Elasto Magwadi, was unavailable for comment as he was said to be attending a workshop for the entire week.