Chamisa not fazed by arrest threats

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa says he is unfazed by threats of arrest by the police and will continue to do his party work as usual.

This comes after the acting officer commanding (crime) Harare, Detective Chief Inspector Edmore Runganga early this week told the commission of inquiry into the August 1 shootings led by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe that the police would soon arrest Chamisa for allegedly inciting his supporters and ordinary Zimbabweans to protest.

Runganga said police were still clueless on who was responsible for the shooting that claimed six lives when members of the Zimbabwe National Army fired live ammunition in a bid to quell post-election violence, but plan to arrest Chamisa for "causing" the demonstrations.

Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga also told the commission that the police planned to arrest Chamisa "soon".

"He can be arrested any time soon. The evidence is there, the documents are there, crime does not rot like meat, he will be arrested," he said on Monday.

But Chamisa retorted yesterday, telling NewsDay that his hands were clean.

"I have clean and harmless hands. I am, however, equally concerned that police want to link my statements at rallies and calls for electoral reforms to the violence that occurred on August 1," Chamisa said.

"My statements are known and are in the public domain and they are not in any way related to the unfortunate development of August 1."

Chamisa's spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda also said his principal was not moved by the threats of arrest and would continue with his work as the leader of the party.

"He is not moved. He will continue to do what he knows best," Sibanda said.

Earlier on while making a presentation at Hudderfield University in United Kingdom on the History and Outcomes of World Tyrants, Sibanda said Mnangagwa would have crossed the Rubicon if he arrests Chamisa.

He said Mnangagwa was one of the many world leaders who have resorted to use of violence, torture and harassment on opposition supporters.

Sibanda said threats to arrest Chamisa all but show that Mnangagwa wants to maintain his position in that "premier league".

He said Chamisa was briefed three months ago that Mnangagwa was planning to nail innocent people for his political gains.

"Even by Mnangagwa's own standards that he set throughout his life, of impunity, disrespect of the law, he will be crossing the Rubicon if he decided to arrest president Chamisa," Sibanda said.

"He will be crossing the Rubicon. He will certainly be visiting no-man's land to be so reckless as to arrest the leader of the largest opposition political party in the country."

Sibanda said Chamisa had always committed to dialogue, not violence, and would not be deterred by threats, especially when he knows he hasn't committed any crime.