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MDC-T condemns partisan Zimbabwe police action
27 Jul 2011 at 12:21hrs | Views
The Movement for Democratic Change with Tsvangirai's surname, strongly condemns the blatant selective application of the law that was shown by the police when more than 10 civic society activists were arrested outside the High Court in Harare for holding a demonstration.
The group was demonstrating against the continued incarceration of eight MDC activists who are facing charges of murdering a police officer in Glen View in May. They have been in remand prison for over two months.
MDC-T says, the increase in the selective application and abuse of the existing legal instruments by the police to target civic society members and other members of the society shows a deliberate attempt to muzzle freedom of association and favour a particular viewpoint which favours the sunset party, Zanu -F.
MDC-T said it is concerned that on Saturday, Zanu PF thugs on stormed the Parliament Building and intentionally disrupted a public hearing organised to solicit the people's views on the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill. Similar disruptions took place in Chinhoyi, Mutare and Masvingo but no arrests were made despite the incidents taking place in front of the police.
On several occasions demonstrations have been held at the Finance Minister, Tendai Biti's offices by hooligans and again no arrests have been made.
In all the cases, the hooligans are known to be Zanu-PF supporters but the police have left them alone and proceed to arrest those associated in fighting for democracy and the rule of law. This shows that the police have become openly and undisputedly partisan.
"Such actions are not just unacceptable but now run the high risk of de-legitimising some actors in the state security sector"
"Already our national security is tangled in controversy as some elements in the sector have been reduced to political figure heads whose role is to terrorise, harass innocent masses and issue inflammatory statements" said the MDC-T statement.
The police are showing clear signs of being clearly partisan and if left unchecked and unchallenged will cause unnecessary disturbances. The MDC-T accepts the role of the police and will always support a professional, non-partisan police service.
The group was demonstrating against the continued incarceration of eight MDC activists who are facing charges of murdering a police officer in Glen View in May. They have been in remand prison for over two months.
MDC-T says, the increase in the selective application and abuse of the existing legal instruments by the police to target civic society members and other members of the society shows a deliberate attempt to muzzle freedom of association and favour a particular viewpoint which favours the sunset party, Zanu -F.
MDC-T said it is concerned that on Saturday, Zanu PF thugs on stormed the Parliament Building and intentionally disrupted a public hearing organised to solicit the people's views on the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill. Similar disruptions took place in Chinhoyi, Mutare and Masvingo but no arrests were made despite the incidents taking place in front of the police.
In all the cases, the hooligans are known to be Zanu-PF supporters but the police have left them alone and proceed to arrest those associated in fighting for democracy and the rule of law. This shows that the police have become openly and undisputedly partisan.
"Such actions are not just unacceptable but now run the high risk of de-legitimising some actors in the state security sector"
"Already our national security is tangled in controversy as some elements in the sector have been reduced to political figure heads whose role is to terrorise, harass innocent masses and issue inflammatory statements" said the MDC-T statement.
The police are showing clear signs of being clearly partisan and if left unchecked and unchallenged will cause unnecessary disturbances. The MDC-T accepts the role of the police and will always support a professional, non-partisan police service.
Source - Byo24News
