Chihuri spews fresh venom, vows to ignore cases of political violence

HARARE - Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri has flatly refused to investigate the escalation of violence against the MDC, in particular the attacks on the party's supporters by persons dressed in military fatigues and rogue police officers at the behest of Zanu-PF.

In a formal letter of complaint to the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), MDC-T secretary general, Tendai Biti said: "There has been a pattern where whenever MDC-T supporters are attacked by Zanu PF supporters, the police decline to offer them assistance or protection, instead they have in many instances proceeded to arrest the victims of violence and initiated prosecution against them."

The letter cited the case of Harare City Councillor Paul Gorekore as one example of the persecutions of victims of violence by the police. Gorejore and his family were hounded out of their Mbare home by over 100 Zanu PF supporters – clad in party regalia -- in the full view of several police officers. Instead of protecting the MDC activist, the officers arrested Gorekore and charged him with political violence. His home was razed and all the property either destroyed or looted.

Biti further attached the list containing some of the 200 MDC-T activists murdered between May and July 2008 and implored on JOMIC to ensure that the police are made to enforce the rule of law by causing the arrest and prosecution of the murderers, all Zanu PF officials and supporters.

"It is inexplicable that almost three years after the perpetrators of these murders, absolutely nothing has been done by the police to arrest those who committed the murders," said Biti.

When JOMIC referred the letter to Chihuri for action, an avowed Zanu PF activist, responded swiftly.

"It is unfortunate if after perpetrating several violent attacks and even murdering police officers the writer chooses to accuse the police of being violent towards his political party," he said, in a letter signed on his behalf by one Inspector J. Sithole in his capacity as "secretary" to the Commissioner General of Police.

"Such assertions are highly provocative and sickening to say the list (sic). The issue of Paul Gorekore has been explained many times elsewhere. It needs to be understood that a person can be a complainant in one case and be at the same time an accused in another case involving and surrounding the same circumstances.

"So one should not just be critical and happy himself with one part of a whole. The alleged police officers who are described as being present during the attack have never been ideified to anybody in the police leadership for further investigations."

Chihuri maintained his public stance that in Zimbabwe a vote "came through the barrel of a gun. Surely, this vote must be exercised wisely, in order not to allow re-colonisation either directly or through puppets.

"Puppets are fore-runners of their handlers. Zimbabwe does not require or need them…It is possible in a multidemocracy that colonisers may engage puppets to re-colonise a country, if they cannot do it directly. True or genuine puppets can crop up anytime in any country – ours included."

Still on the efficacy of a vote in a democracy, Chihuri became even more brutal.

"Yes, a pen can cost as little as five cents depending on the type and where it is bought. Leaders must never be puppets. History has it that a pen was used to overthrow one of our Greatest Kingdom (sic) and the King disappeared. An X was used as a signature as alleged. Colonisers took over the country. The colonisers defrauded the King who fought after discovering the cheating, but was defeated and God knows what happened to him up to this day."

While it was unclear what Chihuri was now talking about or its relevance to the MDC's complaint about the selective application of the law, he went further: "Puppets are fore-runners of their handlers.

That, the police whose mandate is safeguarding a country's sovereignty and independence, have a right to know.

"The statement (to police recruits earlier) was to remind the recruits that the country was once colonised. That to decolonise the country, blood was shed and a war fought where gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe perished at the hands of colonisers in the country and our neighbouring states – Mozambique and Zambia where the recruits had just visited to see for themselves the evidence."

On the 2008 murders, Chihuri said: "Police cannot investigate unreported cases unless they pick up the information concerning commission of a crime by themselves.

"As for the cases of political violence cited for the year 2008, this issue has been discussed and addressed by the GPA through the formation of the Organ of National Healing. This is also pertains to other cases of violence going backwards. We stand corrected on this stand."

Article XVIII of the GPA: Security of Persons and Prevention of Violence 18.5 (c) states: "The parties hereby agree that the Government shall apply the laws of the country fully and impartially in bringing all perpetrators of politically motivated violence to book."

In the same article, on 18.5 (j), the parties further agreed that "while having due regard to the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the principles of the rule of law, the prosecuting authorities will expedite the determination as whether or not there is sufficient evidence to warrant the prosecution or keeping on remand of all persons accused of politically related offences arising out of or connected with the March and June 2008 elections".

From this provision of the GPA, Chihuri is being insincere when he says the 2008 murders were dealt with by the Organ on National Healing.

The article puts the onus for action on the criminal justice system, of which the police and his office are a critical part.

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