If Mugabe wants, 'violence can end instantaneously': Theresa Makone

Co-Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone on Friday said if Robert Mugabe gave instructions to the police to act decisively on violence 'it will end instantaneously.'

'If the Head of State was to address the nation following such serious political disturbances and order the police to arrest the perpetrators, all this evil will come to an end without a doubt,' Makone said.

She told SW Radio Africa that the reason why it seems she is unable to deal with the violence is because of a legislation that prevents her and Kembo Mohadi from being involved in the day to day operations of the police force. Mohadi is co-Home Affairs from ZANU PF. According to the Police Act, it is only the President who can give instructions direct to the police.

'I'm a minister merely in charge of policies. My situation then becomes very difficult to become answerable for someone to who you cannot give a direct command. The Commissioner-General is answerable to the President. If I have to ask him to do something I have to put it in writing and this process becomes cumbersome. Most times you write letters but nothing happens.

'So you wonder really if he gets these letters. A good example is today, I left Commissioner-General a letter with instructions from what we discussed with the President and the Prime Minister yesterday (Thursday). I left the letter at 8am but by 4pm he said he hadn't seen it,' Makone added.

Minister Makone declined to go into the letters details, merely saying; 'There were instructions of what needs to be done, to stop the violence as agreed with the President and Prime Minister.'

The Minister said she spent an hour briefing the two principals what was happening in as far as violence is concerned in Harare from Budiriro to recent events in Mbare

'I told them in no uncertain terms who was responsible and the fear and reluctance by the police to get involved. The police are as guilty as the perpetrators of violence for standing by while the citizens of this country are being butchered. This increases the violence.

'What we have in the police force is a certain amount of fear from some officers to act against ZANU PF. Then there seems to be another faction that actively encourages and participates in attacks on citizens. This is the reason why the ZRP gets the blame for failing to contain violence,' she said.

The Minister said following her meeting with the two principals it was agreed steps had to be taken to ensure peace is restored in Harare, to allow citizens to go about their normal business without any fear of attacks.

But all members of the country's military Junta, known as the Joint Operations Command (JOC), report directly to Mugabe. Until he decides to end the violence, nothing will happen.