News / National
Police in Mberengwa pounce on phone and USB users for piracy
27 Apr 2016 at 07:07hrs | Views
Mberengwa villagers are reportedly under police siege for operating music on their mobile phones and USB which they consider as piracy.
The police operation is called 'Operation Music wakamuwanepi' and is aggravating the plight of the populace.
Dr Takavafira Zhou said police in Mberengwa have launched operation Music wakamuwanepi which is pushing the hungry and starving peasants deeper into malaise and poverty.
"Under this operation police have targeted anyone suspected to have or playing music (be it on radio or cellphone) to provide proof of acquisition. In a world of technology where most music is on memory sticks several people have been forced to pay penalty fees ranging from $20 to $30," Zhou said. "Worse still police are also checking people's phones and anyone found with music is not spared of the admission of guilt penalty of $20."
The source while piracy is surely unacceptable, the activities of police in such areas as Mataga, Msume, Danga, Chegato and other areas of Mberengwa have surely gone beyond piracy.
"It is apparent that police are in some form of fund raising. Many people have now parted with their goats in order to pay penalties for simply having some music on one's cellphone. Mberengwa District is facing serious drought and one would expect government to provide food assistance rather than send police to rob the poor people of the few goats they still have," Zhou said."At any rate the police cannot be the complainants, investigators and judges under their current fund raising camouflaged under the rhetoric of piracy. One wonders why such an operation has only been launched in Mberengwa."
"Is it because the people of Mberengwa are far detached from the public ear and corridors of power? We remind the powers that be that we may be starving, underdeveloped and poor, but we are also human beings in Zimbabwe that do not deserve the callousness and monumental injustice currently perpetrated by the police in Mberengwa. Cry the Beloved People of Mberengwa."
The police operation is called 'Operation Music wakamuwanepi' and is aggravating the plight of the populace.
Dr Takavafira Zhou said police in Mberengwa have launched operation Music wakamuwanepi which is pushing the hungry and starving peasants deeper into malaise and poverty.
"Under this operation police have targeted anyone suspected to have or playing music (be it on radio or cellphone) to provide proof of acquisition. In a world of technology where most music is on memory sticks several people have been forced to pay penalty fees ranging from $20 to $30," Zhou said. "Worse still police are also checking people's phones and anyone found with music is not spared of the admission of guilt penalty of $20."
"It is apparent that police are in some form of fund raising. Many people have now parted with their goats in order to pay penalties for simply having some music on one's cellphone. Mberengwa District is facing serious drought and one would expect government to provide food assistance rather than send police to rob the poor people of the few goats they still have," Zhou said."At any rate the police cannot be the complainants, investigators and judges under their current fund raising camouflaged under the rhetoric of piracy. One wonders why such an operation has only been launched in Mberengwa."
"Is it because the people of Mberengwa are far detached from the public ear and corridors of power? We remind the powers that be that we may be starving, underdeveloped and poor, but we are also human beings in Zimbabwe that do not deserve the callousness and monumental injustice currently perpetrated by the police in Mberengwa. Cry the Beloved People of Mberengwa."
Source - Byo24News
