The arrest on trumped-up charges of senior officials from both MDC formations was also reported, so was the intra-party violence within the MDC-T during the run-up to the party’s congress.
However, for Police to then report that MDC has topped violence in the past recent months, while expected from a card-carrying Zanu PF member who has not made his political affiliation a secret, is false, and should be used by the pro-democracy forces as evidence against the partisan nature of Zimbabwe’s security sector.
The presidents of the MDC formations should make a formal request to President Mugabe for Chihuri to be relieved of his duties as Police Commissioner-General for failing to objectively report on the state of political violence, and for failing to give orders for the arrest of perpetrators of violence, especially when Zanu PF thugs drive their victims to police stations in broad daylight and make false statements that they are the victims despite the evidence of injuries sustained by the real victims, who end up behind the bars instead of getting protection from the police.
The task should not be too difficult given that Mugabe himself has publicly acknowledged that he no longer gets listened to, hence should accept the proposal for the dismissal of those not listening to him as President who are supposed to help maintain law and order and create peace in the country.Parliament must find a formal way, if possible, of pushing for the dismissal of Chihuri as he has proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he is sleeping on the job.
While Chihuri may think he is doing his party a favour, he is hardening the positions of the pro-peace international community, prompting peace- loving Zimbabweans to call for international intervention as has happened in Ivory Coast and other places.
Benjamin Chitate, New Zealand.
