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Zimbabwe's top cop joins army boss' coup threat
Fikile Mapala, NewZimbabwe.com
March 14, 2008

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/police10.17891.html

Zimbabwe's top police officer has joined the army commander and head of prison services in declaring he will not support a change of government in general elections on March 29.

Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri said he would not allow "puppets" to rule Zimbabwe - reference to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and independent candidate, Simba Makoni, who have both been labeled as such by President Robert Mugabe.

Chihuri made the comments at Police General Headquarters in Harare on Thursday while seeing off nine police officers that are joining the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia.

"Most of us in here are truly owners of the land. This is the sovereignty we should defend at all costs because for us to get at this point others had to lose their lives. At this point our gains should never be reversed," Chihuri said.

"This time we are wiser and we are determined, and this must serve as warning to puppets . . . we will not allow any puppets to take charge. I am happy that Zimbabweans are wise."

The top cop also railed at what he called regime change efforts by Britain and the United States. Britain, in particular, was singled out for imposing "illegal sanctions" on Zimbabwe, whose economic crisis is dramatised by record inflation of over 100 000 percent.

Chihuri thundered: "It is unfortunate when people are saying it's not the illegal sanctions causing all these problems but misrule.

"The illegal sanctions, which Britain imposed on Zimbabwe, were the major cause of the problems troubling the country."

Chihuri's comments will alarm Makoni and Tsvangirai, already weighing the effect on voters of similar threats issued by army commander General Constantine Chiwenga, who vowed "the army will not salute sell-outs and agents of the West before, during and after the presidential elections".

Chiwenga's utterances, read as a coup threat by Tsvangirai's MDC, were preceded by similar remarks from the head of Zimbabwe's Prison Service, Paradzai Zimondi, who said he would resign and "go back to defend my piece of land" if Mugabe lost.

Analysts say Mugabe is facing his biggest electoral test since coming to power 28 years ago as he faces growing divisions in his ruling Zanu PF party and growing unpopularity spawned by a failing economy.

Makoni, a former finance minister, quit Zanu PF on February 5 after announcing he would challenge Mugabe for president. To mark the growing rebellion, former home affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa also quit to support Makoni. Further defections are expected before the elections on March 29, Makoni's supporters say.

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