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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
Chihuri
orders all police officers to vote Mugabe in run-off
Tichaona
Sibanda, SW Radio Africa
May 07, 2008
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news070508/chihuri070508.htm
Police Commissioner Augustine
Chihuri has reportedly embarked on a countrywide campaign to ensure
that all serving officers vote for Robert Mugabe in any second round
of the presidential election against MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
On Wednesday, Chihuri
summoned all commissioned officers from the rank of inspector and
above based in Harare and the three Mashonaland provinces, to a
briefing at the Morris Depot Academy sports club.
A police officer based
in Harare told us officers were instructed to be ruthless towards
MDC activists, but should not arrest or detain Zanu-PF supporters
for any political disturbances committed in the coming weeks.
The police officer, who
asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said senior officers
with the rank of assistant commissioner were tasked with visiting
police stations in every district in the country, instructing anyone
living in a police camp to vote for Mugabe in the anticipated run-off.
The first of such meetings
was held at the Mbare police camp in Harare on Tuesday.
'At each police camp,
anyone above 18 years of age, including wives of police officers,
are being told to attend these meetings. We are being told bluntly
to vote for Mugabe and that our postal ballots will have serial
numbers to flush out anyone who votes otherwise,' the policeman
said.
Our source identified
by name senior assistant commissioner Pfumbvuti, a war veteran,
as the leader of a terror group of police officers tasked with 'making
life difficult' for leading MDC officials, including recently elected
councilors, senators and MPs.
'I will tell you that
this campaign has raised a lot of eyebrows in the force. Not only
are the officers against it, but also a lot of our close relatives
have been caught up in this post election violence,' said the police
officer.
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