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Political will to make police effective - Makone
Wongai Zhangazha, The Independent (Zimbabwe)
May 27, 2011

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/local/31066-political-will-to-make-police-effective--makone.html

Home Affairs co-minister Theresa Makone said her ministry would only be effective in executing its duties of maintaining peace in an election if conditions of a free and "just society" were politically enabled.

Makone said her ministry would be guided by the outcomes of the Sadc mediation, through the principals, on how to proceed with elections. "The reason why other parties to the GNU, the mediator, as well as Sadc, are pursuing the course of a clear roadmap is because of the violence that characterised the presidential runoff of June 2008.

"Our ministry will be guided by the outcomes of Sadc mediation through the principals and cabinet, as to how to proceed with elections. It is preemptive to discuss the state of readiness or otherwise of the ministry until the Sadc processes are complete," said Makone.

Makone said a violence-free election was possible in Zimbabwe if the security sector was non-partisan and performed its duties professionally.

"It takes political will by the political leadership, a realigned non-partisan police force, a military that is confined to barracks and a Central Intelligence Organisation that is truly neutral to stage credible, free and fair as well as non-violent elections."

"Social engineering is the biggest problem that Zimbabwe suffers from, especially when elections are in the air. The ministers of Home Affairs can only be effective when the ingredients of a free and just society are politically enabled. I think that is precisely the reason why we are having inter-party dialogue as well as Sadc mediation."

Her co-minister Kembo Mohadi was not willing to divulge the preparedness of the ministry in the event of an election this year.

"When we are ready to talk to you about elections we will call you and issue a statement," Mohadi said.

Makone said statements previously made in the public domain by the security leaders of not willing to work with people with no war credentials were "very unfortunate" and challenged them to work on being non-aligned and professional.

"It is those statements which continue to traumatise and haunt Zimbabweans. It is those statements which confirm the worst fears of the leaders of the region that Zimbabwe's security forces are partisan and cannot be entrusted with enforcing peace before, during and after elections," she said.

Makone was not comfortable in divulging how the ministry responded to police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri's 2010 letter requesting a reversal of electoral reforms agreed to by the inclusive government.

Chihuri suggested that "for security reasons" the police maintain a presence in postal voting stations as well as the postal voting system.

Makone said: "Electoral reforms and processes will be published by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission toward the time of elections. Those parts of the reforms that talk to the location of the police during the election would be determined and concluded by the negotiators and principals, as well as the ministers of Home Affairs in due course and gazetted accordingly."

Though work tensions between Makone and Chihuri turned sour after Chihuri accused Makone of abusing her office as well as undermining uniformed forces, Makone said she was still having confidential security meetings with the commissioner-general.

"I have never lost a minute of sleep because of what the commissioner-general said about me in parliament. He knows where to find me if he has any issues with me. We have a job to do and I think we are on course," she said.

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