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SADC observer missions should start scrutinizing now: NCA
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
March 14, 2008

The National Constitutional Assembly is urgently calling SADC observer mission in Zimbabwe to convene an urgent meeting with President Robert Mugabe over statements made by Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri and Prison Commissioner General Major Paradzai Zimondi.

A senior government official is not supposed to declare his political allegiance in public let alone at a government meeting using government resources. Commissioner Augustine Chihuri as his custom yesterday called protests against opposition candidates if Mugabe loses the coming 29 March elections.

Chihuri has already declared violence and a possible civil war if majority of Zimbabweans chose another candidate ahead of Mugabe and NCA strongly condemn such statements especially by government officials who should be apolitical especially when discharging national duties.

It is however an important development that such a statement has been made in the presence of SADC's 54 strong observer mission already in the country which has already hinted that elections could be free and fair.

The NCA is asking SADC to make its stance clear on these developments especially now that they filtered into the state mouthpiece dismissing any chances of such statements as malice.

This kind of intimidation by Chihuri is the kind of politics which SADC should be able to dismiss and condemn as they determine how people are likely to vote and possible action post election period. Such reckless statement by senior public servants dismisses a possibility of a free and fair contest.

Chihuri who has threatened to shoot any Zimbabwean likely to protest against the results of the elections was supposed to have borrowed advice from foreign affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi that free elections should not be a victory only of the opposition.

The NCA would want to convey to Mr Chihuri that victory should not be that which determine Mugabe as a victor. The organisation also wants to alert Mr Chihuri that he does not own the country and the police force hence do not have the mandate to threaten the public for choosing who to vote for.

Chihuri's comments comes a few days after another senior official, commissioner of the prison services Major General Paradzai Zimondi also threatened war if Mugabe lose the coming elections.

The most alarming thing in both cases is that these senior civil servants declare their political allegiance and patronage when discharging state duties when an ordinary civil servant like a teacher is not allowed to support an opposition party let alone wear a t-shirt of choice.

The NCA believes that manipulation of state resources to propagate party propaganda should be dismissed with all who believe in a free and fair election. The two senior civil servants have used state resources and time to spread their ZANU PF propaganda messages and SADC should response to such utterances.

It is the feeling of the NCA that if SADC is to come with an honest assessment it should take into cognizant all events especially in the police and military, food distribution and rural campaigns leading to the election date.

One bizarre thing at this meeting is that Chihuri made these statements preparing the police force for violent activities at a sendoff gathering of police officials for peace keeping initiative in Liberia.

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