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The Saga Continueth
Shane Kidd, Chimanimani, Zimbabwe
June 25, 2004

Saturday 29th May, 2004
At 8am Birgit goes to the police station to report the incident. The desk officer said she had to report it to the Fool in Charge, Inspector Ruzvidzo. When Birgit asked to see him she was told that he was in Chipinge and would only be back between 10 and 12 pm. She then asked to speak to the 2nd in command. Someone by the name of Gonda came through and said that he couldn't take the statement either and she should await the return of the Fool in Charge Ruzvidzo.

Birgit returns at 10am find that the Fool in Charge has still not returned. The desk officer makes the excuse that the Fool in Charge's vehicle is not reliable and he might only be back at 5pm.

Birgit returns at 5pm and he's still not around. Birgit is then assured that he will be there at 8am on Sunday.

Birgit returns on Sunday and wonder of wonders, the Fool in Charge Ruzvidzo is actually present. Birgit goes through to his office and sits down.

She says "Before we start can I ask you a question? Can you tell me, if anyone white or black is in danger in your village, will you do something to help?"
The fool in Charge replies "yes"
"Then where were you on Friday when reports were being made by people and over the phone about the situation in the village"
"I was not here."
"2nd question. When you're away, do your subordinates have instructions to help those who are being abducted and beaten?"
"Yes of course."
"Then why wasn't there a single policeman in the village on Friday despite the fact that your police station was aware of what was happening."
"Ahh I do not know." They don't call him the Fool in Charge for nothing.

Birgit then tried to make her statement. He told her to go to the reception and see the desk officer to start writing her statement. Now why wasn't she allowed to do this on Saturday? This took 2 hours. When she handed her written statement to the officer behind the desk he said it was going to be typed. Birgit said fine she would wait to sign the typed copy.

"Sorry but we don't have anyone to type it." Birgit said fine, could she see the Fool in Charge. Apparently not, he had gone to church. Isn't it amazing how evil and incompetence clothes itself in the piety of the church on Sunday. Mwale was of the same ilk. Fine, she would come back in the afternoon to see if it was ready. The only thing she did succeed in doing was getting the docket number RRB 0176723.

Birgit returned 2pm and the statement was still not typed. In some ways you have to feel sorry for the police. Their endless quest to find new and original excuses in order to avoid shouldering the responsibility of their office and doing their duty must be really draining and a strain on the nerves. Birgit said she would return in Monday at 8am.

Birgit returned on Monday and was told that she had to see the Fool in Charge. He took her into his office. Birgit asked if the statement had been typed. He said no, he had been reading it and there were some questions that he wanted to ask her. At this time Mupfurinwa the slimy little 2IC entered the office. He's a hang over from the Chagugudza and Mwale regime and we've had various run in's with him in the past.

Ruzvidzo then asked "Did you give your property to MDC or is it leased and why did you give it to the MDC?" Birgit told him that it was legally leased to the MDC. Ruzvidzo then wanted to know "Why did you close down the bottle store."

Birgit explained that his predecessor, Inspector Chagugudza had eventually got the Ministry of Health to close down the Bottle store because he had failed on 8 previous occasions to close down the MDC office stationed at the back of the Bottle store that we were renting to Roy. So Birgit decided that if the police were going to harass us then we might as well rent the entire building to Roy to use as an MDC office. This latest attempt to wreck the MDC office was simply the last in a long line of attempts and like all previous attempts it would fail as well. We would reopen the MDC office again.

Ruzvidzo then told Birgit she needed a lawyer to get back the bottle store because she hadn't changed the legal status from bottle store to office. When he was asked when he was going to something about the ZANU (PF) thugs occupying the building illegally he said he could nothing, after all he was only a policeman and the official representative of Law and Order in Chimanimani?

Birgit said the case is already in the hands of the lawyer and then asked, after the court decision would he do anything to assist in evicting the ZANU (PF) thugs. Ruzvidzo gave a smirk but no answer.

I eventually get off the mountains at 3 to find that Birgit has had a fun weekend without me.

The one person I'm really hacked off with is Roy Bennett for starting this whole mess by pushing Chinamasa on to his arse. He should have at the very least kicked him in the head or the nuts and hospitalised the arsehole.

Sunday 6th June, 2004

Days of our lives

I fear that there's a rather dreadful soap by the same name, but then our lives are turning into a rather dreadful soap so perhaps the title merits consideration. Well Birgit had a fun week in Harare catching up with politicos, diplomats and the like. As one would expect, not very productive but at least diverting.

We returned for a quiet weekend at the house and to gird our loins for Monday. On Sunday we had had a meeting with a couple of MDC activists and told them of our plan for Monday. The plan was very simple. At 10 am on Monday we would go to the police, hand over Birgit's statement and a letter from the lawyer telling them they had to take action against the people illegally occupying the property and then with or without the police, we would walk down to the MDC office, evict those occupying our property and start repainting it. We briefed these activists (all MDC officials) as a courtesy; after all it's their office we're trying to reopen, on the off chance that they might wish to offer moral support. Actually, in the interest of journalistic integrity, the word activist needs to reconsidered. It implies positive forward movement and thought. Is there such a word as sedimentary-ist, low lying, immobile, incapable of thought or action? Being a bit of a cynic I thought it was a waste of breath but Birgit was insistent.

Sunday evening was surprisingly restful in spite of thoughts of possible assault by the war vets or imprisonment by the police on the morrow.

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