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Police in Zimbabwe delaying change
Phillip Pasirayi
April 07, 2005

I write this article to express my disappointment at the behaviour of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and holding them responsible for delaying change in our country. The greatest sin that Zimbabwean police are committing is to protect a regime that has since lost its legitimacy in the eyes of both the international and domestic observers.

It is a pity that Zimbabwean police behave in the manner that they do which is far much divorced from what they preach everyday about the professional and non-partisan nature of the Police Service Charter. The incarceration of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) youth leader and the MP-elect for Kuwadzana constituency , Nelson Chamisa exposes the police as a bunch of partisan and overzealous functionaries who are being used by the Zanu PF regime to protect ill-gotten political power. These are the same police who are known for exercising brutality against students and civic leaders demanding for demanding a just and more responsive government.

Chamisa is being held responsible for the disturbances that took place after the rigged election as if the police saw the young MP openly leading the people who were demonstrating in Harare. We never know whether Chamisa will be accused of working hand in hand with the women activists from the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) who were arrested last week for fighting for their suffrage rights. Chamisa’s arrest is clear evidence which confirms that the Zimbabwean election was rigged and because the government’s repressive machinery is afraid of an uprising they now target those activists from the opposition who they know are capable of leading such an uprising.

We will not be surprised if we hear Police Spokesperson, Wayne Bvudzijena announcing through the discredited Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings that the police are looking for mps Job Sikhala and Paul Madzore for further questioning. Because these are known for leading protests. But the point that I make here is that Zimbabwean police knows no ethical conduct and that they operate on political instructions since Augustine Chihuri , the Chief of Police has openly declared that the police are being fed by Zanu PF and that the police "cannot bite the hand that feeds us."

It is high time that the so-called progressive forces stand up to defend their vote as succinctly put across by MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai. The time is now for all those that can disobey the regime to do so, through the innumerable ways that are available such as mobilization of the masses for protests.

Blaming the MDC for not doing this or that does not pay but that Zimbabweans must understand the beast that Zanu PF is. Last year on June 2, the MDC called for mass action but the people did not come out in full support of this action except a few of us and students from the University of Zimbabwe. What this means is that the MDC must learn from the failures and successes of the June 2004 Final Push before taking any further action. Without doing this, any action is bound to fail.

The people power that Morgan Tsvangirai talks about needs co-ordination, not only by the MDC itself but by the rest of civil society that has dismissed the election is a sham. It is not enough for civil society to cry foul about the outcome of the election and not do something about it. A rigged election must be the concern of the citizenry and not only an issue for the opposition.

Let action start now!!!

*Phillip Pasirayi is with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition

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