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Police raid of MMPZ offices despicable, barbaric
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
December 07, 2011

The MDC condemns the despicable and barbaric raid of the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) premises by the police on Tuesday.

The raid led to the arrest of MMPZ director Andrew Moyse and the impounding of some of the organisation's property.

While Moyse has been released, three MMPZ officials are still in police custody in Gwanda following their arrest on Sunday. The three should be brought to court or released immediately.

The MDC notes with concern the abuse of the police force by Zanu PF which must end forthwith. It is worrying that after nearly six months the police force has not yet apprehended known Zanu PF hooligans who disrupted public hearings at Parliament building and yet they concentrate on harassing journalists in the private media and officials from the MMPZ.

The same police are still to arrest scores of identified Zanu PF youths who last month disrupted and assaulted MDC members at a sanctioned party rally in Chitungwiza.

Those behind the arrests of the MMPZ officials and the subsequent raid on the said MMPZ premises and recent arrests of private media journalists are people who are still stuck in the archaic politics of rampant greed and abuse of human rights who seek to escape the inquisitive eyes of investigative journalism by bullying journalists and human rights defenders.

The MDC strongly condemns this blatant selective application of the law being shown by the police force.

The on-going police purge on the media and civic society is not only unfortunate but entirely wrong and unnecessary as it puts the country in an awful position especially when the inclusive government is supposed to be pushing for improved freedom of expression and association.

The MDC insists that the success of Zimbabwe, as a country is only possible through a free and fair election, respect for property and human rights as well as a free media environment and freedom of speech.

Clearly the police are embarking on a crusade aimed at causing anarchy in the country. The MDC is worried that this crusade is a clear signal that the sunset party - Zanu PF is preparing for a bloodbath ahead of the next elections, which it knows it will loose heavily to the MDC.

The police force is a national security institution which must not be abused by any political party.

As forces of darkness, it is clear that Zanu PF is against a society where there is accountability; the rule of law and a Constitution that supports the nation's desire for peace, security and good governance.

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