Chihuri’s term renewed

and order in the country and allegations that the police force has been turned into a partisan militia for the ruling Zanu (PF) party.
Mugabe proclaimed the extension of Chihuri’s term through a General Notice (GN 164/2007) last Friday which renewed his term of office as Police Commissioner until August 31, 2008, five months after next year’s joint presidential and parliamentary polls.
It is believed Mugabe indicated he needed someone he could trust and snubbed calls from his inner circle to retire the police chief on health grounds.
Chihuri was appointed commissioner of police in 1994, and his first four’year term ended in 1998. He was re’appointed by President Mugabe to the same post for another four’year term, which has been subject to renewal on a yearly basis.
Chihuri has became unpopular for failing to restrain the police from torturing opposition activists and failing to follow international protocols on arrest and detention of suspects. Even in the police force he is unpopular, with many junior officers accusing him of paying scant regard to their “poverty wages.”
Since March this year, the police, under Chihuri, have used Gestapo’style tactics to abduct and viciously torture more than 700 opposition activists for engaging in democratic political opposition activities.
The police have also gruesomely assaulted senior opposition leaders including Morgan Tsvangirai, sparking international condemnation.
Police have also routinely been used to violently disrupt legitimate opposition gatherings.
Under Chihuri, police have dismally failed to investigate several cases, including the murder of a journalist in March and the gruesome assault of opposition spokesman Nelson Chamisa at the Harare International Airport.
“By reappointing Chihuri, Mugabe is simply saying he has full confidence in what he is doing, and probably sanctioned some of these things you mention,” said a respected political commentator in the capital.
It was expected that Godwin Matanga, who is seen as a professional, would take over the reins from Chihuri. Other senior officers tipped to take over after Chihuri are Innocent Matibiri, who is related to Mugabe.
Sources said Chihuri was definitely going to be retired after his present term and would be graciously rewarded for a “job well done.”