Mohadi last week wrote to the MDC requesting a meeting with party president, Morgan Tsvangirai, to substantiate claims that opposition members have been killed or maimed in incidents of political violence.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said, contrary to reports in the state-controlled press that Mohadi had “summoned” Tsvangirai, the minister had actually written a “very polite letter” requesting an audience.
Sources told The Zimbabwean that the MDC demanded definite moves by the police towards dismantling the framework for state-sponsored violence and harassment against opposition activists throughout the country, which is being spearheaded by Zanu (PF) militants in apparent complicity with the police.
Zanu (PF), for its part, has denied the accusations, and accused Zimbabwean human-rights groups and the opposition of “lying” about pre-election violence against opposition supporters in a bid to “elicit donor compassion”.
The MDC presented a dossier to Mohadi documenting 4,000 cases of politically motivated human rights violations against MDC supporters since January at the hands of police, ruling party militia and the Central Intelligence Organisation.
The MDC’s Z$4 trillion damages lawsuit against police for unlawful arrest and torture while in police custody was also “exhaustively discussed”.
“Everyone in this country should be protected by a non-partisan police force. The police should be blind to political colour,” Chamisa said, adding that the future of the inter-party talks depended on Mohadi applying pressure on his police force to end “banditry, violence and terror”.
Post published in: News