John Makumbe, professor of politics at the University of Zimbabwe, said three senior police officers visited him at his offices at the UZ Thursday, a day after he appeared in a panel discussion on ZTV together with Zanu (PF) campaign spokesman Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa, MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa, and political analyst Dr Hove.
The programme, Zimbabwe Today, was anchored by ZBC CEO Happison Muchechetere and brainstormed on the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Robert Mugabe of Zanu (PF) and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Makumbe stated on the programme that there were some Zimbabweans who were still staying in mountains and that political violence was continuing even after the clumsily stolen June 27 run off vote in which Mugabe claimed to have won a “landslide victory.”
Muchechetere challenged Makumbe to present the evidence on the programme, but the firebrand political science professor retorted that he could not provide the evidence in the studio but that he had ample proof in his office. He also stated that he was a man of integrity who would not deliberately mislead the nation on such a key issue.
The military junta was said to be apoplectic with fury at the broadcast of such information, which has been verified by several human rights organizations and the MDC. The following day, Police Officer Commanding Harare Central District, Chief Superintendent Isaac Tawengwa, Harare Province Police Spokesman Inspector James Sabawu and another officer who only identified himself as Marange visited Makumbe at his office and demanded the proof. Makumbe produced dossiers, including copies of The Zimbabwean and also advised the officers to listen to Voice of America’s Studio 7 broadcasts for more information.
The officers then took a copy of The Zimbabwean and left. “I suspect the military junta was on their backs,” Makumbe told the newspaper. He said as the police were harassing him and denying that there was violence, a police officer was being murdered in Mutoko by marauding Zanu (PF) thugs on allegations that he was “an MDC policeman.”
The Zimbabwean heard that there was a sharp rebuke against Muchechetere from Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba, who is said to have reprimanded the new CEO for broadcasting the programme without editing out “offensive material.”
Post published in: News