HARARE - Armed Forces, who continue to be used by the previous Zanu (PF) government and a clique of hardliners in the military to fight the will of the people, have been indoctrinated by top police officers throughout the country.
Educative constitutional meetings conducted by the officers across the country, instructing members of the force on how to participate in the constitution making, confirmed fears that the rank and file in the armed forces were mere tools used to blindly further selfish and despotic interests of their leadership. A senior police officer who attended one such meeting held at Mashonaland East Police Headquarters last Thursday, June 17, said he could not believe they would be used to manipulate making of the democratic supreme law in this day and age
Police officers from all districts of the province started streaming into town for the star constitutional educative meeting at the beginning of last week. Initially, we thought senior officers would address us on how we were to maintain law and order at constitution outreach meetings. To our surprise, the agenda was about how we would give views as expected by Zanu (PF) and help manipulate outcome of the whole supreme law making process.
The majority of officers, except those benefiting from patronage politics, looked forward to the drafting of the new constitution as the final curve towards democracy. The rank and file of the armed forces is destitute because of unfair distribution of wealth by those who claim having freed the country from colonialism.
The two hour meeting started at 14.20 pm and was attended by more than 400 officers both in uniform and plain clothes. Police Assistant Commissioner Mohoya, from Police General Headquarters (PGHQ), was the main speaker at the gathering. He addressed us more like a political commissar than a senior professional law enforcement agent.
We were strongly urged to make robust contributions in the constitution making and ensure the media remains regulated by the state. The senior cop, who was almost preaching, said media operations must be controlled by the ruling party as free media were a threat to powers that be. His remarks about need for media censorship, exposed insincerity of Zanu (PF) in the recently established media commission.
About the land issue, we were instructed to defend the chaotic agrarian reform programme at all cost. We would be expected to endorse the land distribution exercise in its present form.
Dual citizenship and foreign marriages were criticized and we were expected to block inclusion of the issues in the constitution. It was indicated that dual citizenship and foreign marriages create a social class which is unpatriotic to the country.
Mohoya talked about need to fight introduction of labour unions representing armed forces. He said such unions would undermine state security as they will have powers to call for job actions. Operations of armed forces would continue to be dictated by the commander in chief, who will be the head of state.
As armed forces we were encouraged to shoot down calls for federal type of government in the constitution. There has to be one central and all powerful authority in hands of the ruling party.
Officers of the Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI) will attend all constitution outreach meetings. They will record names and views expressed by people especially members of the police force. Police officers and other members of the armed forces in plain clothes will be bused to constitution outreach meetings to manipulate the outcome. The strategy is to out-number people advocating for a people driven constitution. Police officers will thus be put in groups and allocated meetings to attend. Such scandalous exercises will be carried out throughout the country. The constitution must come out right as any wrong outcome will result in a bloody war.
The recent meeting cowed armed forces into defending Zanu (PF) views in the constitution. It rendered the police, army and the prison services voiceless in the making of the supreme law. The armed forces will thus defend interests of a ruling clique at the expense of expectations of the nation.
Majority members of the defence forces, hope the civilian population will come out in huge numbers and counter scandalous strategies put in place by the armed forces to oppress wishes of the people.
MDC-T Minister of Home Affairs, Giles Mutsekwa, expressed dismay at the partisan conduct of the police. He said police must be reformed for it to serve national interests not to be used as political tools.
Assistant Police Commissioner responsible for Provincial Administration, Theresa Muthambeni, attended the meeting. Her presence instilled fear in police officers and suggested anyone who failed to take instructions would be disciplined. Muthambeni facilitated dismissal of police officers suspected to be MDC in the run up to 2008 harmonized elections.
Provincial police officer in charge, Assistant Commissioner Muderedzwa, was also in attendance.
Post published in: News