That the police long gave up their constitutional role as a national law enforcement agency, opting to become just one more weapon at the disposal of Zanu (PF) in its quest to rule Zimbabwe forever is obvious to all except those politically brain dead.But, even then, one would expect the police to show a little more intelligence than those dangerous Zanu (PF) fundamentalists otherwise known as the Border Gezi youths or Green Bombers.
Surely, it is in the interests of Zanu (PF) that Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri and his officers at least show themselves to the outside world as professional police and not behave like some deranged political zealots as they did two weeks ago when they arrested the four American medical missionaries and their New Zealander and Zimbabwean colleagues.
The health workers were in Zimbabwe on a trip sponsored by the Allen Temple Baptist Church that runs the Mother of Peace Orphanage near Mutoko in Mashonaland East province. They were doing volunteer work at the orphanage, handing out ARVs and other medicine to AIDS orphans.
This is work the government and not foreign do-gooders — should be doing. The health missionaries deserved medals and not a kick in the teeth as happened when Chihuris men locked them up in jail.
For the record, we do not question the polices argument that the foreign health workers should have obtained the relevant permits allowing them to dispense medication and carry out other related work in Zimbabwe before embarking on their mission. That is the rule. It must be enforced.
But did the police have to actually arrest the health workers, let alone lock them up in filthy and lice-infested cells. There was no question as to who the health workers were and why they were in Zimbabwe. They were not even a flight risk that is why they were granted bail by the courts.
It was a simple bureaucratic requirement that the health missionaries had failed to observe. The matter did not have to end up in the courts.
Indeed when the matter finally came before a magistrate, the state had to withdraw the charges before plea after finally realising the foreigners were not terror agents but missionaries here to help orphans a point that should have been obvious even to the village fool from day one.
It is this small minded zealotry within the police and the entire security sector that makes them see anyone who is not Zanu (PF) as a regime change agent whatever that term means that makes the security forces such a danger to Zimbabwe, and even to Zanu (PF) itself.
The need for comprehensive security sector reforms could not be more urgent than now!
Post published in: Editor: Wilf Mbanga