Chihuri blames Makone, Khupe for violence

Rejecting charges that police was in fact protecting President Robert Mugabe’s youth brigades, Chihuri clashed with a parliamentary committee that summoned him on Thursday. He insisted it was the MDC, pointedly his boss the Home Affairs co-Minister Theresa Makone, causing violence together with Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe.

In the past month, Tsvangirai’s supporters have suffered enormously, especially in Mbare, where market stalls have been burnt, MDC supporters displaced and the satellite MDC office destroyed and looted. A Zanu (PF) office has also been petrol bombed. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs heard stunning testimony from the recalcitrant Chihuri, who alleged that the chairman of the committee grilling him, Paul Madzore, was also implicated in the jambanja.

He finally appeared before the committee under protest on Thursday after snubbing it on Monday and Wednesday. “I have nothing against the MDC T. But the party is deeply involved in violence,” Chihuri claimed. Its wrong for you to call me before your committee. You, the politicians of MDC are causing all the trouble we are having. The political party you are leading is causing problems to the public, Chihuri said.

He said that of the 121 political violence cases brought before the police, only 20 were blamed on Zanu (PF), and the rest were perpetrated by MDC. Chihuri rejected claims that the police was taking sides with Zanu (PF). Commissioner Chihuri let us not personalise issues,” Madzore said. “We want you to give the details to us on what has happened in Harare and not for you to be pointing fingers at us – the people who are victims of the political violence. What are you doing about the militia bases sprouting in Harare?

I have come to talk about political violence that is happening in the country. The issue you now want to talk about is being handled by the Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation, Chihuri shot back. I dont know about the torture camps you are referring to.

Meanwhile, a statement by the MDC says Chihuris remarks highlight one of the fundamental problems facing Zimbabwe today: a biased, partisan Zanu (PF) activist masquerading as a national, professional police chief whose Constitutional mandate expects him to serve all in their diversity.

The party says it finds it strange and abhorrent that as a public servant, Chihuri has the audacity to rubbish his own Minister of Home Affairs and the countrys Deputy Prime Minister – accusing them of causing violence in Zimbabwe today.

It is also unbelievable that as the head of the police force, Chihuri has decided to ignore investigations in the 2008 violence as directed by the Global Political Agreement. The facts on the ground are as clear as daylight. Millions of Zimbabweans have been subjected to murder, assaults, displacements, harassment and other forms of terror by Zanu (PF) gangs enjoying total immunity for their heinous acts of wickedness, says the MDC.

With such an attitude, Chihuri has rendered the police force totally impotent. Officers countrywide constantly tell victims and survivors that nothing can be done to help them unless they receive orders from his office. Many end up in jails for filing legitimate reports of brutality and Zanu (PF) terror.

The MDC wishes to advise Chihuri that Zimbabweans are not morons. They have observed, recorded and filed thousands of cases of injustice inside their hearts and minds and eagerly await an opportunity to tell their stories.

The party saluted the thousands of police and other security officers who have struggled to remain uncontaminated by Zanu (PF) and decided to pursue their Constitutional mandate under extremely difficult circumstances.