Last week Members of Parliament, doing their jobs, for which they were elected by the people, were assaulted inside Parliament buildings by drunken louts from Zanu (PF).
No arrests have been made – despite a police presence during the assaults. Instead, the police insisted that Parliamentary business be suspended – a victory for the hooligans. Other Parliamentary committees meeting in Chinhoyi and Mutare were similarly disrupted by Zanu (PF) thugs.
It is ironic that the committees that are being disrupted by these thugs are trying to gather people’s views on the Human Rights Commission Bill. This shows Zanu (PF)’s disdain for human rights in general. The party as a whole has no respect for human rights, nor for that matter, any other rights, including property rights.
Violence is the party’s only weapon of coercion. Their idea of debate, persuasion and exchange of ideas is alien to them. It is also clear that Zanu (PF) has no respect for Parliamentary business. If MPs can be assaulted by thugs inside Parliament, while the Sergeant-at-arms, his staff, and the ZRP stand idly by and do nothing, what protection can any ordinary Zimbabwean expect from the police in the event of these marauding thugs descending upon him or her?
It comes as no surprise that these thugs feel they can behave in such an outrageous manner with total impunity.
Journalists, going about their lawful business of reporting what the people’s representatives are saying and doing in the House, were not spared by the rent-a-mob.
What is more, Zimbabweans were denied an opportunity to air their views on a development that would have a significant impact on their lives in future. We cannot understand how anybody in his right mind could allow himself to be used to disrupt an important step in the process towards a human rights culture in our country – the laying of the legislative groundwork. Of course, these drunken louts have no idea of the import of their actions. They are simply being abused. Ignorance and poverty have reduced them to the pawns of those with power and money.
As for the policemen who allowed a virtual state of anarchy to prevail on their watch, they should be ashamed of themselves and of the organisation they represent.
The police have been busying themselves arresting people for allegedly “insulting the president”. It seems it is alright for the President to insult the people but the people cannot reciprocate. There is an inherent problem in a situation such as ours – where the state president is not a statesman at all, but only represents, speaks and acts for his own political party. By doing do, he has allowed himself to become an object of ridicule. And the actions of the police force – no matter how partisan and unjust – cannot change that.
Post published in: Editor: Wilf Mbanga