In the sprawling town of Chitungwiza residents woke up to the sight of hordes of police officers in riot gear who were roaming the streets menacingly.
Residents from Harare suburbs confirmed that the police were everywhere while in the city centre police continued with their blitz on illegal vendors.
Police have teamed up with the city of Harare in a clean-up blitz that is targeting vendors who are accused of causing congestion in the city.
The exercise has invoked memories of Murambatsvina when in 2005, President Robert Mugabe government demolished people’s homes in a clean-up campaign that was meant to clean the city of Harare by destroying illegal structures.
On Thursday heavily armed police raided the MDC-T headquarters, Harvest House twice as they were looking for vendors who started a mini war with the uniformed forces on Wednesday.
Co-Minister of Home Affairs Teresa Makone Zimbabweans have lost confidence in the police. She promised to engage President Robert Mugabe and Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri about the issue.
“Reports that the police in Harare and in Nkayi went on the rampage and assaulted innocent people going about their business make sad reading and only serve to confirm why our collective confidence in our police force continues to be eroded every day,” said Makone.
Makone said that despite the fact that the Mugabe and Chihuri have not lived up to promises they make to her.
“I want to assure the people of Zimbabwe that I have engaged the Commissioner-General on many occasions about all these issues and nothing has changed. I have alerted the President, to whom all these service chiefs report to on operational issues, and there has not been any shift in the general conduct of some members of the police,” said Makone.
Post published in: News