The committee asked Matibiri why suspected perpetrators of violence who were fingered in murder cases of MDC activists such as Talent Mabika, Tichaona Chiminya and Tonderai Ndira among others remained immune to prosecution.
Matibiri said there were no facts to prosecute in the MDC murder complaints.
“Police deals with cases which are supported by facts, not hearsay.
The problem with some of the complaints is that people tend to politicise incidents which would otherwise be purely domestic. Some people are killed because they would have taken away someone’s wife among other petty reasons.
“I would want to make it clear that some of these cases are as a result of media imaginations. There is nothing to incriminate anyone in this regard,” said Matibiri.
Matibiri’s comments almost raised emotions in the house as MDC legislators among them Committee Chairperson Paul Madzore, Silobela Member of Parliament Anadi Anold Sululu and Musikavanhu constituency Member of Parliament Prosper Chapfiwa Mutseyami asked police to clarify what they meant by ‘there is no evidence to link anyone to the indicated murder cases.’
“It boggles the mind to hear police say there is nothing suggesting that Mabika and Chiminya were petrol bombed by some identified people.
Remember these atrocities were committed in broad day light, in full view of people but all the same police remained inactive,” said Mutseyami.
Contributing to the session legislator Sululu told Matibiri that traditional leaderships such as headmen and others were the major perpetrators of violence.
“Partisan headmen and some other traditional leadership are at the fore-front of perpetration of violence but police are not taking action in this respect. This has resulted in people losing confidence in police as in some cases MDC complainants have been turned into accused.
“Grassroots no longer approach police for assistance and protection against perpetrators of violence since they have lost all faith in the law enforcement agency,” Sululu told Matibiri.
He also sought police justification for its continued disruption of indoor political party meetings under the Public Order Security Act.
“Police reasons for disrupting indoor meetings and failure to arrest due to lack of evidence, stinks. Your excuses as police for not arresting perpetrators of violence are sort of sickening,” said Sululu.
The parliamentary committee had invited the police to reflect on its preparedness to help ensure coming elections are conducted in a peaceful environment.
The committee will visit police provincial and district establishments for the police election preparedness probe.
Police says it is prepared for the election task provided ZEC approves its over $190 million budget. The exercise would need some 50, 000 police officers to man the 10 000 polling stations across the country.
Each polling station would be manned by at least five police officers.
Post published in: News