I am worried because this narrative is just too familiar. I am confused because what the police have been doing is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing, considering signals and messages coming from elsewhere.
We are moving towards a make-or-break election, where so much is at stake. Going by history, this could be the reason why the police have upped the ante against critics and imagined “enemies of the regime”.
During previous election periods, it would start with the police arresting and detaining imagined enemies, particularly well-known critics and members of civic society – selectively applying the law in many instances. After that, the onslaught would widen to embrace militias and other state agencies. Then the crackdown would become more intense, with violence emerging on a flagrant scale.
There are other ominous developments. We have heard that that shadowy group of bullies, the disbanded and discredited Joint Operations Command – in which the police is represented at the highest level – has summoned CSOs and NGOs in Masvingo to explain their operations.
The purpose of that is certainly not a hunger for knowledge on the part of the JOC jokers, but a ploy to instil fear ahead of the elections. Then there is the recent attempt by the Zimbabwe Prison Services to involve governors and provincial and district administrators in the recruitment of thousands of youngsters. Fortunately the plot was leaked to the media – resulting in a public outcry that caused a re-think and a witch-hunt, the fall-out from which is yet to become apparent.
The ZPS, like the ZRP, is represented in JOC at the highest level and JOC is reliably understood to be the outfit responsible for the widespread violence before, during and after the 2008 presidential run-off.
So, there is every reason to be worried about ZRP’s onslaught on human rights defenders, when you take all the above into consideration. At the beginning of this year, in this very space, I warned of the illusion of peace in Zimbabwe. Basically, my argument was that the existing tranquillity was nothing but a mirage as the situation was bound to snap sooner or later.
But I am not ashamed to acknowledge that all the latest creepy developments confuse me. Just over the weekend, President Robert Mugabe sent a refreshing signal by donating a beast to the MDC-T’s Ian and Theresa Makone for the memorial service of their late daughter. That is a welcome signal reflecting mature statesmanship. I do not remember Mugabe ever donating a beast, or any other gift for that matter, to anyone who has been a sworn enemy of his.
In addition, Mugabe is taking every opportunity to preach peace. He is clamouring for stability and brotherly co-existence. So how does this tie up with the messages being originated by the police, the prisons service and the JOC?
The basic question is: Why are they acting in direct contrast to Mugabe’s avowed initiative of peace and co-existence? The first hypothesis would be that the police force is still living in the past and is yet to smell the coffee. It still believes that old tactics win wars and is convinced that intimidation works wonders for its top leadership’s vested interests, as has been the case in the past.
This hypothesis is not very convincing. For all those who know the likes of Augustine Chihuri, it takes a mere sneeze from Mugabe for the top cop to run around like a headless chicken. The reader will remember that when Mugabe condemned police corruption at the Zanu (PF) conference in December, ZRP went on a sting operation arresting the bad apples within the force. In other words, it is highly unlikely that Chihuri would defy Mugabe.
Possibly, this tactic has been agreed on by JOC and we could see the army and CIO coming in more brazenly at a later stage to cause mayhem. This then would be what I call strategic dualism, whereby two different messages emanate from the same source to accomplish a broad goal.
Whether this strategy is sustainable any more in Zimbabwe is a subject for future instalments, but I certainly would like to rap the police and others on the head for their recalcitrance. – For feedback, please write to majonitt@gmail.com
Post published in: Analysis
In response to this informative article I would like to call upon the authorities to take note of all the atrocities being inflicted upon the masses and to speak loudly and clearly that the culprits will soon be brought to book. A lot of people including police officers and soldiers defied instruction to sell out or kill the freedom fighters and the general liberation movement. Up to this day those who supported Hitler are still being brought to book. This should serve as a reminder. Fore-told is fore-warned.