The arrest of prominent lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa at the weekend and their contemptuous refusal to comply with the order issued by Justice Hungwe is a serious indictment against the once highly professional force. This is not the first time the force has disobeyed a High Court order.
It is clear that the police now seem hell-bent on punishing all those who dare to voice opinions contrary to those of Zanu (PF). The suspects are arrested on the flimsiest of reasons, humiliated in a variety of ways, often beaten mercilessly, kept in filthy conditions, often denied the most basic rights such as access to water, food, medical care and their legal practitioners.
It should be up to the courts to decide whether a suspect is guilty or not and what sort of punishment should be meted out. It is not up to the police.
The events of the past few days have proven that the police are disobeying not only the judiciary but also their civil authority – the co-ministers of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister’s office.
It is also worth noting that the police themselves have obstructed the course of justice – the crime they accuse Mtetwa of committing. Recently the Anti-Corruption Commission obtained a court order to carry out searches at two parastatals where they had reason to suspect corruption was taking place. The police blocked the searchers – siding with the suspects.
Another case in point is the arrest of an MDC official in Headlands who has now been charged with petrol-bombing the house of a Zanu (PF) official. This was incredible detective work where the police managed to “solve” the crime within days – yet when young Christpower Maisiri was killed in a suspected politically-motivated arson attack, the police were not only slow in attending the scene but were quick to dismiss any possible leads to the suspects named by the Maisiri family.
The recent “banning” of shortwave radios without the backing of any legislation is another example of the blatant disregard for the law on the part of the police force. The list of such lawlessness on the part of the ZRP over the past 10 – 15 years is lengthy. It has got to stop. Our only hope is a complete overhaul of the force – starting at the top.
Post published in: Editor: Wilf Mbanga
Taura hako wena. Idi nderekuti; Court kana yatonga inenge yatonga. Comply with the order first and challenge it later if not satisfied. If a court was granted in error, the effect is the same, comply and challenge immediately. BUT an order to release a suspect accused person can not be granted ex-parte OR without State’s representation and submissions unless the state defaulted court attendance deliberately or without an excuse.