‘We Won’t Be Pushed Into Unwarranted Arrests Of Zanu PF Supporters, Simply To Pacify MDC-T’-ZRP

POLICE have denied bias against opposition MDC-T supporters adding they will not be pushed into making unwarranted arrests of Zanu PF supporters simply to pacify those claiming the bias.

A local rights group said Friday that the ZRP targeted the MDC-T supporters when violent clashes between rival activists broke out in Harare’s Hopley Farm and Mbare in the past two weeks.

“The ZRP is not biased against anyone.

“We apply the law equally according to the Constitution,” Police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba told NewZimbabwe.com Friday.

The fracas, according to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, was torched by an attempt by Zanu PF youths to disrupt an MDC-T rally.

Thirteen MDC-T followers were hospitalised for injuries sustained during the fight while 17 of their colleagues were arrested with no arrest on Zanu PF supporters.

On 10 November, said the NGO in a statement, three MDC-T youths were also ferried to hospital for severe injuries sustained from Zanu PF supporters during the court hearing for the 17 in Mbare.

“Intra party violence was witnessed on the same day in Highfield when Zanu PF youths fought during a party restructuring exercise,” said the NGO Forum.

“The police, in contravention of provisions of the Constitution, the Police Act and a raft of both domestic and international human rights legislation that prohibits them from acting in a partisan manner and furthering the interests of any political party, arbitrarily arrested MDC-T supporters and shielded ZANU PF supporters from arrests and prosecution.

“The law must be applied equally and people’s right to dignity and security must be protected in line with the Constitution.

“Police have abdicated their responsibility to protect and secure the lives and security of people, maintain law and order and enforce the law without fear or favour.”

However, Charamba was adamant that the police were impartial in discharging their duties adding they will not go on a witch hunt for faultless Zanu PF supporters.

“We only arrest those who commit crimes and we don’t go witch-hunting for people who don’t commit crimes simply because we must balance the number of MDC supporters with Zanu PF supporters,” said the ZRP spokesperson.

“We don’t follow any pattern of arrests; the arrests depend on who has committed a crime.

“We don’t force people to commit crimes and if you ask all these people who are saying that, did they (MDC-T supporters) not commit crimes.

“Their allegations are baseless and most of these have been doing running battles with the police and they think we can just look at them. As long as they commit crimes, we will arrest them.”

Charamba said police failed to arrest Zanu PF supporters who attacked each other in Highfields because they were not notified about the skirmishes.

“If there was some internal violence, was it reported?” she asked.

“If it was not reported, how would the police know about it; and if they did not report it, there is a possibility that they (Zanu PF) solved it amongst themselves.”

It is however not the first time police have been accused of turning a blind eye to Zanu PF led violence.

The MDC-T claims some 300 of its followers were killed during a two-month orgy of state sponsored political violence in 2008.

The violence was torched by vengeful followers of President Robert Mugabe who had succumbed to a shock poll defeat to arch-rival and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai during the inconclusive March elections.

Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri is an avowed supporter of Zanu PF. source-newzimbabwe