US condemns attack on Zanu PF man's home
13/03/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
THE United States on Wednesday condemned a reported petrol bomb attack on the home of an aspiring Zanu PF councillor a day earlier.
William Chapepa was hospitalised with serious burns following the raid on his home in Makoni West, Manicaland Province – it is thought by a single suspect – shortly after 2AM on Tuesday. Police said Chapepa – vying for a council seat in Ward 11 – woke up after a ball of fire landed feet from his bedroom.
On opening the door, he noticed a 5-litre plastic container on fire, picked it up and threw it away. But investigators say a mystery man picked it up and hurled it back at Chapepa, and his clothes caught fire from the petrol spray. He was hospitalised at Rusape Hospital where he remained on Wednesday.
In a statement, the US embassy said it was “deeply concerned about the alleged petrol bombing” which came barely two weeks after the house fire death of a 12-year-old boy in Headlands – originally blamed on Zanu PF militants – but later revealed by police to have been the result of an explosion of tobacco chemicals.
The US embassy said: “As in the case of the death of Christpower Maisiri, the son of an MDC-T Headlands district deputy organising secretary in February, this terrible occurrence is an opportunity for the Zimbabwe Republic Police to conduct a thorough investigation, and, if it is determined to be arson, to hold all responsible for this atrocity to account.
“Swift professional law enforcement work to bring the perpetrators to justice is vital to reassuring Zimbabweans that their political leaders sincerely want, and will insist on, peace and peaceful elections in 2013.”
Zimbabweans vote in a referendum on a new constitution on Saturday. Political leaders are anxious to see the vote pass peacefully, which could augur well for general elections set to be held in July.
Police chief Augustine Chihuri has named Senior Assistant Commissioner Lee Muchemwa as the 2013 elections commander, aiming to avoid a repeat of the June 2008 presidential election run-off which was marred by violence and accusation that the police stood akimbo as militant foot soldiers of President Robert Mugabe’s targeted his rivals.
Muchemwa said Tuesday he had a mandate from Mugabe, who has been speaking out against political violence, to “deal with malcontents and hooligans”.
The US embassy statement added: “As Zimbabwe brings its Global Political Agreement to an end, non-partisan, efficient, and professional law enforcement is critical to gaining the confidence of the Zimbabwean people, neighbouring countries, and the international community.
“Respect for the rule of law and apolitical policing are also essential for creating the conditions for credible and non-violent Zimbabwean elections later this year.”
Labels: AUGUSTINE CHIHURI, MDC VIOLENCE, POLITICAL VIOLENCE
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Political violence: Mugabe demands arrests
26/02/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has expressed concern over the increase in incidents of political violence and demanded police arrest the perpetrators as tensions increases ahead of next month’s constitutional referendum and fresh polls later in the year.
“The President told the Commissioner-General of the Police (Augustine Chihuri) that police must account for all cases of politically-motivated violence regardless of the status of those involved,” Mugabe’s spokesman, George Charamba said Wednesday.
“The President said he does not tolerate violence as the country prepares for the referendum. He warned parties and some individuals against drawing easy conclusions to incidents of violence ahead of police investigations.”
Mugabe’s remarks come after an arson attack on the home of an MDC-T official in Headlands, near Rusape, the politician's 12-year-old son.
The MDC-T has blamed Zanu PF for the attack, claiming it was one of 120 incidents of violence against its supporters recorded so far this year.
Zanu PF denies its supporters were involved and Mugabe warned against hasty decisions as police investigations continue.
“The President said it does not always follow that whoever was responsible for violence was sent by a political party. Some people perpetrate violence without being sent by anyone,” Charamba said.
Mugabe, who has not hidden his annoyance at sharing power with the MDC-T after violent clashes rendered the 2008 vote inconclusive, has repeatedly called for peaceful campaigns ahead of this year’s elections.
But MDC-T secretary general and Finance Minister Tendai Biti claimed that a faction in Zanu PF wanted to intimidate and instil fear in the electorate.
"Zanu PF intends to harvest fear in the 2013 elections," he told reporters on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, deputy national police spokesman, Oliver Mandipaka said investigations into Headlands attack were continuing.
“It would be premature for us as police to say it was politically motivated or political violence in the absence of concrete evidence that we can have at our disposal after thorough investigations,” he said.
“We have since summoned our forensic scientists to attend the scene to establish the cause of the fire. (But) there is a high possibility that the bags of fertilizers and tobacco chemicals (which were in the hut) could have exploded during the burning process.”
Labels: AUGUSTINE CHIHURI, CHRISTPOWER SIMBARASHE MAISIRI, GEORGE CHARAMBA, MDC PROPAGANDA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, PROPAGANDA, ROBERT MUGABE, TENDAI BITI
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COMMENT - Take away the possibility of national resources being owned by transnational mining corporations and their trillionaire banking dynasty shareholders, and devolution is a good idea, because it increases democracy. However, the reason the MDC is in favour of devolution is because it weakens the state, making it easier for Anglo-American Corporation to make a deal with a seceded Matabeleland, the way Glencore Internatioal PLC now owns 49% of the oil of South Sudan.
Devolution will divide Zimbabwe: Chihuri
16/11/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
POLICE chief Augustine Chihuri has waded into a political row over devolution, claiming Zimbabweans would cease “being one” if the new system of government is adopted.
A new draft constitution is stalled as President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party fights the inclusion of several clauses, including devolution.
Chihuri said all those calling for devolution – including the two MDC factions – were unpatriotic, according to comments attributed to him by the NewsDay newspaper.
“We know that there are foreign elements that are trying to infiltrate our country,” Chihuri is reported as telling the Senior Officers’ Conference in Ruwa on Thursday.
“I urge you to throw away this notion of devolution that is coming from some quarters in this country. Devolution means division. What are we devolving for? What is the problem of being one?”
President Mugabe and several senior officials from his Zanu PF party – among them Ignatius Chombo, Webster Shamu and Jonathan Moyo – have all publicly voiced their opposition to devolution, but the MDC parties insist Zimbabweans want it in the new constitution.
Chihuri told senior officers to do all they could to ensure devolution did not see the light of day.
“I urge you to refuse that,” he said. “If I had the privilege of continuing being the Commissioner General, I will not preside over any division of this nature, never!”
Chihuri has previously drawn criticism from the MDC parties for allegedly dabbling in Zanu PF politics.
Labels: AUGUSTINE CHIHURI, DEVOLUTION, MDC, MDC TREASON
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