The MDC Will Fire Unprofessional Police Once in Power : Bhebhe

The MDC’s Matabeleland North provincial executive in December began an exercise of recording names of human rights abusers in the state security organ.

According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Matabeleland North is a hostile province in  the country as police have been harassing and arresting civic society activists, pastors, politicians and Ministers for holding meetings in that area.

“So far we have recorded the names of about 100 police officers in the whole province who are known and have been known to be unprofessional and for being partisan.

“They are Zanu-PF activists in the police force that should be weaned out so that we remain with a professional force in future,” Abednico Bhebhe, the MDC-T’s  deputy national organising secretary told Radio VOP.

“We need to rid the police force of those unprofessional thugs once the party gets into power. We are not fighting the police but only what we are saying is please be professional.

“The police are for Zanu-PF, MDC-T, MDC, Zapu and every other Zimbabwean and not for any political party and as such we warn them to beware because we are watching and recording their names,” he added.

Last year alone, there were over 50 arrests of human rights activists, politicians and ordinary party supporters in that province and police continue to maintain their stranglehold in on the province by banning opposition rallies despite court rulings that gave the green light to the parties to conduct their campaign rallies in the region.

Edmore Veterai, the Officer Commanding Matabeleland North province who is also on the list could not be reached for comment.

Veterai is the senior cop who  impounded a number of vehicles belonging to the MDC that had been deployed by the party to carry out ground work ahead of the watershed 2008 election.

The MDC’s say police bias is the reason why the two formations are pushing for reform of the country’s security sector that faces charges of being partisan.