Chihuri hiding behind a finger on violence

By Sanderson N Makombe

Former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once stated that there are ‘Lies, damned Lies, and statistics! Someone once also remarked that ‘If you want to tell a lie, use statistics’. How so true about Augustine Chihuri’s allegations before a parliamentary committee.

The rather shocking and belligerent utterances by the so called ‘Police Commissioner’ Augustine Chihuri, suggesting that most of the violence currently prevalent in Zimbabwe is at the instigation of MDC-T is a pathetic lie and very uncouth, coming from the mouth of such a senior policeman.

After dodging the parliamentary committee for two days, it is incredible that the most plausible answer he could fathom for the violence was just as everyone expected. Blame the MDC. Few issues need clarity on Chihuri’s assertion.

It should be noted that when Chihuri presented himself to the parliamentary committee, he was not answering a call as the principled most senior police officer in the land. Rather, the monster appearing before the committee was Chihuri, a ZANU PF thug, militia, war veteran, member of the notorious JOC: a representative of the system.

In 2001 after taking over from Henry Mukurazhizha, Chihuri openly declared that he was a ZANU PF functionary, in contravention of the Police Act, a disclosure that in a normal democratic society would have disqualified him from that post. Again, it should be remembered that his appointment as police commissioner was not without its own controversy as it was alleged he was involved in a corruption.

Chihuri’s official tenure as police commissioner ended in 1997, and ever since he has been reappointed annually by Mugabe. In that context, Chihuri cannot bite the hand that feeds him, nor turn on a system that has made him what he is today.

Chihuri is a prominent member of JOC, a group of securocrats credited with organising the ruthless orgy of violence directed at MDC-T supporters in the period towards the runoff, resulting in MDC-T pulling out. The same ruling securocrat oligarchs are behind the current violence being witnessed in Zimbabwe, a continuation of the run off strategy.

Chihuri stated that MDC-T was cited for 121 incidents as compared to 21 for ZANU PF for the period January to February 2011. To suppose that there have been only 141 incidents of politically related violence is contrary to available evidence, and very conservative.

On a daily basis, reports are filed of exact places, names of victims and alleged perpetrators all over the country. The recent incidences in Buhera North and Nyanga alone amount to more than 21, unless Chihuri is asserting that they were caused by the same group in a single incident, or that it’s MDC on MDC violence. On numerous occasions MDC supporters who have gone to report such issues have been arrested themselves and turned in as the perpetrators.

It is a known fact that most senior police officers manning police posts are well known war veterans fast tracked into leadership after the 2000 elections. ZANU PF then believed most serving police officers were firmly behind the MDC, including teachers and other civil servants. To expect these fast tracked bottom lickers to give protection, nor record issues brought by MDC supporters is naïve.

That most of the violence has been perpetrated on MDC-T is without question. If a co- relation of all data about people treated in both public and private hospitals for politically violence is made, without doubt it will show that they are MDC-T supporters.

If Chihuri allegations are true, it will mean that MDC-T is sending its own members to brutally assault, maim, kill, torture, and burn their counterparts all over Zimbabwe, that MDC-T is running militia bases in rural Zimbabwe, terrorising MDC –T members, that MDC-T supporters are invading farms in Rusape and other areas, assaulting farm workers and their employers, stealing property, and are also responsible for the waves of violence currently witnessed in Budiriro, Mbare, Chitungwiza, and other areas, on other MDC supporters. HOW Absurd!

ZANU PF’s propensity for violence has to be understood from its inception and modus operandi. The communist doctrine that they mastered as a liberation movement was also premised on understanding coercive mobilisation. Violence has been a means of attaining an end in ZANU PF, a factor that shaped the current leadership.

The Nharira rebellion, the death of Chitepo, Tongogara, the use of violence to force villagers to attend pungwes, the brutal murders of alleged sell-outs publicly, are all hallmarks of this aspect of their ideology.

The same ideology was utilised post independence culminating in the horrendous massacre of civilians in Matabeleland, the attempted assassination of Patrick Kombayi in 1990.The same trend is recognised on how the embattled regime has sought to silence the MDC-T support base by bashing them to pulp.

This moribund regime knows no other ways of dealing with political competitors, within and outside. Many ZANU PF supporters have also fallen victim to the same machinery, notably Cain Nkala, Brigadier Gunda, and others. The impetus for such gross violation has been made possible by a culture of impunity which has seen presidential pardons granted after every election for perpetrators of violence.

Joseph Mwale is still employed by the state despite him cruelly burning Tichaona Chiminya and Talent Mabika in 2000 in Buhera. The same Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri failed to investigate the deaths of more than 200 MDC supporters during the aborted run off in 2008.

Let Chihuri know that the people of Zimbabwe know who exactly is to blame for the violence in Zimbabwe and nearly every decent Zimbabwean can count more than 21 incidents where ZANU PF and its machinery has caused havoc in communities in the last two months.

MDC-T remains the party of choice for the majority of Zimbabweans, a fact known even to ZANU PF, as evidenced by all elections in the last decade. Otherwise why victimise the populace if you are confident of winning in a fair election?

As Andrew Lang once said ‘He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts – for support rather than for illumination’, so true about Chihuri.

Sanderson Makombe can be contacted at [email protected]