By Mugove Tafirenyika
Opposition parties have slammed Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo for allegedly inciting Zanu PF youths to mete out violence on activists protesting against President Robert Mugabe’s policies.
In his address of the Zanu PF inter-district meeting in Mkoba last Saturday, Chombo said he had had enough of having to call upon the police to act against demonstrators.
“”I don’t want to always deploy the police to look for people who go on strike,” he said.
“It is you the youths and members of the women’s league who should go and look for shops that fail to open. If a shop is supposed to open at 8am and you find that at 10am it’s still closed, where you would buy.
“If a bank is closed, when it should be open, and you fail to collect money to pay your rent, then it ceases to be a bank and we should correct that.”
MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu described the statements as “misguided and shocking”.
“The threats are shocking and in extreme bad taste, especially considering that he is the minister of Home Affairs.
“Chombo should be advised that it is the duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies to enforce law and order in the country,” Gutu said yesterday.
He added that the Zanu PF youth league and women’s league have no business masquerading as police officers and law enforcement agents.
“Chombo is actually inciting violence by ordering Zanu PF zealots to take over the duties of law enforcement agents.
“The MDC is however, not surprised by Chombo’s unlawful and misguided utterances. We have always known that Zanu PF is a party of thuggery, intimidation, corruption and violence.
“The long and short of it is that the people of Zimbabwe are completely fed up with the crumbling and faction-ridden Zanu PF regime that has brought them untold suffering and poverty through decades of thievery, rampant corruption and relentless institutional decay.’’
Zimbabwe People First (ZPF)spokesperson Jealous Mawarire reminded Chombo that only the police had the constitutional mandate to protect citizens “not Zanu PF goons”.
“Chombo should realise that the protestors are the people and the people are the government and when they protest they need the protection of the police not harassment by Zanu PF zealots,” Mawarire said.
He pointed out that by “inciting” Zanu PF youths and the women’s league; Chombo did not take the two Zanu PF wings seriously.
“Why didn’t Chombo direct the party’s main wing, which he is a member of, to be the perpetrators of violence against the people? Why does he want to use the women and youths to commit crime? It shows how contemptuous he is of the two party wings, he doesn’t take them seriously,” Mawarire added.
Following the wave of protests, Mugabe immediately laid the blame on the country’s opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC), Joice Mujuru (ZPF) and Tendai Biti (PDP). Daily News
