Tuesday 22 July 2008

Professionalism, Corruption, MoU

Hello All,

The bearded man pointed out a story to me that is very pertinent in showing the confusion, paranoia and complete unprofessional behaviour of the ZANU-PF militia!

The report emanates from ZWnews.com and can be read by clicking here.

The report states:

Masvingo - Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson, Wayne Bvudzijena is now reportedly editing all violence related stories by the Herald, Radio VOP can reveal. In an announcement that shocked other news editors gathered in Masvingo, The Herald news editor, Isdore Guvamombe, who is also a former freedom fighter, openly told workshop participants that the ZRP had demanded to see all stories on violence and that they therefore, had to send them to Bvudzijena for clearance before publishing. Guvamombe said while Bvudzijena could not write copy like journalists, they just had to publish what he would have cleared. The news editor said this had been done for security reasons, probably explaining why MDC violence reports are never published by the paper. Guvamombe said he would continue sending copy to Bvudzijena every day and would only publish after the ZRP spokesman had cleared the violence reports. Guvamombe said he did not expect any foul play in the write ups as the ZRP was 'very professional'.

So now the ZANU-PF militia (the so-called present ZRP) is extending it's propaganda machinery into the formal press by controlling what they print? And this is professional?? Bvudzijena and others like him, throughout the Zimbabwe Republic Police need to be giving their attestation (basically their oath to serve) some serious thought. And they need to be paying due diligence to the Police Act. These people are in breach of many aspects of the Law, the Constitution and their duties as police officers. They will be made to account for their actions.

And I think it is a point here to remind ourselves that pretty much everything ZANU-PF has done since the 2000 referendum has been illegal. Certainly right now the Junta controlling Zimbabwe is illegal and every single police officer (and soldier or air force member or Prisons Officer) needs to be thinking very hard about what a "lawful" order is, what it means and why they, as police officers, need to be very clear that the "party" is NOT the government and is not the duly elected representative of the people. Presidential decrees are not legal and, in many cases, ride roughshod over the law - and these are things that will need to be addressed.

I was also considering corruption in Zimbabwe now. And this has become a very deep rooted epidemic, affecting virtually every aspect of life and, in particular, every thing the ZANU-PF militia do (I am loathe to call them a police force as they could not be further from it at the moment!). I have a great deal of information on many cases of absolute corruption - people in Zimbabwe, particularly the rich whites still making a killing there, need to also be thinking hard. It is now an accepted fact of life that the police will act, or not act depending on how much money, which contacts you have and really nothing follows any semblance of law enforcement at all any more. This is going to be a gargantuan task to reverse. I would think that a special task force will need to be set up and actively engaged in investigating and stinging both police officers and members of the public. We need to return to the days when bribing a cop was a very risky business indeed.

Funnily enough though, I have had dealings in the past couple of years with the Presidents Office corruption desk - in particular a chap called Andy. And he is exactly the type of chap we need. If, of course, he hasn't given up, been threatened or anything else. He was extremely motivated in following up stories allegations and was very active in bringing offenders, from any side of the line to book. On two cases I involved him in, I was very impressed with his diligence!

Corruption is the biggest single factor in the downfall of the police. I am aware that many people have had to resort to corrupt engagements with the police to just get what any normal citizen is due, such as passports, foreign currency, police clearance certificates (which some countries still demand - and to what end I have no idea since they are not worth the paper they are written on!), birth certificates, drivers licences - in fact virtually every aspect of normal life has become a corrupt practise - simply put, if you don't pay, you don't get.

But the dealings with the police interest me the most and here, again, I have seen great contrast. There are still officers who actually just want to do the job properly (although they appear to be a shrinking minority, probably more through necessity than anything else) and there are those who truly are lost. The problem is so bad that con artists, the fraudsters and that type of individual have all got a pet policeman on tap that gets them off the hook or diverts attention away from them. And here I have seen some Officers-in-charge of Harare suburban police stations heavily involved in these behaviours. Funnily enough, the Officers Commanding District seem to be much less involved and still quite genuinely interested in policing.

Sadly, until investigations really get into this cess-pit, we will never know and, I suspect will be truly shocked by who is and who isn't involved.

And this is such a long topic to consider, people routinely make reports against people they view as business rivals, or use CIO personnel to collect debts. I have had particularly unpleasant dealing with two of the most corrupt members of the CIO I have ever come across - and the interesting part is that they are firmly under the control of criminal white businessmen in Harare - I have kept a great amount of information and really do hope for the day that investigations can be launched - it will be interesting to see who is heading for the hills then!

And so the much vaunted MoU had been signed amid much smiling and handshaking between the parties. I do hope that this produces some results. I will not be publishing the MoU here as it can be found in almost a zillion places on the net - but I did want to comment on a couple of things agreed to..

Firstly:

(b) POLITICAL
(i) New Constitution
(ii) Promotion of equality, national healing and cohesion, and unity
(iii) External interference
(iv) Free political activity
(v) Rule of law
(vi) State organs and institutions
(vii) Legislative agenda priorities


Section (b)
part (ii) - does this mean that as a white policeman, I will be eligible to promotion and be treated as a full member of the force? (something that hasn't been the case for over 15 years now!). Maybe I will even get my GSM and LSM???

part (v) - Does this mean we want to re-establish the Rule of Law? If so, does it mean that persons who committed offences will be arrested? Indeed if that is the case, the police will shrink by about 80% - so what next???


10. Interim measures

10.1 Security of persons
(a) Each Party will issue a statement condemning the promotion and use of violence and call for peace in the country and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that the structures and institutions it controls are not engaged in the perpetration of violence.
(b) The Parties are committed to ensuring that the law is applied fairly and justly to all persons irrespective of political affiliation.

If these parts are to be read together, how will the ZRP function? They have long ago lost their ability to function and have no hope of investigating anything unless they are permitted to beat a confession out of an accused!

I recall that recently I was at a local Harare police station were plain clothes officers were investigating a string of House Breaking and theft offences. I had to go into the office to obtain something from one of the officers and I recall that when I went into the office, the accused was lying on the ground whilst these two plain clothes so-called police men were beating him with 60mm armoured cable. When I questioned them, they said it was the cheapest and easiest way of closing the CR - and, after all, they "knew" this accused person was responsible! I didn't press the matter with them and when I reported to the officer in charge, he became decidedly frosty towards me and told me that this was Zimbabwe, not Rhodesia and Zimbabwean police officers knew what they were doing! Erm... wasn't the Rhodesian government and BSAP accused of brutality? I seem to be confused!

Clearly a solution is required for Zimbabwe and this solution must culminate in the removal of the illegal Junta and free and fair elections under the rule of law must be achieved - I just wonder how realistic that is????

Later.

Saturday 19 July 2008

Reservists, Police Constabulary, Neighbourhood Watch

Hello All,

Today I was considering some of the things that contributed to the collapse of The Zimbabwe Republic Police as a credible law enforcement agency. And one of the things that I hit upon was the reserves.

On the surface, the police reserve force, or special constabulary as it is now known (so many names of things have been changed, ostensibly to try and help the colonial past fade, but really just costing money and of no significant use!) could be an extremely useful adjunct to the regular force. And indeed this used to be the case. These are generally individuals with an interest in policing who have normal full time employment. They used to be trained to a fairly high standard and fitted into the force as part time paid members. They generally operated from their local station and carried out duties alongside regular officers. They were issued uniform and rank, were subject to the police act. They also could be "called up" for continuous service when the demands on the force dictated.

Being paid, they could not be classified as "volunteers" which made them subject to regulation and disciplinary procedures and meant that they were required to fulfil certain obligations. However, they were people who chose to be involved and, as such, they tended to have quite a decent attitude towards their work and were often very dedicated.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police had a very effective reservist contingent inherited from the BSAP. In the early 80's, around the time of gukurahundi, the ZANU-PF government used this as one of their tools to start turning the police into a party militia. The first things that happened was that one had to have a zanu-pf party card in order to be eligible to join the police reserve. And so the rot set in. A number of individuals who really wanted to be reservists and involved actually joined the party and endured endless party meetings in order just to get in!

The reserve filled up with party members who saw it as a way to get into the regular force. Their dreams were, in fact, realised. During the late 80's and early 90's there was much talk about the scrapping of the reserve force altogether and all members were offered integration into the regular force. Many of these persons would not have survived the entry criteria and testing to which normal regular officers were subject. When I joined the force all manner of things were tested, health, minimum height, weight, education, fitness as well as all manner of psychometric testing as well as CID and police clearance for criminal records (I a m surprised they no longer pay attention to this aspect as it almost seems that being completely unsuitable for service and having a criminal record are pre- requisites for entry!).

The name of the police reserve was changed (late 80's, I think!), entry criteria began to fall away and, as funding within the force dropped (probably to accommodate the excesses of the elite!) training fell away. One merely had to approach and befriend the local CRLO (Community Relations Liaison Officer) at any station and the paper work would be completed, usually a lot faster if you "helped out with certain things" and presto - you would be a policeman! There were a number of young white Zimbabweans (as well as the odd foreigner!) who joined during this era, some of whom were not even over the of 18 years (the minimum age for joining since the scrapping of the cadet rank). Some of these people had a genuine interest in policing and many provided transport where the police had none and many managed to accumulate strong records of arrests. Many did not. And confusion reigned supreme. The neighbourhood watch scheme was introduced as a way of putting grass roots patrols back out on the streets (you recall from the official history I quoted - this was probably a duty considered "manual, dirty work!). Neighbourhood watch members were issued with force numbers (usually starting 080) and were imbued with the rank of constable. Their mandate was meant to be to patrol their local neighbour hood only and to apprehend and detain persons who may have been committing crime in that neighbourhood.

Well, most of the true neighbourhood watch work was actually done by domestic servants who patrolled diligently, provided and decent presence and made some good arrests. they acted as a very good deterrent.

Many of the younger whites who became involved with neighbourhood watch, suddenly saw themselves as crime fighters extraordinaire! They could be found producing their ID cards to gain entry to local nightclubs, rushing around with blue lights and generally creating a huge amount of confusion. Many of the A branch members of the Police Constabulary, as it became known fell in with this group. I have met many of these questionable quasi policemen who claim to be things like "vice squad", "drugs squad", "C.I.D." etc. And quite laughable, but also fairly dangerous. Many of these individuals had absolutely no idea about what forms were required for what, how to attend a crime scene, what the priorities at a road traffic accident were etc. And regular officers used to have to be in the duty uniform branch for at least two years and score consistent b's in their APR's to be considered for C.I.D. work. Many of the real A branch members who did a lot of good work found themselves confused with these self made "miami Vice" wannabes and suffered for it. Even the force itself has no clues what these members are or who they are now! There were one or two notable ex regular member who fought hard to maintain some form of policing, but alas, all have become mired in the absolute shambles that is the ZRP today.

Nowadays the regular members of the force have become so confused themselves as to who or what "policon" members are - generally speaking, if you are white, you are now regarded as being a member of the neighbourhood watch and the police constabulary no longer exists. They stopped paying members in about 1998 and with the need for pay records gone, record keeping dropped to match other areas of the force.

But then, the reserve had done its job - as a route for the party cadres into the force, without having to undergo anything as embarrassing as a set of tests to determine if they even had the ability and attitude to police! No surprise then that the quality of the force has crashed!

Later.

Thursday 17 July 2008

Politics and Policing

Hello all,

I was considering policing and politics today - a very pertinent subject at this point in time. And it occurred to me that I stray very close to being "political" in my postings. I imaging that this is not without reason, but wrong nevertheless.
The Police Act (Cap 11:10) spells out quite clearly how police officers should approach their political beliefs, but I remember the lectures from my Depot days, where it was clearly explained. Basically a member of the force is entitled to attend any political meeting he/she wishes to when off duty, although not in uniform. He/she may listen to the address and, without identifying oneself as an officer, ask questions during the meeting. An officer may not address the meeting, nor take part nor hold any office in a political party. When in uniform and required to, as part of his/her duties, an officer may be present at a political meeting, but may not address the persons assembled, unless in the course of their duties, i.e. for safety or crowd disbursement requirements.
A police officer is not permitted to declare his or her political affiliations during the course of their duties nor make any statement related to his or her personal views or beliefs.

So I need to be quite circumspect in my approach to this blog. However, given that the law has been broken by the so-called Commissioner of Police and many of his deputies, given that it is largely considered that Mugabe and his junta are illegal, what credible right do they have to be in judgement of any of this? I would not be any better, however, if I indulged in political commentary myself and, therefore, will endeavour not to do so. I do, however, feel it correct for me to comment on the current situation as these would be my judgements as an officer. I f I were given the opportunity to make arrests related to the current behaviour of the various persons involved, these would be the judgements I would have to make and these would be the cases I would have to build in order to bring charges and prosecute the individuals in a court of law.

I have today, again been browsing the government website - in particular - the ZRPolice page. Like everything from Zim, it took forever to load!

I imagine that history is always written by the victors, but there are one or two statements in this published history which are news to me. In fact, I am unable to verify them one way or another and would welcome anyone who is able to cast any light, with some degree of proof, on this. It is stated:

The primary role of the black contigent, then known as the Black watchers, was to do all the manual dirty work considered unsuitable for the white superior race such as foot patrols, escorting sick horses on foot to the vet in then Salisbury, the capital city sometimes walking more than 300 kilometres. Under the supervision of the white officers, the Black watchers were also tasked to perform other barbaric acts like beating up and burning the houses of fellow blacks accused of having disobeyed the white man's rule.

Were the early pioneer police involved in acts that are described above? Is this an edited view taken out of context? I would really welcome any information. Are foot patrols, a basic tenant of policing, considered unsuitable for police officers? I wonder, since a great many of the forces vehicles have been destroyed, does that mean policing should stop, because foot patrols are "manual dirty work"?????

It goes on to state:

During the period of the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Southern Rhodesia and Unilateral Declaration of Independence the police went through a number of changes due to socio-economic demands. The police was never disbanded but political changes usually compromised the standards of professional policing.

As much many who served during these times may vehemently deny this, there may be an argument to support this assertion in that, in many ways, a white persons' word may well have over ridden anything a black may have said. I doubt it was anything as pronounced as the lack of professionalism being displayed today and in recent years.

In 1980, Zimbabwe attained independence and the police force changed its name to the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Section 93 (1) of the Zimbabwe Constitution mandated the restructuring of the police force on professional lines as to provide the best service possible to earn the total satisfaction, confidence and support of the public.


Well, that has failed dismally hasn't it? I think what they mean is the total satisfaction, confidence and support of ZANU-PF and Mugabe. The police force has become a virtual arm of a political party and, in this light, the previous statement about compromising professional standards of policing is ridiculous!

Although the new look police force was formed with an amalgamation of the former British South Africa Police, The Zimbabwe National Liberation Army (ZANLA), Zimbabwe Peoples' Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) cadres and new civilian recruits, it has strived to maintain the professionalism, consistence and vibrancy required of a standard modern police force.


Again, a complete failure - professionalism? Can this possibly be maintained by a Commissioner who clearly has, as part of the much vaunted JOC, carried out a virtual coup and serves only the interest of the ZANU-PF elite. Can this possibly be maintained by a Commissioner who should be suspended for his own contraventions of the Police Act and should be under investigation for these allegations? Can this possibly be maintained by Officers who have forced their sub-ordinates to vote in front of them and then brought retribution on those who do not toe the party line?

Is it not sad to note that former Commissioner Widzirai Nguruve was forced to resign amid allegations of corruption, and now Chihuri is also in a position where he faces arrest? The rot starts at the top and needs to be cut out from there. I wonder, however, how possible this will be or how it will play out?

I have, on several occasions had the opportunity to meet a number of these officers of great rank and office and I have to say, the reek of corruption is tangible in their offices. The so-called Deputy Commissioners are also in this tank of political corruption, in fact, I wonder how far down the ranks one has to come to actually start finding professional officers who could be relied upon to help steer the force out of this morass? Mind you, so many of the real and professional officers will not be found in high office because it quite clear that in the ZRP of today, it is very difficult to climb the ranks on merit or ability - you have to first be loyal to ZANU-PF, then to those who are above you, are corrupt and in control of your career!

Later.

Monday 14 July 2008

The Herald

Hello all,

I decided, for a laugh, to read what the venerable ZANU-PF news paper was carrying today in terms of "news". Bear in mind that I use the term loosely!

The first thing that caught my eye was an address by David Karimanzira - illegal governor of the Harare Metropolitan Province. In this report he thanks the people for voting overwhelmingly for Mugabe's illegal government in the so called run off elections. Amongst other things, He said some of the people who had voted for MDC-T during the March 29 joint presidential, parliamentary and council elections had realised afterwards that the opposition was being used by Britain and its Western allies to effect illegal regime change in the country.

Cde Karimanzira said when voting, people should know who they would be voting for and not to sell the country to the former colonisers who still had a hidden agenda to occupy Zimbabwe.

Hmmm... does anyone, including him believe this clap trap???? The people who voted for Tsvangirai were only forced to vote for Mugabe because they were being killed and tortured, because they knew that they were being watched, because they knew the vote was far from secret and so on and on. He should also be aware that people of Zimbabwe voted LEGALLY for regime change - and the junta now in Harare couldn't be more illegal!

I am sure people are becoming very tired of the old chimurenga line of the colonialists trying to get Zimbabwe back - I am sure they are quite clear by now that if the former colonialists had any interest in Zimbabwe (which may have been the case if there was oil there!), they would have simply walked in and taken it! The Zimbabwe National Army is an ancient collection of equipment wielded by people only unafraid of unarmed civilians! A proper army would take them apart in five minutes - and probably because most of them would not have any desire to fight to prop Mugabe and the elite up! In fact, I imagine that the generals would be running for the hills.

He also went on to say:

"As part of its ongoing empowerment initiative, Zanu-PF has put in place a bold legislative dispensation to ensure that Zimbabweans own at least 51 percent of strategic companies across the national economy. This programme is ready for implementation,"

This would be similar to the bold legislative moves that destroyed the country's agricultural sector and, in turn the economy! Really, what he means is that as the economy no longer functions and taxes and duties are no longer there to pay for the lavish life styles of the elite, this is the last stuff they can grab. Although I suspect that personal property will be next on the list!

I will drop in tomorrow for another instalment!

Later.

Sunday 13 July 2008

Back Online! Experiences.

Hello All,

Apologies for a lengthy delay - many issues have had to be sorted out and, now as they have been done, regular contributions should return!

I have decided today, to try and keep my review of the news to a minimum - after all, there are many already out there. I must say that TBM carries an interesting report about ZANU-PF youths and militia - the erstwhile "veterans" (what an insult to actual veterans!lol) are being arrested - and they are feeling quite wretched about it all! TBM quotes a report in which one criminal is quoted as saying this:

Some of the revanchist youths say they have nowhere to turn to, as the politicians who were mobilising them to perpetrate violence, are nowhere to be found.
"The police are arresting us saying we were breaking the law and nobody had the right to instruct us to do that. Most of my friends have been arrested, while several others have fled homes as they are the target of attack from the relatives of those people that they killed or beat up during the campaigns," said one youth who was operating from a base at Mupandawana growth point.
"We were so foolish as to beat up our neighbours and relatives. Now they are not willing to help us if we have a genuine problem. We feel we have been used."

Hahahahaha! I must admit, I found myself rolling on the floor with tears rolling down my face at this!
The really not funny part of this is that real and good people have paid with their lives. I note the criminal quoted says he feels he has been used - welcome to your beloved comrade Bob's dust republic! (I had thought to call it a "banana republic, but then remembered that there are no bananas. Or anything else!).

Clearly the police are to blame in this situation also. But what is does say, quite loudly, is that the few at the top are the ones who are causing the problem - but the sheep, and in this I include members of the police and army etc, are just too weak to stand up to them. If they all, with one accord, stood their ground and said NO - this rubbish would be over by now. Of course, Mugabe's divide and rule tactic is still the single most effective weapon keeping him and his cronies in power. Opposition to Mugabe must learn to unite - then we would see precisely how small his little band are. But, of course, they have all the money that has been pinched from the people and the country.

and this brings me on to the latest report on Zimbabwe from SA News 24:
Zim rivals 'closer to serious talks'

I truly hope the opposition realises during it's negotiations that South Africa's idiot president does not have long left in office - and that his replacement is likely to change the balance of power significantly. That should give them the strength to get the right outcome from the talks with Mugabe's illegal junta.

You know, Mugabe and co MUST see the writing on the wall, mind you, they have demonstrated an enviable tenacity (which is not hard given the pathetic response from the world leaders!) and when the farm invasions all kicked off the beginning of this dark chapter of Zimbabwe's history, we all thought back then that world would not stand by and let Mugabe get away with it. Again. Like we did during gukuranhundi. Like we did when the so called liberation forces attacked and killed the weak and innocent and shot down passenger aircraft. I wonder when we will all give up the hope and actually do something.

I know that there are many suitably angry members of the forces poised to get rid of these carbuncles, although they have stayed their hand pending positive moves that we are all hanging onto.

I wonder by what legal right and tenant Mugabe feels he and his greedy, genocidal cronies feel they have the right to negotiate about anything to do with the presidency and parliament of the government? I guess none, just the death grip they have on all the instruments of state which they have corrupted to their own ends. This is no longer even remotely about colonisation (if it ever was) or land or anything else other than greed and corruption.

I remember during my earlier years some of the contrasts I saw in Zimbabwe. Like the night (circa 1987) my wonderful Peugeot 404 broke down mid way between Bulawayo and Harare (heading for a hot date!lol). The water pump died. 22:00hrs 10 km's from Battlefields Police.. so, as any policeman would, I managed to limp the car to the police station. When I arrived there, there were several National Army vehicles and quite a number of soldiers overnighting there. These soldiers came over and used a serious amount of mechanical expertise to remove the water pump, make a new gasket out of a chibuku packet, refit the pump and reset the points gap using a hacksaw blade. And they fed me (bearing in mind actually, that I was not in uniform and was just another white guy driving his car) and did everything they could to help me out and get me on my way. I remember that, at the time, we whites were not particularly sure of the army, and I thought a huge request of payment or some such would be forthcoming. But no, all they said to me was please could I organise some donations of some magazines for them to read in their bases when away from home!!

So where are these soldiers? Where are the constable from Ngundu Halt police post who gave me place to sleep and food on New Years' eve the year before when I was hitching to Beit Bridge - or indeed the many, many soldiers who gave me lifts ( as a white hitch hiker) over the years?

Are all the members of the forces bad? Given my personal experiences, which are at odds with most of the stories I ever heard from other whites), I cannot imagine that they are all bad guys who want Mugabe to stay.

In October last year I stopped next to a police Landrover defender ( I was in civvies) and I smiled at the sergeant driving and said, "hows it going?" and he said to me, "ah, we are suffering. Help us to change things!" The lights changed and off we roared..

There have been contrasts and there are not all good guys. I had to arrest two constables one night who were liberally swinging a riot baton amongst the commuters in an ET (also in October) and I remember the return trip from my hot Harare date (of the 404 story) - I was hiking because the car had to wait for a new pump. I got stuck at Kadoma where, naturally, I went to the cop shop. I was given a bench to doss on in the Charge Office. Whilst I was there I recall a farmer calling in because there was a brawl in the farm compound. The fat, lazy sergeant who answered the phone said there no transport and the farmer should sort it out! About 40 minutes later, the farmer called again to say that one of the protagonists had managed to kill the other. The sergeant heaved a sigh of resignation, got off his back side and went to attend the scene - in the vehicle which had been parked outside the charge office all along. It gave me great pleasure to write a report for the officer in charge who had to then attend and was not best pleased that his slumber was interrupted!

I think the unfortunate sergeant received 30 days not to count for pay along with a discharge.

Well, enough reminiscences from me for today! I hope to introduce new feature soon which I will call the real police spokesman. I will review that Mugabe militia loyalist spokesman Wayne Bvudzjena's comments - and make what I think should be a correct police response.

Later.

Tuesday 8 July 2008

The G8 - More of what was already there

Hello All,

My apologies for the extended absence! My isp problems still continue but appear to be improving!

There has been much on the Internet and the TV about the G8. I see, from various reports that they had invited some African "leaders" to the summit who, basically, appealed for at the very least, a delay in the sanctions against Mugabe. What???? Why didn't the G8 tell them to get stuffed??

I did watch an interesting, but disturbing report from Zimbabwe on ITV - interestingly, though, they interviewed a member of the ZRP who said that there was much "discontentment" amongst the ranks or both the army and the police. And warned that there would be "open disobedience". This is something that I am all too acutely aware of.

Mugabe needs to sit up and listen.

Back to the G8 - this report talks about the sanctions and measures against Mugabe. I am a little confused as to what is new in these measures? I thought FULL economic sanctions was on the agenda - not the same thing we had before? Clearly apart from noise - there is nothing new going on really.

Also on SA News24 this evening is a report quoting "Bright" Matonga saying that any sanctions by the G8 were racist!!! I cannot wait to test this man's lack of intelligence and his view of what is right and wrong or lawful and unlawful in court one day! If you have every heard a racist speaking - listen to this guy!

Later.

Missing in Action!

Hello all - just abrief note to say I am having isp problems.. hence the lack of posting. Always happens when it is most critical!

Later

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Hello All,

I decided I needed some amusement, so visited the Zimbabwe Government Official website! I found some interesting stuff on there - like the "ZRP Service Charter" I have provided a link to it below - and cut and pasted it into my blog - And I review it in the current context. On the face of things - it looks like quite a reasonable charter - of course, unfortunately, it does not apply to Mugabe's police!
http://www.moha.gov.zw/index.php?link=zrp_service


Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)

SERVICE CHARTER ZR POLICE

We are committed to providing:
The most effective and efficient service
Professionalism in our dealings with the public
Accountability and transparency in our operations
Diligency and courtesy in the discharge of our duties

Effective and efficient - I wonder what part of effective and efficient relates to the response you get as a member of the MDC???

Professionalism? I am staggered! How can you be professional with Chihuri, a law breaker himself, as Commissioner?

Accountability - Perhaps here it will be pertinent to point out that whilst this clearly is lalaland talk in the current state of affairs within the force - there will be the day when officers will be called to account for their actions!

Diligency??? - Is that a word?


HONESTY AND INTEGRITY IS OUR MOTTO

A motto eh?? This is a comedy!

*TOGETHER WE CAN FIGHT CRIME*


HOW CAN YOU HELP

Supply any information you think can solve a crime - provided the accused is MDC, or if not, just invent something!

Report to the nearest Police station anything suspicious - As long as it is MDC, it is suspicious!

Join/support the local neighbourhood watch committee - Here you must be totally unsuitable as a police officer, but provide lots of money and stuff to the police.

Use suggestion boxes or hotlines - erm.. the hotlines are out of order, and the suggestion boxes have been vandalised!

Assist the police when they are making an arrest (Do not hinder them) - Arrests only apply to MDC members - crime is not a pre-requisite, however.

When you are dissatisfied with our service please advise the Officer In Charge and if you are still unhappy advice the Officer Commanding District/Province and finally the Commissioner Of Police. - This is so we can clearly identify you. Of course, the Officer in Charge is never available, the Officer Commanding will never be interested and the Commissioner is actually the architect of the anarchy!


I have just been watching the BBC news - reports covering Mugabe in Egypt! Well, of course, the reporters never got near Mugabe, but George Charamba, was quite defensive and angry. Showing all the signs of desperation - he described Mugabe as a "Head of State" - actually George, he is not. He is just a tin pot dictator. I am glad, however, that your racist views came through quite clearly - in the new Zimbabwe, I will be pleased to deal with you - in accordance with the law. That will be a most uncomfortable time for you!

Later

And the Talking and Hand wringing begins

Hello All,

Trawling through the various articles in the media truly underlines my predictions! There is much talking going on, but nothing new. Those states who actually want to do something about Zimbabwe, such as officially not recognising Mugabe as President, and applying full sanctions are powerless to do so. The UN, by it's very nature is crippling itself - rogue states such as China (greedy state in this case) and South Africa, will block every sensible action, whilst pursuing their own agenda's with the absolutely pointless softly, softly approach. In truth the "quiet diplomacy" truly means quiet - Mugabe does what he likes and South Africa tells the world to back off whilst they keep quiet!

From SA NEWS 24:
New York - The United States has prepared a draft text on United Nations sanctions against Zimbabwe that will ban arms sales and freeze assets of specific individuals and firms after last week's widely condemned election.
But council diplomats said it would be difficult to persuade South Africa, Russia, China and other UN Security Council members to accept a sanctions resolution against Zimbabwe.
The seven-page text, titled "Draft Elements for a Chapter VII Sanctions Resolution" and obtained in full by Reuters on Monday, said the council would not recognise Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe's June 27 re-election and would impose an embargo on sales of arms or military hardware to Harare.
It asked the council to freeze the assets of and ban travel for anyone who helped the government "undermine democratic processes" or supported politically-motivated violence.
Beating, violence, torture
The legally binding resolution would have the council "expressing deep concern at the gross irregularities during the June 27 run-off presidential election (and) the violence and intimidation perpetrated in the run-up to the election that made impossible the holding of free and fair elections".
It also had the 15-nation council "condemning the continued beating, violence and torture of civilians, sexual violence, and the displacement of thousands of Zimbabweans, many of whom had been driven to take refuge in neighbouring countries".
The draft text condemns the "intimidation and violence directed against supporters of the opposition political party, as well as the detention of its leaders". It also demanded that the government cooperate with "non-partisan investigations of the political violence" between March and June 2008.
US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters he would probably circulate the draft to the full council this week.
One-candidate election
The Security Council was deeply divided on the issue of Zimbabwe and council diplomats said that South Africa, which opposed the idea of sanctions against President Robert Mugabe's government, had the backing of two powerful veto-wielding council members - Russia and China.
Elected Security Council members Indonesia and Vietnam, which usually preferred to avoid intervening in what they saw as other countries' internal affairs, also appeared to be supporting the South Africans, diplomats said.
Khalilzad said the "credibility of the council is at stake" because of its statement a week ago that condemned the violence and restrictions on the opposition because they made a free and fair election impossible.
"We spoke loudly and clearly, made demands that were ignored," he told reporters. "If we do nothing, if there is no response, what does that say about the council?"
Mugabe went to an African Union summit in Egypt on Monday after being re-elected in a one-candidate election that was condemned by regional monitors and many world leaders
.

Now correct me if I'm wrong - targeted travel bans and freezing of assets of individuals in and supporting the Mugabe regime??? Is this something new? I thought we already had that? Where are the trade sanctions? Where are the border blockades? Where is the financial pressure on Mbeki's South Africa to get with the programme? Where is the firm statement to African countries that there is a global intolerance of violent governance that could lead to the Rwandan style genocide????? Did I miss something????

And then, following a link from the SA NEWS24 website, I found this article, which, for the most part makes, one or two reasonable points, but is underlined by the fact that the writer is an imbecile!:

(The url - should you wish to read more of his clap-trap is: http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-25_2349373)

Mortal racist blow for MDC
Jun 30 2008 11:13AM
Vic de Klerk
Pretoria - Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Zimbabwe, is a lightweight. That's in a figurative sense, though in a literal sense he looks like an adult.
Somewhat unexpectedly, he won the March 2008 election in Zimbabwe.
Immediately after that he left for an extended visit to neighbouring states. Then he returned and decided to take part in the run-off election for president. But a week before the election, he took refuge in the Dutch embassy and withdrew the MDC from the election.
For this forceful behaviour, he received worldwide approval, except from SA President Thabo Mbeki.
In the same week, the international icon of courage, perseverance and fairness, SA's own Nelson Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday in the UK.
I couldn't help thinking back to my third year at university. We were listening to the evidence in the Rivonia trial and also to Mandela's statement about what he was prepared to live and die for.
We didn't understand it very well, or didn't want to or couldn't understand it, but we nevertheless shared the disappointment of our economics lecturer when Mandela and his co-accused weren't given the death sentence.
But this week, Tsvangirai wasn't prepared to pay nearly the same price as Mandela was in 1965. Now he's apparently prepared to work with Zimbabwe's legally elected president, Robert Mugabe, in a government of national unity.
Yes, President George Bush, Mugabe is a legally elected president.
You also had problems with those last few votes in Florida where the voters' choices weren't all that clear.
Change Africa perception
But the political argument isn't my point.
As my colleague Bruce Whitfield showed on the cover of this week's Finweek, Africa can no longer afford the Mbeki/Mugabe fiasco.
Africa needs to become known in the world not for its racist and xenophobic politics, but for its human achievements, such as Nelson Mandela proved this week.
I'm using the word racist again. Mugabe is a proven racist. To achieve his aims, he drove whites away, especially farmers, rather than creating wealth for his country.
His knowledge of economics, wherever he may have acquired it, doesn't understand the concept of baking a larger cake and sharing it for the benefit of all. He preferred taking everything there is, destroying it and then trying the distribute the crumbs.
To our dear state president: your friend Mugabe is a racist and also displays xenophobic tendencies. He's power-crazy and has destroyed a country's economy.
In case you don't know, Mr Mbeki, the annual per capita income in Zimbabwe is now less than one-twentieth of what people in Swaziland earn.
It would be better to respect the king of Swaziland at the cost of your friend Mugabe.
The West - let's say the leaders of the white world like Bush, Brown and Merkel, to mention just a few - has openly given its support to Tsvangirai. Is that perhaps the reason, Mr Mbeki, why you're so opposed to supporting the clearly more democratic and less despotic Tsvangirai rather than Mugabe?
Western countries, as well as SA's whites, if I may be allowed to be racist, were right to favour a new government in Zimbabwe, even if it had been under the leadership of a lightweight like Tsvangirai. We were right - yes, I wanted to be part of it - to want to create a new Zimbabwe.
We were keen to transform Zimbabwe from a country of poverty into one of the world's jewels.
A success story that would've brought the humanity of Africa just as much favourable publicity as Nelson Mandela's birthday celebrations in London.
Wouldn't that have been a wonderful birthday present for Mandela, who, incidentally, is our idol too?
Tsvangirai, you took that opportunity away from us, because you were not prepared to walk the full length of the path. Sorry, Mister SA state president, there's an increasing taint of racism, not only in our country, but also in your southern African leadership.
For the Western world - Brown and Bush and others like you - your support for an African political party is often an automatic mortal blow for that party or democratic freedom movement. Perhaps the Zimbabwe fiasco will make racism easier to understand.


I think that Vic must have his head firmly up where the sun doesn't shine! Whilst some of his comments are OK, he is trying to equate Mugabe's election with Bush and Brown. How - the fact is this, first of all, Vic seems to have absolutely no idea about law. Mugabe - LEGALLY elected president????? The mind boggles! So, what he is saying is that if, in fact you have ZERO popular support, get your cronies to go out and beat people until you can do what you like?? Get a life! You simply cannot compare compare Bush and Brown to Mugabe - not in terms of legality - Both of those would have been unseated in a minute if their had been a case for them to answer! Vic - Mugabe is NOT legally elected - he LOST the election - i.e. he had fewer votes (in the first round) than Tsvangirai - despite the rigging that he tried on then! So he should not have a had a second round, and the second round was not held in accordance with the law and there is NO law governing the behaviour of ZANU-PF and it's thugs!!!!!

You really do not understand racism either - racism is where a white person subjugates or dislikes a black person. ONLY. Blacks cannot be racist (If memory serves - that was actually said by Mugabe or one of his cohorts a few years ago!).

I was also disturbed by the news that the white farmers were abducted and beaten. Well, it has certainly hit the headlines - but WHAT ABOUT THE COUNTLESS BLACK ZIMBABWEANS BEING ABDUCTED, BEATEN, RAPED, AND MURDERED DAILY!! Why do their stories not hit the headlines??????? And the world media wants to talk about racism?? Clearly what happened to the white farmers was hideous, terrifying and wrong on so many levels, but why is their story bigger than the comparatively more terrible stuff that happens to black Zimbabweans?????? Anyway - the furore is already beginning it's decline - in this day and age, if you miss your slot to grab world attention in the media to a meaningful level, you will soon be forgotten in the wake of another footballers broken toe!

And I just wanted to recall the CIA's response - "We do not condone violence"... Ahem, by your inactivity and pious rebukes to those of us who are prepared to stop the violence, albeit with force (the only option remaining) you ARE condoning violence. Let us hope to remember their response when Mugabe is gone and the US is in line for a pick of the natural resources of Zimbabwe!

Later.