DEAR SIR
GREETINGS to your family and congratulations on once again being incorporated into the current government set-up.
I am a Zimbabwean citizen and a father of two. I write this letter in my capacity as a Zimbabwean citizen who is concerned about the conduct of the police force.
I am sure as a father you were deeply concerned about reports in the local Press that eight Eveline High School students were arrested for staging a peaceful demonstration in protest against the switching off of power at their hostels.
I am sure being the intellectual that you are and being a custodian of the Zimbabwean Constitution you will be familiar with Section 59 which grants Zimbabwean citizens the right to petition and demonstrate peacefully.
This may be a clause that may have escaped some of your subordinates, but I am sure from now on the right of Zimbabweans to demonstrate and petition peacefully will be respected and upheld by law enforcement agents under your control.
I am happy to hear that the girls were released after a few hours because continued detention would have been a violation of their constitutional rights.
After all the children were demonstrating because they were not able to study because of the absence of electricity.
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I am sure, commissioner, that you are familiar with the saying umntwana ongakhaliyo ufela embelekweni/mwana asingachemi anofira mumbereko (the child who does not cry will die in his or her mother’s back).
Commissioner, as a citizen of Zimbabwe I am also worried about the demolition of “illegal” structures in Harare and Ruwa. I am not for illegal structures, but surely why did you allow these people to build these illegal structures in the first place.
Now that these people have built homes, they now have a constitutional right not to be evicted or not to have their homes demolished unless there is court order.
Section 74 of the Constitution is clear about the rights of Zimbabweans not to be arbitrarily evicted or to have their homes demolished.
Why did you allow these illegal settlements to mushroom in the first place? Your critics argue that these very same people voted for the ruling party and were allowed to illegally build these structures as part of the party’s social and political engineering programme for the elections.
Now that they have been used they are being discarded like rubber contraceptives.
Commissioner, I am deeply worried the Constitution is being violated while you watch. It is this very Constitution that you are mandated to uphold and protect.
As you are quite aware the Constitution states that part of the function of the police service (and not force) is to not only maintain law and order, but also to uphold the Constitution and enforce the law without fear or favour (Section 219[e])?
Dear commissioner, as a law-abiding citizen of this country, I am deeply disturbed and perturbed that genuine criminal cases are being ignored while trivial political cases are pursued with vigour.
Our police force has always been respected for its ability to contain and prevent crime especially through departments such as homicide, vehicle theft and housebreaking units (forgive me for not correctly naming them as I have never been a police officer or even an informer).
Nonetheless commissioner, in December last year I assisted a juvenile to report a rape case at Saurcetown Police Station and personally transported police officers to scene of the crime to apprehend the culprit.
It is sad to say dear commissioner that some of the police officers appeared unwilling or unable to deal with the case and the case has not seen the light of day. Your Victim-Friendly unit failed grossly and appeared to be more friendly to the perpetrator who continues to walk the streets of Bulawayo scotfree.
I tried to engage the police at Southampton building after writing a letter of complaint, but I am sorry to say the police appeared to be unable to deal with the case.
As a law-abiding citizen and devout Christian, I am unwilling and unable to part with any money to grease any palms in order to get the wheels of justice rolling.
Revellers at a house in that suburb and one of the patrons who is a famous musician, sustained serious injuries and could not walk for weeks.
It is alleged that some of the police officers were making slurs about having finished Ndebeles during Gukurahundi.
I would suggest that you institute an internal enquiry to investigate these bad apples who may soil the good work that you are doing.
I am sure you are tired of all the civil suits you have been facing due to the incompetence or excesses or some overzealous police officers. Surely you do not condone such callous and careless behaviour.
Commissioner, your esteemed Police Service has had its integrity and credibility severely compromised by police officers who fail to respond to calls from citizens and in some cases they are asked to bring the villains themselves or are interviewed in languages that they are not familiar with.
I am sure as a professional who fought hard for the liberation of the country, this is not what you fought for.
Yours Sincerely
Dumisani O Nkomo, Nqaba kaMbekwana, SekaThando
Ps May we have less police officers at lawful civil society meetings and more of them at awful crime scenes.
Dumisani Nkomo is an activist and opinion leader
