3-year battle against partisan ZRP – young cop tells all
Tuesday, 15 December 2009 18:42
JOHANNESBURG – The Zimbabwe Republic Police has during the past decade lost
thousands of its junior officers, who were either fired or deserted their
jobs in protest against political victimisation.
The Zimbabwean this week tracked down one former officer – ex-Constable
Tafadzwa Gambiza (27), who recounted how he braved his superiors’
partisanship for three years, until he was forced out on June 26, 2008 a day
before Zimbabwe ‘s ill-fated Presidential run-off, which Robert Mugabe
contested alone and later declared himself winner.
Gambiza, whose service number was 050097C, was attested into the ZRP on May
29, trained at Chikurubi Depot and graduated on November 30, 2000 – the same
year that Mugabe began his controversial and often violent land seizures
that have crippled Zimbabwe’s economy.
During his unwavering defiance, Gambiza, one of the few police officers who
were brave enough to openly challenge the Zanunisation of the ZRP by its
commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, saw himself at one stage being suspended
for more than two years for arresting Zanu (PF) bigwigs. He was threatened
with death, and ultimately dismissed for refusing to help rig the 2008
elections.
Gambiza, still laden with police jargon and quoting statutes to demonstrate
his undying love for the law-enforcement agency that kicked him in the teeth
when he tried to perform his duties according to the book, says he had his
first confrontation with Chihuri’s hypocrisy during the March 2005
parliamentary elections.
“I was on election duty with other police officers at Mbizo Youth Centre,
Kwekwe on March 31, 2005,” recounted Gambiza, perusing his police notebook.
“While I was still at the polling station, I arrested a Zanu (PF) official,
July Moyo, for contravening section 146 of the Electoral Act.”
Moyo is a former Midlands Provincial governor and Zanu (PF) chairman for the
same province, who was suspended in 2004 for participating in the Dinyane
Declaration (Tsholotsho) that sought to push for the elevation of Defence
Minister and Presidential hopeful, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to the post of
Vice-President ahead of Joyce Mujuru.
“He came to the polling station on voting day, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned
‘Vote Emmerson Mnangagwa – Zanu (PF) Kwekwe constituency’, a cap with the
same inscription and a badge which said Zanu (PF) chief election agent on
his shoulder,” said Gambiza, reading out Moyo’s National Registration
numbers – 63-278979 Y03, to confirm the arrest.
Moyo challenged
“When I asked him why he was doing that, Moyo told me that he was a minister
for the ruling party and I challenged that, telling him that there were no
ministers, as cabinet had been dissolved by the President before the
elections. I arrested him immediately.” Gambiza said that while he was
calling his station on the radio, Moyo called Mnangagwa to inform him of “an
MDC officer who was disturbing him from campaigning”.
“Just when the police truck arrived, Mnangagwa also arrived and began to
insult me, accusing me of being a traitor working with Morgan Tsvangirai and
the MDC to re-colonise Zimbabwe. He also threatened to have me dismissed
immediately for standing in the way of Zanu (PF).”
After obscenities had been hurled at him, Gambiza said he arrested Mnangagwa
as well and drove the two men to Kwekwe Central police station, where he
tried to have them detained. He was stopped from doing that by an Assistant
Commissioner Sakonda, who was the police Election Commander for Kwekwe.
“Sakonda said that I should take down their names and release them, as they
were well-known people who would not go anywhere. I tried to argue that
these people had committed a serious offence, and that MDC members had been
arrested and detained for lesser ones.” He was hauled before a board that
would determine his suitability to continue his duties as a police officer.
Medical grounds
“The board, presided over by Chief Superintendent Norman Sibanda (now Senior
Assistant Commissioner), Superintendent Phineas Muhedziwa (now Chief
Superintendent and recently suspended for raping a junior officer) and
Superintendent Mushapaidze declared, as I had expected, that I was
unsuitable for police duties and I later received a signal that my last
working day would be July 6, 2006.” Gambiza did not take this lying down
and lodged an appeal with the Police Service Commission in terms of section
51 of the Police Act. He was re-instated in 2006.
However, this was just the beginning of more battles for the junior officer,
as his superiors tried to have him fired from the ZRP “on medical grounds”.
“They claimed that I was an epileptic and should be discharged from my
duties and even wrote a letter to the police medical doctors urging them to
set up a medical board to discharge me,” said Gambiza. This failed, as the
ZRP Southern Region General Medical Officer, Doctor D. Wachi, responded:
“Constable Gambiza is responding well to treatment and is currently free of
fits. I am therefore, of the opinion that he does not require a medical
board.”
However, this was his last victory. On August 21, 2006, he was suspended by
the then Senior Assistant Commissioner (now Commissioner) Charles Mfandaidza
for no reason and without any pending trial. “The suspension order was
served on me by Superintendent Enerst Muchenjekwa and witnessed by Inspector
Paul Deka, who both did not explain its reasons and I stayed on suspension
for two years,” added Gambiza. On May 29, 2008, he challenged the then
Officer Commanding KweKwe district, Ruth Madya, who, during a routine Zanu
(PF) campaign meeting at Kwekwe Central police station, ordered police
officers to sloganeer and denounce the MDC and to ensure that their
dependants and workers above the age of 18 voted for Mugabe.
“When we reached question time, I asked her if the ZRP had changed course
from a non-partisan law-enforcement agency into a Zanu (PF) force and Madya
accused me of being a bad influence on the rest of the officers,” said
Gambiza. “She told us that those who did not heed her calls would be
dismissed from the ZRP, adding that some would even disappear without
trace.” Gambiza said that on June 18, 2008 – nine days before the
Presidential election run-off vote, their superiors drove all police
officers in the Midlands province to the Kwekwe district conference room,
where they were ordered to vote through postal ballots for Mugabe.
The clandestine voting was allegedly being presided over by Mfandaidza.
“Voting was done in the presence of senior officers, who would tell us to
tick against Mugabe’s name. However, while some were still voting, SADC
election observers arrived at the station and the senior police officers
packed their ballot papers and sneaked out of the camp without being
detected.
“After that, some ZUPCO buses were sent to transport us, together with our
workers, dependents and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee
(civilian volunteers who are not allowed to vote through postal ballot) to
Gweru Old camp to continue voting.
Refused to vote
“On arrival there, I refused to vote and challenged the superiors against
taking over the job meant for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and making
it theirs and turning police stations into polling stations. On June 26,
2008, a day before the run-off, Gambiza received a signal notifying that he
had been fired from the ZRP with immediate effect.
“Again they claimed that I was unsuitable for police duties and a Sergeant
Major Muyambo of Mbizo police station, who claimed that he had been sent by
Mfandaidza, evicted me from Kwekwe Central police camp on July 17, claiming
to have been sent by Mfandaizda.
“He was being accompanied by two other Sergeant Majors – Richard Chizhongo
and Majaya, who said that Mfandaidza had told them that I was an MDC man.
They searched my wardrobe and stole R80 from it while I was out of the
house.” Gambiza said that after his eviction from camp, he was threatened
with death until he fled Zimbabwe for South Africa, where he is currently
working and living as a political exile.
“I will not return to Zimbabwe anytime with Mugabe still in charge because I
know that they will definitely kill me,” he said as a parting shot.
The Zimbabwean
Posted by Wellington Chadehumbe
on December 16, 2009. Filed under Local News.
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