AUGUSTINE Chihuri . . . told senior police officers to back Mugabe

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s police chief Augustine Chihuri this week told senior officers to back President Robert Mugabe reminding them the veteran leader had given them farms, resources and other perks, authoritative sources told ZimOnline. 

Chihuri on Tuesday met provincial and departmental police commanders at police general headquarters in Harare where he handed them new luxury vehicles for their personal use and told the officers that more perks were on the way if Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF party won next month’s elections, said sources. 

Officers of the rank of senior assistant commissioner attended the meeting that took place in the force’s Room 50 conference room. Ten of the senior assistant commissioners are in charge of police in the country's eight administrative provinces and in the two biggest cities of Harare and Bulawayo. 

"He (Chihuri) told us that the President is counting on us and that we have to be vigilant in our provinces to ensure that the opposition and other reactionary forces did not infiltrate ZANU-PF structures,” said one of the officers who received a Toyota Vigo truck from Chihuri. 

The officer, who we cannot name to protect him, said: “Chihuri pointed out that all commanders have farms and have generously received resources from the government . . . he reminded us that we were able to afford luxury lifestyles despite meager salaries because of President Mugabe's generosity." 

According to our sources one officer, Nonkosi Ncube, who is in charge of police in Mashonaland East province, turned down a white truck she had been allocated insisting she preferred the truck black. 

She was assured she would receive a car with the “right colour” next week when middle-ranking police commanders would receive their vehicles. 

Police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka confirmed the meeting took place. But he denied Chihuri had asked officers to support Mugabe and instead claimed the purpose of the meeting was to brief senior officers on the upcoming elections. 

Mandipaka said: "It was a meeting to acquaint senior officers with electoral laws and issues related to our operations during this election period. We are non-partisan and the commissioner-general put that position very clearly to the meeting." 

Mugabe, in office since Zimbabwe’s 1980 independence from Britain, has kept top army and police commanders well fed, plying them with lucrative farms seized from whites, vehicles, government contracts and other benefits. 

The security commanders in turn have not let him down, always ready to use brutal tactics to keep public discontent in check in the face of an economic crisis that has spawned hyperinflation and shortages of food, fuel, essential medicines, hard cash and just about every basic survival commodity. 

Mugabe and ZANU PF are expected to win presidential, parliamentary and local government elections on March 29. However, analysts say popular former finance minister Simba Makoni’s rebellion to challenge the veteran leader for the job of president has made the contest less than predictable. – ZimOnline