Zimbabwe MP says violence is so pervasive that every politician wants to have an army to deal with opponents

It is important Mr. Speaker that the police must work with the community as they say.  There must be no barrier whatsoever, but a barrier has been created and while has been created, there is now animosity between the police and the public which then makes people paint a picture and label the police to be partisan rather being non partisan.  I think Commissioner General Chihuri is a war veteran who will respect – he went to war to liberate this country and to me I think it is equally important for him to enjoy the fruits, but at the time sticking to the founding principles of the struggle.

They went through the Smith regime – because of oppression and because of the violence that was there and I think his quest to be in the struggle was to see a free Zimbabwe where people enjoy, where they is law and order.  I think there is the aspect of minimum force, the police is empowered to use minimum force, but you know – what is minimum force?  We saw the war veterans being tear-gassed.  Was it really necessary for the police to tear gas the war veterans who are innocent and cannot even run?  So, to me already you are actually provoking society to respond and society responds by being violent because you were violent.  Do we not have police officers?  The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission recommends that police officers must continuously go through training so that they are up with the modern trends of policing in the whole world.  Without them being given those refresher courses, they will always not be there.  We see a situation where resources which are meant to really work against those who are not…

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HON. MLISWA:  Hon. Speaker, I want to thank you for this opportunity to debate and I think it is equally important that we all observe tolerance as a nation, we all respect each other.  There is no point in us being violent because the seed that we are planting in our political parties is slowly manifesting and it will harm us. I thank you.

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