via ZRP must explain Zanu PF killer suicide, NCA – New Zimbabwe 17/11/2015
THE opposition NCA party has challenged authorities to “come clean” regarding the death in custody of a ruling party member while awaiting trial for double murder.
In a statement Tuesday, the NCA – led by constitutional law expert Lovemore Madhuku – said the State must guarantee the safety of prisoners if citizens are to have confidence in the system.
Zanu PF activist Proud Mupambwa allegedly committed suicide days after hacking to death two other ruling party youths with an axe.
The killings, according to media reports, were reportedly triggered by the internal fights within the ruling party as a nationwide restructuring exercise continues.
“The accused (Mupambwa) was apprehended by the police facing double murder charges but however before he could be brought to a court of law,” said the NCA.
“He allegedly committed suicide while in police custody! This development raises a lot of questions on the whole issue. How can people facing serious murder charges ‘commit suicide’ in police cells?
“If this is true, which is highly unlikely, as NCA we demand an answer from ZRP to explain to the nation and indeed to the whole world how a person in their custody is capable of committing suicide?
“What guarantee do we have now that all the people in police custody are safe if they are capable of committing suicide?”
The opposition party said police had dirty hands.
“NCA party believes that police is approaching the whole matter with unclean hands.
“This is a case of politically motivated violence as confirmed by eye witnesses and residents in the area yet the police were denying, choosing to call it ‘a misunderstanding’ over an issue which is yet to be established.”
Critics accuse President Robert Mugabe’s administration of using underhand methods of extracting confessions from inmates.
The NCA said police were not acting honestly over the weekend killings.
“As NCA we see such dishonesty from ZRP as unprofessional and setting an unprecedented level of incompetence.
“Why was the police quick to go against the statements of the people in Chitungwiza that this was a politically motivated attack? What is the interest or reason, if any, of ZRP denying any links of the murders to Zanu PF factions?
“NCA party believes that there is more to the political violence that resulted in the unfortunate loss of lives and the purported ‘suicide’ as unreasonably claimed by ZRP.”
Through information chief, Madock Chivasa, the party added: “As NCA party we wish to remind Zanu PF that Zimbabwe is not at war and deserves peace and tranquillity to prevail within it”.
He said the “dark art of violence which Zanu PF is already imposing in our communities is unwelcome in contemporary politics”.
« Headline news 19 November, 2015