Monday 27 October 2008

Riots and Minimum Force

Hello All,

I, like many others have now been watching the news carefully today to see if there are any reports on the "negotiations" but, at the time of writing, there does not appear to be anything.

I did see the report on the demonstration by ROHR (Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe). And the subsequent reports of injuries and arrests.. And the photographs of the demonstration.

50 people arrested? 11 Injured? This picture, showing the demonstration does not show a mob of violent people which required aggressive intervention.






I know - I have seen real riotous mobs and, apart from carrying placards and banners, they are certainly not carrying anything offensive nor posing a threat to the public at large.






In point of fact, they seem to be quite a jolly crowd waving and smiling - and exercising their right to freedom of expression... erm I guess that is NOT a right in Zimbabwe at the moment!





But then... if you look a little more closely.. you see what the actual problem is - these people look like they are giving the dreaded MDC open handed salute.


Naturally then, the powers that be felt it necessary to intervene!




And so... enter the riot squad...


Firing teargas (CS ANTI RIOT IRRITANT).. And all hell breaks loose.
Suddenly everyone is running for their lives.
I think it pertinent to say here that police officers are required to uphold the law. And at the moment, the law says you may not protest (Just in case everyone discovers that ZANU-pf is not who they want to govern them). I imagine that the law itself is illegal and the process to make it "law" was illegal and it is a law made by an illegal regime (So yes, on top of everything else - it gets very complex when you start looking at an incident like this!).
But, for the sake of argument, let us just say that this is the law and police officers are required to enforce it. How should they be going about it?
I would tend to think back to my training and remember the definition of "minimum force" and that is as follows:
MINIMUM FORCE - this is the force required to be applied to reach one's objective, applied with a PREVENTATIVE and NOT PUNITIVE intent, and STOPPING WHEN IT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY.
Clearly this principal was not adhered to in this case. Did the police form a line? Did a senior officer address the crowd? Did he/she warn them to disperse? Was an attempt made to make arrests peaceably?
From the reports and pictures, I would say not.
So now, the officers involved in this attack have, themselves, committed an offence - assault and causing a breach of the peace to begin with, dereliction of duty also springs to mind.
That would mean these officers need to be arrested themselves. And they need to be charged.
I would say that if the MDC are given control of the Police, which will need to happen if any progress is to be made in Zimbabwe, then there are going to be a lot of "policemen/women" (I put these titles in quotations.. because I feel the force is now largely a ZANU-pf militia anyway), who will be finding themselves where they have put so many brave people just trying to stand up for themselves.

Sunday 26 October 2008

Creepimg Genocide

Is it not amazing that the world is still standing by, wringing it's hands and actually doing nothing.. whilst people in Zimbabwe are slowly being "eliminated"?

The MDC are quite correct in their stance to hold out over real power sharing. And they need to have control of the Police. Sadly, still now, relatively little pressure is being applied to Mugabe and ZANU-pf. And all the while that they are prevaricating, people (particularly the ruling MDC supporters) are starving to death or dying from cholera and many other things besides.

I often take news headlines with a pinch of salt - for instance, whilst they report widely on the deaths from causes such as starvation and disease brought on by infrastructural collapse, what about the people who are being turned away from hospitals and dying from "normal" diseases, because there are no doctors or drugs? What about people who are injured in road/domestic/occupational accidents? I would imagine that, in a pure statistical format, the number of these deaths is far greater than the cholera deaths and starvation deaths.. at the moment anyway. Of course, whilst Mugabe continues to cling desperately to power the situation will continue to deteriorate.. and more people will die.

And where does the blame for all this lie? It will take the setting up of a special section of the Zimbabwe Republic Police to concentrate solely on investigating all the murders, assaults, rapes, ZANU-pf sanctioned thefts, corruption and many other abuses of office and derelictions of duty. And it would take this section a not inconsiderable time to investigate all of this. And external help will be needed. Whilst much of modern day forensic work originated in Zimbabwe (A surprising but true fact - read CRIME SCIENTIST by John Thompson) - I would doubt that the current forensic labs will have the capability to recover and analyse DNA evidence.. or much else. And many experts who used to serve, particularly in Ballistics, will have to be recalled for service again. A very sad state of affairs, but like everything else, the ZANU-pf government inherited these institutions when they were cutting edge (the FBI used the ballistics lab in Harare on occasion because of their renowned expertise).

And at the end of the day, how much actual prosecution will be actually achieved as, with the passage of time, much factual evidence will be lost. Also, it begs the question.. who was behind it all? Was it Mugabe himself? Was it the JOC? was it individuals? Or was it all of them?

It will take one massive and intricate investigation and, I suspect, when this investigation takes place, vast fortunes will be recovered, which they must be and the money used for redevelopment and infrastructural repair. It will be interesting to see the reaction of those who have stolen so much when they lose it all!

And it will take a very organised prosecutor who is extremely diligent and thorough to bring these cases successfully to court. And the judiciary will need to be purged of political elements (although this may be easily achieved as most of them are accused persons themselves!).

Make no error, the task before everyone is gargantuan. But certainly worth doing. It is time though, for Mugabe and ZANU-pf, to be put under sufficient pressure to adhere to the terms and spirit of the agreement. They are holding out desperately because they know that once the power sharing agreement takes effect and the balance of power shifts out of their hands and into the hands of Zimbabweans.. the end will be at hand. So I do not expect them to go easily or quietly, but go they must. And the sooner the better and it is high time that the international community started putting real pressure on the African heads of state and the SADC to make it happen quickly.

Later.

Thursday 16 October 2008

Riots, Response and Bvudzijena

Hey all,

Well, one wonders what to make of all the goings on. Most commentators believe Mugabe will do exactly as he pleases without any reference to the law or anyone else.. but then this evening I hear on the radio news that an accord had been reached on sharing the ministries? I have to admit though, that I have been unable to verify this anywhere on the web. It will be interesting to see what happens - the SADC is now under pressure and seems to be swinging away from Mugabe, Botswana have told him openly that they don't recognise him, Mozambique had serious words with him on the quiet after the "elections", Zambia (if they continue in Mwanase's style) have told him they think he should go and now South Africa, with a new President have started making some uncomfortable noises about him... And still the JOC clings on to power and, I think, this is the central problem - Mugabe's choices are becoming more and more forced - he has created an ever hungry elite amongst the top ZANU-pf membership who, having tasted their ill gotten gains, do now want to let go.. and are afraid of what will follow - the proverbial "tiger by the tail" scenario seems to be emerging..

I wonder where this will all end up.. because it will end. Perhaps it is required that the MDC must give the assurances of no prosecution to the senior generals and Commissioner.. otherwise they are not liable to let go. And whilst this sticks firmly in the craw of dedicated police men and women, myself included, and whilst it may not provide the justice and closure the families and victims so rightly desire, it may just be the short term answer to get rid of the rot and sort things out. And that has to be the best answer, otherwise there will be many more victims and bereaved families around.
Two recent news items stick out for me in regard to the "so called" police. They have been noted for attacking peaceful protests... again! I wonder if the officers involved were the Support Unit, which tends to be the case these days. Before this time of madness, the riot squad generally consisted of officers drawn from stations and deployed against rioters and backed up by the support unit.. but one gets the impression, more and more that the worst acts are carried out by the black boots.

I know also, from personal experience that control of these actions is rested with the Officer Commanding Province (Propol), who usually receives direction and policy directly from PGHQ. I recall listening to the radio in Bulawayo when the MDC offices were under attack by ZANU-pf thugs and was burnt down. Officers on the ground were requesting permission of the Officer Commanding to engage the ZANU-pf thugs and he was holding them off until one of the call signs could stand around no longer and merely reported that they were engaging as "the situation was no out of hand". No doubt that individual, if he was identified, is now an ex member.

What ever the excuses, it is very clear from the my own personal experiences and knowledge and from the results, that the actions or inaction's of the police are very deliberately calculated and very politically motivated.

It just surprises me that it is continuing - either the commanders themselves are unaware of the change about to sweep their lives or they believe they can maintain the status quo indefinitely. I think that if they are truly of the belief that they are never going to be brought to account, they will continue this. I should point out though, that there will be an accounting. And yes, perhaps the JOC and some of the most senior people may get away with it by negotiating their way out, the victims and the law will have their pound of flesh. And I would think that payment will start, perhaps at Deputy Commissioner level, perhaps at Senior Assistant Commissioner level, but payment will be received - I wonder how long it will take those men on the ground to realise that their beloved Field Marshal Commissioner General Chihuri will probably be long gone and they will be left holding the baby? I wonder if it will take too long before the brighter stars start covering their tracks by hanging their erstwhile comrades out to dry?

Hopefully it will be soon and some normalcy can be restored to the policies pursued by the force. And then work can start to rebuild a police force that everyone will trust, rely upon and support.

I notice also that Bvudzijena - the so called "national police spokesman" - is very quiet and these days, more often than not, cannot be reached for comment! Would that be because he is away, trying to find a dark hole into which he can crawl? I certainly hope so.

And on the subject of police commentary, I remember very clearly (although still to young to be a policeman at the time) when Rhodesia transitioned to Zimbabwe, the then Commissioner, P. K. Alum was interviewed as to the police stance on the changing political scene within the country. He was able to clearly answer that "the police would continue to maintain law and order". Something that Chihuri is unable to say (or, indeed, Bvudzijena) because police have NOT maintained Law and Order under his "leadership", quite the opposite is true. Perhaps once we are rid of ZANU-pf militia masquerading as police officers, the next Commissioner will at least be able to say that the police will clean their own house and then ensure that they will bring order back by upholding the law?

Lets hope so.

Later.

Friday 10 October 2008

Inflation, Profiteering, Collapse

Hello All,

I thought I would comment today on the financial situation in Zimbabwe as I currently have a vested interest in an ongoing matter.

It would seem now that the entire economy is going through the death throes of collapse. The intransigence of ZANU-pf and it's ludicrous financial "management" is going to be the catalyst that will erupt in civil war very shortly.

It is now time for Mbeki (in whom I do not have much faith) and the regional leadership to sit up and take notice and act before a total breakdown in society takes place. As many commentators have noted, ZANU-pf lost the March election, despite much rigging, the evidence of which has been seen by the world after the very brave prisons officer secretly recorded his "vote" for the world to see. They then went on to perform the farce of a run off accompanied by massive acts of violence and rapidly install Mugabe as "president" despite breaking every single law (their own laws!) related to the process. Surely even they can see for themselves that they are not legal?

Now we have the losing party and the ruling party (MDC) negotiating this agreement. And Zimbabwe breathed sigh of relief hoping the end was in sight.

Not a chance, ZANU-pf was merely trying to set the stage to absorb the MDC as it had done to pf-ZAPU some years earlier. They have suddenly discovered, however, that the MDC are awake and not ready to play their game. They want an actual equal share in government. And this is causing Mugabe untold headaches. Much to his surprise, they will not go quietly and are fighting him, correctly, on every point. The lack of faith being exhibited by ZANU-pf is quite clear. Ignatious Chombo is still trying to fiddle in the affairs of local government even though he is actually NOT a minister (parliament not existing currently!), the arrest and detention of MDC persons continues, in point of fact, not ONE SINGLE ELEMENT of the MoU has been acknowledged or adhered to by ZANU-pf.. or is it the JOC?

7 months after the election we are no closer to an actual settlement. And, I am wondering, where does this JOC get its power from? The people they "command"? I wonder how long that will go on given the situation regarding the economy which Gideon Gono has managed to finally bring to a screeching halt? Surely the policemen and women and soldiers of Zimbabwe themselves are feeling the pinch now and must be questioning how they got there?

Inflation continues to spiral so dramatically that it is virtually impossible to put any real figures on it. And the inflationary environment is giving way to open profiteering and racketeering, even in foreign currency.

How is it that a can of soft drink costs US$5??? and worse still, the matter I am involved in is around moving a sick person from Harare to Bulawayo by road ambulance. The price quoted by the private ambulance services in Zimbabwe is so disproportionate that it actually works out cheaper to buy an ambulance in the UK, ship it to Zimbabwe and do the transfer by road that way! In fact the cost of that is less than half of what I was quoted! (And, by the way, this is now what I am arranging!). In defending his prices, the general manager of the service involved told me that the British Medical aid BUPA routinely pays US$500 for an ambulance call within Harare!!! In the uk a private ambulance service charges £300 for a full ICU ambulance transfer in a new vehicle equipped with the the required gadgets and staffed by a paramedic, ICU nurse and Doctor over a distance of 350 km.

And what is worse, I also happen to know that ambulance staff in Zimbabwe earn, on average, less than US$5 a month! Can anyone else see the problem here? If this is how businesses are being run, which is clearly the case, how long before it becomes completely untenable?

How is it possible to justify such a profit margin? And where or who does that profit go to? Some people are really and truly using business and the prevailing situation to cash in on the misery of everyone else in the country. And making things worse.

Clearly the whole economy is out of control thanks to the machinations of ZANU-pf and the Reserve bank.

But private individuals need to sit up and take notice - these are crimes, possibly even against humanity itself. And I foresee a situation where, once things have been resolved, where those who have become ultra rich are going to have to be brought to book and their ill gotten gains taken away from them. I think there will be some very intricate and involved court cases and I, for one, will be helping employees sue their employers for back pay of a decent wage. They can clearly afford it. I think for a period of time after things settle, some serious forensic accounting is going to be called for and money and people will need to be pursued all over the world.

This kind of behaviour by business people is as bad as the torture meted out by ZANU-pf and cannot go unpunished.

Later.

Friday 3 October 2008

Chihuri "threatens" to resign

Hello all,

Well I am still connected at present and the new ISP is due in on the 6th! So hopefully any interruption will be brief!

I was doing the usual trawl through the news today and whilst most of it still stinks of Mugabe trying to hold on to all the organs of state that he has transformed into organs of the party. Funnily enough the cited reason that he cannot give up Home Affairs appears linked to the unity accord with pf - ZAPU. Erm... pf ZAPU did not, to the best of my knowledge, contest the last elections - and anyway, have been so overwhelmed by ZANU-pf that they no longer exist.

Apparently Dumiso Dabengwa and other ZAPU heavyweights are threatening to abandon the unity accord in response to the power sharing agreement... I have personally met Dabengwa on a number of occasions - I think he is a man of principals who should move away from the stinking morass created by ZANU-pf after all, Dabengwa is a very decent statesman too. Yes, bring back ZAPU if it is felt that it will represent the ndebele people - political diversity is to be encouraged - provided all parties act lawfully and work to represent their followers in the best interests of the nation - this would be a healthy development consistent with democracy. Instead of ZANU-pd being able to swallow up every corner of Zimbabwe to feed Mugabe's megalomania!

Well all these complications aside - the power sharing agreement will not work -unless power is equitably shared between the parties who are signatory to the document - all the other issues are merely a smoke screen to try and force Mugabe to stay in control and allow him to continue to destroy the country.

The fact is that Mugabe uses the organs of state and the ZRP in particular, who are deployed nationally, to rig elections, help ZANU-pf thugs attack the opposition and detain MDC leaders - if he retains control of this, the balance of power does not shift.

I see also that the MDC are under immense pressure to walk away from the power sharing deal, however, this would play into Mugabe's hands as he will be able to go tothe world and say "see - I tried, but they didn't want to play!" - No, I think the MDC must remain engaged, but stick thoroughly to their guns - and despite everything, there must be something going on behind the scenes - because there is also the story the Chihuri has threatened to resign if the MDC gain control of Home Affairs...

This is the report about Chihuri.. It can be found on the Zimbabwe Metro site here - and the comments that follow on that site show just how people feel about Chihuri!

Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri has threatened to resign if Mugabe goes ahead and allocates the Ministry of Home Affairs to the MDC,sources have revealed.
Chihuri reportedly met President Robert Mugabe at State House in Harare early this week and told him that he cannot directly work under any MDC minister."The President was told that by Chihuri that he will step down if he handed over the home Affairs ministry. " revealed a source who attended the meeting.
Meanwhile ZANU PF 's chief negotiator Patrick Chinamasa has downplayed the deadlock over allocation of four key ministries telling state media that progress has been made."I don't think that the issue of allocation of ministries is a matter that can be referred to the facilitator . We cannot, at the slightest difference in opinion, call outsiders to mediate. Even if you are a married couple, you cannot have a situation where your wife runs to her mother each time you have a problem in your home. If there is thinking on such a kind of approach, it has to stop in the interest of harmonisation of relations," he told The Herald.
Chinamasa went on to claim that the Deputy Prime Minister designate Thokozani Khuphe has already toured her new office to be located in downtown Harare."I understand offices for Mr Tsvangirai and the two Deputy Prime Ministers have already been set aside at Munhumutapa Building and that MDC-T vice president Thokozani Khupe has already been to the building to see the offices", said Chinamasa.
Earlier MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told The Star newpaper that they has been no progress in the stalemate."This approach of claiming the marrow of the government while peripherising the MDC is completely unacceptable. The mistake that Zanu-PF is making is to imagine that we are desperate to be in the government. We are not in a hurry to be chauffeur-driven. We are a people-driven party.", he said


Well Comrade Field Marshal General Brigadier Commissioner - please ensure you hand your uniform in at ordinance on your way out, ensure that your office is clean and that you personally polish the desk before you go..

The sooner you and ALL the Deputy Commissioners go, the better - and yes, if it is felt that the ZANU-pf supporters throughout the police "will resign en masse", please ensure that you encourage them to do so - it will save us having to suspend them before we begin investigations!

I see that after refusing to allow the Finance Ministry to go to MDC, reports are emerging that this has been conceded - let us hope that the same will happen with Home Affairs, because without this Ministry, the agreement and power sharing government are dead in the water. I think Mugabe must be finding it exasperating that the MDC will not cave in to their demands - good for you MDC - you keep at it, you were the legally elected representative of the people of Zimbabwe, you have promised to fight their corner and you are doing an impressive job under very hard hostile conditions.

Later.

Thursday 2 October 2008

Chihuri's step backwards

Hello All..

Well, at this time I still have a connection to the internet - but it clearly struggles as I can open none of the news sites based in Zimbabwe. TheBeardedMan has come to my rescue, however, and provided me with the text of the article I wanted to comment on yesterday.. It is quite incredible and deserves picking apart on a line by line basis!

ZIMBABWEANS should set aside political differences and embrace the historic power-sharing deal for the betterment of the country, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri has said.
Comm-Gen Chihuri said Zimbabweans should now move on and work together.

This sounds more and more like a step backwards for our revered Field Marshal General Commissioner! What happened to "I will never recognise Tsvangirai"????? Too little, too late methinks!


“We need to work together and fore go our minor differences as Zimbabwe has now moved on with its politics as parties engaged in landmark talks to restore whatever seeming differences amongst them and a common understanding was reached,” Cde Chihuri said.
He said the formation of an all-inclusive Government was imminent and all sober-minded Zimbabweans welcomed this development.

And is Chihuri sober minded? I doubt that.. Come now Augustine - what happened to the nasty rhetoric you have been gushing in recent months?

He noted that the current economic challenges facing the country were not of the making of the leadership but of foreigners who wanted to enjoy and benefit from the country’s resources.

Would that be the Chinese foreigners? How can you, as the head of the so-called police force blindly follow this old and worn out party line? I am sure the economic challenges have absolutely nothing to do with the destruction of the agricultural sector and the departure of people capable of making the economy work! Of course - preventing Mugabe and his entourage - including you from going on their monthly US$2 million shopping trips must be the cause of all your woes!
If this man cannot grasp the fundamentals of what poor governance has done, how can he possibly understand that the failure and partisan behaviour of the police is down to his own leadership - no doubt, that too, is someone else's fault! Get a grip Chihuri - resign now and run away - real policemen will return soon and you will be arrested!

He said this in his address to officers who have just returned from a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia and another contingent leaving for Sudan on a similar assignment.

I still have some difficulty understanding how policemen and women who cannot uphold the law in their own country can possibly be seconded for duties in other world "trouble spots"? Is it just me that has a problem with this? Has someone in the UN not noticed this parody?

Cde Chihuri said the peace prevailing in the country should continue to be jealously guarded.
The incoming contingent of 13 officers had briefed Cde Chihuri on the unstable situation they encountered during their tour of duty in Liberia.
“You have outlined in your reports that disturbances were rampant. This is what happens when people do not abide by laws. I urge you to contribute to further maintain this peace as you have done during your tour of duty,” he said.

Erm Chihuri, let me break this to you gently.. the only reason that the people of Zimbabwe haven't risen up and buried you and your followers in ant hills is because they are a fundamentally decent people who abide by the law of their own choice. The people disturbing the peace and breaking the law are you and your mis-guided officers. Be thankful that the people of Zimbabwe are prepared to wait it out until the law is restored and you can be dealt with in the proper manner!

The police chief also took a swipe at corrupt officers, saying the long arm of the law would soon catch up with them.

So this was a swipe at yourself then?

Comm-Gen Chihuri also said he was impressed by the increase in the number of female officers participating in peacekeeping missions, which were usually regarded as a male preserve.
“By taking up these extremely challenging assignments, they are confirming their undoubted ability, capability and professionalism which cuts across gender,” he said.
Cde Chihuri also applauded the contingent for standing up to the daunting challenges that confronted them in Liberia as they worked towards restoring peace and tranquillity in the West African country.

I am quite sure there is much professionalism still within the police, across all genders, which Chihuri works hard to cover up and control, lest the actual law be applied - in which case, Chihuri would be immediately suspended, investigated, charged, convicted and carted off to somewhere dark!

“Your preparedness has shown the way and laid the pattern of good work. The Zimbabwe Republic Police’s peacekeeping record has been common cause as evidenced by the wide commendations lavished upon the organisation by both regional and international entities.
He said despite the challenges, corruption cannot be used as an excuse.
“I want to take this opportunity to highlight that there is no room for criminality in the ZRP and those who are involved in criminal activities will not be spared,” he said.

Would criminal activities include things like contravening the Police Act? Contravening the Electoral Act? Acting in an unconstitutional manner? Dereliction of duty? If they do, I am impressed that Chihuri would threaten himself in this manner! But he is right on one point - there is no room for criminals in the ZRP - and that includes you Chihuri - you are only the Commissioner, which is just a rank that can be help by a police officer - it does not make you immune to the law!

To departing officers, Cde Chihuri said they should always strive to do better than their predecessors.
“You should, therefore, individually or collectively work as one with the aim of exuding the highest level of professionalism that is an unfailing characteristic of police both locally and internationally,” Cde Chihuri said.

Perhaps Chihuri could start "exuding professionalism" himself by resigning immediately and let real police officers who are not party biased take control?

Later.

Wednesday 1 October 2008

News from within Zimbabwe

I have been trying, without success to access local news sites from within Zimbabwe to try and see what rubbish the Mugabe media is trying to shove down people's throats - unfortunately, I think either the hack attacks have taken their toll or the news sites themselves are just unreachable!
However, I was able to access the "newsnet" site of the ZBC and Mweb.co.zw..

On the Mweb page I noted a headline from the Chronicle which proclaims " Lets Bury Our Political Differences: Chihuri" - the kink is HERE and I hope that someone can access it and tell me what this story is about.. but, given the statement reported, i am speculating that this may be a signal that Supreme Commander Field Marshal Commissioner General Chihuri of the ZANU-pf / Robert Mugabe personal militia may be starting to feel a little unsettled?

Whilst I am dying to see what this is about, if my suspicions are correct, someone needs to point out that the best way to bury the political differences, particularly within the police means the removal of all political appointees, political commissars and biased officers who police for the party, instead of the nation! And that will have to start with the departure of Chihuri from the office he has used to destroy the Zimbabwe Republic Police and semblance of law and order within the country! Chihuri, take your cap off your head and read the badge - it says "Pro Lege - Pro Patria - Pro Populo" - that is Latin and it means the following - Pro Lege (For the Legion/company) - i.e - for the good of the force.. Pro Patria (for the country) - i.e not for the party!.. Pro Populo (for the people) - erm did this one slip our minds? or perhaps only zanu-pf are people????
Now, having taken the cap off your head - give it to someone who can actually be a police officer and fulfil the requirements of the post!

Reading the "newsnet" site is yet another joke which, if were not so sad would be totally funny.
they carry this story about the police's "crack crime team" in a shoot out with the bad guys.. The police has a "crack crime team"?????? Insofar as I am aware, there is but one man who effectively chases down the armed criminals in Harare - and he is a neighbourhood watch member who uses his own vehicle and is virtually a one man police force. He operates in the "high density areas" and is extremely efficient and effective. I will not put his name down here because that will, undoubtedly result in his removal and, therefore, and end to all policing! Suffice it to say he is black, has very few resources but uses them all to prop the police up! To the best of my knowledge, this guy is involved regularly in shootouts with real criminals and is a deadly force for the bad guys to reckon with - and, in reality, he is not even a real police officer. And the so called regular members of the force are either not interested or completely unable to keep up with him.. or the bad guys! Hopefully, once things change, people like this can be integrated and provided with resources to really be a pain to criminals! I would certainly like to work with him again.

Apart from that - the site reports on a number of items, but seems to know who the ministers are - which is a little strange.. seeing as we do not actually have a government and ministries are not allocated... ho hum - life in Zimbabwe!

I am anticipating a short break from blogging as my ISP is changing and I may not have regular access again until the 6th. I will try though!

Later.