Police promotion for government loyalty

By Tichaona Sibanda
16 May 2007

Senior Assistant Commissioner Musarashana Godwin Mabunda, exposed by the MDC last week as a serial torturer, was nearly dismissed from the police force in 1998 for incompetence.

A reliable source from Harare told Newsreel that whilst stationed in Mashonaland West province in the late 1990’s, Mabunda was so incompetent in his duties that a suitability board of enquiry was instituted to investigate him.

Although he was severely censured by the board he got off the hook because of his liberation war credentials. By then Mabunda was an inspector and was little known in the police force.

‘Although he was still a middle ranked officer in the force, he was well known for his dislike of other members of the force who were not from the liberation war. His stature as an enforcer came to prominence during the farm invasions,’ said our source.

From this period onward Mabunda saw an opportunity to redeem himself by taking charge of farm invasions and this led to his rapid rise in the force.

‘If Zimbabwe were a democracy and the police force was run professionally Mabunda would still be an inspector as we speak. Such people are living in denial and can never agree that there would be life after Zanu (PF) or Robert Mugabe,’ said our source.

Last week the MDC exposed Mabunda as a ‘vicious torturer,’ behind the serial beatings of MDC activists at the notorious Law and Order section at Harare central police station. Mabunda is also a respected elder at his Zaoga church.