condemned nor distanced itself from these statements. And Mugabe did not publicly
censure Chinamasa or Gumbo over the statements.
MDC has pressed for security sector reforms without success. Prime Minister Tsvangirai on
April 25, 2013 issued a press statement in which he noted:
The role of the security sector in this election must be clearly defined in line
with international best practice. The security sector must be professional,
impartial, and non-partisan and desist from overtly making partisan
political statements and abusing State resources to further the narrow
partisan interests.
In 2011, Tsvangirai had conceded that the MDC’s failure to insist on security sector reforms
from the outset of the Global Political Agreement and unity government talks was a
mistake:
While Zimbabwe bore the classic hallmarks of a post-war conflict, the 15
September 2008 peace deal [GPA] was a purely political agreement. It left
the status of a highly politicized security sector intact. That was a
mistake.78
In October 2012, MDC MP Settlement Chikwinya expressed concerns in parliament about
partisan and political statements by police Commissioner General Chihuri and army chief
of staff Major General Nyikayaramba.79 Chikwinya called on parliament to condemn the
statements and ensure that such statements by the army and police are investigated.
Parliament adopted the motion unanimously and Defense Minister Mnangagwa promised
to give a response on behalf of the military but he never did so.80
The magnitude of disagreement between ZANU-PF and the MDC factions over security
sector reform is reflected in the roadmap to Zimbabwe elections brokered by the Southern
African Development Community (SADC). The roadmap outlines the path to credible, free
78
“Morgan Tsvangirai At the Deep End,” Morgan Tsvangirai and T. William Bango, Penguin Books, 2011, p 538.
79
Motion Statement on file with HRW. HRW interview with MDC MP Settlement Chikwinya, Harare, 26 November 2012.
80
Human Rights Watch interview with MDC MP Settlement Chikwinya, Harare, November 26, 2012.
33
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH │ MAY 2013
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