35 opposition supporters that "if they dare challenge the police they will get more Tsvangirais beaten up.” Yahoo News 27 April 2007. Statements by Didymus Mutasa “Provoke the police and they will beat you” Interviewer: Why are police beating up people? Mutasa: Police don’t just beat up innocent people randomly. The people are being beaten for provoking the police. You should know that police are human beings too and they will respond accordingly. Even you will respond like that it you were provoked. Interviewer: No minister, I would not be violent if provoked. I will let the law take its course. Mutasa: Ah, then we are not on the same wavelength. Interviewer: But is that the way police or any law-enforcement agents are supposed to behave — responding violently to provocation? Mutasa: Yes, that is the right thing to do. If anyone provokes them they should not complain when they are beaten. Indeed, that is how we will respond to the provocation especially when we have the machinery to deal with such provocation. In Latin there is a saying which means that no one provokes me (and goes) unpunished. So if they are beaten, then so be it. Interviewer: The leader of the opposition, Morgan Tsvangirai, and his party members were thoroughly beaten for trying to attend a prayer meeting under the "Save Zimbabwe Campaign". Was that an act of provocation too? Mutasa: Yes, what Zimbabwe were they trying to save? We are the ones who renamed this country Zimbabwe. We fought for (the liberation of) this country and I don’t believe we need anyone to save it from anything. It has already been saved. Interviewer: But minister you still have not answered my question. Is a prayer meeting an act of provocation? Mutasa: Young man, it is all to do with the agenda. As long as it is a regime change agenda we will deal with it, especially when we have the machinery. Interviewer: By machinery you mean the police, the army and CIO? Mutasa: Yes, I mean everything that can be used to deal with this regime-change agenda which they are planning. All those people that you mention (CIO, police and army) are part of the security personnel that we have. They are there to preserve law and order. Interviewer: Does preserving order also include beating up innocent commuters at bus termini like the police did a week ago at Fourth Street? Their words condemn them: The language of violence, intolerance and despotism in Zimbabwe.