POLICE chief Augustine Chihuri has waded into a political row over devolution, claiming Zimbabweans would cease “being one” if the new system of government is adopted.
A new draft constitution is stalled as President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party fights the inclusion of several clauses, including devolution.
Chihuri said all those calling for devolution – including the two MDC factions – were unpatriotic, according to comments attributed to him by the NewsDay newspaper.
“We know that there are foreign elements that are trying to infiltrate our country,” Chihuri is reported as telling the Senior Officers’ Conference in Ruwa on Thursday.
“I urge you to throw away this notion of devolution that is coming from some quarters in this country. Devolution means division. What are we devolving for? What is the problem of being one?”
President Mugabe and several senior officials from his Zanu PF party – among them Ignatius Chombo, Webster Shamu and Jonathan Moyo – have all publicly voiced their opposition to devolution, but the MDC parties insist Zimbabweans want it in the new constitution.
Chihuri told senior officers to do all they could to ensure devolution did not see the light of day.
“I urge you to refuse that,” he said. “If I had the privilege of continuing being the Commissioner General, I will not preside over any division of this nature, never!”
Chihuri has previously drawn criticism from the MDC parties for allegedly dabbling in Zanu PF politics.