Several government officials are fearing for their lives as police have made no progress in investigating break ins at several government offices, the state media reports claiming.
FULL REPORT: Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Secretary Mrs Virginia Mabiza told The Sunday Mail that ministry officials were afraid the assassins could target them. She revealed that police detectives only visited the New Government Complex twice since the attempt on VP Mnangagwa’s office.
On the first occasion, they assessed the crime scene and left. On the second day, they brought in sniffer dogs, collected fingerprints and interviewed staffers.
Mrs Mabiza said: “Obviously we need an outcome on the attempted break-in at the VP’s office that occurred last year. The police came and took statements and finger-prints from all the staff that works in the same corridor as the VP.
“We continue to live in fear because we do not know who these assailants are and by this time we expect the police to have picked someone for questioning. “Yes, the security personnel have been increased, but we now expect arrests to be made considering that sets of fingerprints were uplifted.”
Judicial Services Commission acting secretary Justice Rita Makarau said she was yet to be updated on investigations regarding the break-in at Chief Justice Chidyausiku’s office.
“Officially, no one has been apprehended by the police and they have not yet picked up any suspects in connection with the burglary that happened four months ago.
“After the burglary, police details visited Chief Justice Chidyausiku’s offices and took statements from other officers stationed there. They uplifted finger-prints from the crime scene, but up to now no suspect has been picked up.”
A Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development official – who preferred anonymity – said police should expedite the investigations.
The official said: “Police are letting us down. It is now almost seven days after the break-in and they have not picked up anyone in connection with this. There are security officers who will be on duty and these should be picked up for questioning.
“We are living in fear. They want to make arrests when someone has died and that is unfair. Remember, cyanide was sprinkled in the VP’s office and three people were affected. The next time it could be arsenic poisoning.”
Home Affairs Deputy Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said police investigations were continuing, adding that details will be revealed once there are breakthroughs.
“Investigations are being carried out in the case involving the plot to assassinate President Mugabe. A lot of developments have sprouted over the past months in relation to the assassination plot, hence our force is gathering evidence.
“As for break-ins, we are seized with these unusual developments and as a ministry we are in the process of reviewing the whole security system.
“Our preliminary observations indicate that there is a clique of people which knows the security system and taking advantage of loopholes. Police have not yet given us a detailed report on the investigations.”
Analysts advocated the immediate investigation and arrest of Gumbo, Mutasa and Goche given their links to the alleged assassination plot.
Prominent lawyer Mr Jonathan Samkange said police were not executing their duties diligently and accused them of “taking the nation on a joy ride on the notion of ‘investigations are still underway’”. It is clear the police are dragging their feet on the assassination case. The allegations were raised against the plotters, the names are there. We are now in 2015 and this all happened in 2014 and not even one of the plotters has been picked up for questioning.
“The police should just come out in the open and tell the nation the truth. If the allegations were false they should just tell the whole country.
‘‘They cannot continue saying to Zimbabweans and the international community that a treasonous act is still under investigation for more than five months.”
He continued: “They should just arrest people. The names are there; what more investigation needs to be carried out? Break-ins in Government offices and protected areas are not something we need to sit and look at as a portrait. The police should not tell us that they have uplifted fingerprints and fail to arrest or pick up suspects.
“It seems the relevant authorities are letting the police take us for a ride. When allegations are raised against individuals, they are picked up. So, why are they failing to pick up these people for questioning? It is all a hoax, the police should not let the nation down.”