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THE Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is one of the most efficient investigative units in the world. Few major crimes committed on Zimbabwean soil go unpunished.But while the CID has won plaudits for its efficiency, it cannot be denied that some of its tactics are far too crude for modern day policing.
Whereas modern day policing involves the use of technology – fingerprint detection, DNA, wiretaps and criminal databases, the ZRP’s CID has remained stuck in Stone Age tactics of extracting the truth through coercion and flagrant disregard of suspects’ rights. This is not entirely their doing, they need to be kitted for 21st century police work.
The Chronicle has led the coverage of the Binga quadruple homicide, and the first statement issued by the police was to confirm that they had three suspects in custody, including one Sinola Jameson Dube, a former British South Africa Police officer and no doubt a very unpleasant individual.
His son, Emmanuel, we were told, was shot in the thigh after firing at police officers and died while being taken to hospital.
As we report on the front page today, Sinola Jameson Dube will not be tried over the four murders. A Binga magistrate was told he died “during indications” – a police-accompanied trip to a crime scene by suspects.
While Dube and his son might very well have committed this heinous crime – they are alleged to have shot all four victims and mutilated two of them for ritual purposes – this does not excuse what appears to be a liberal use of lethal force by detectives on suspects who were clearly outthought, outgunned and outnumbered. They had nowhere to run.
We ask the Police Commissioner to personally take an interest in these suspicious deaths. The public needs answers: are the CID crime fighters or criminals?
We want to believe the majority are crime fighters, and we thank them for their dedication and courage, but we fear some bad apples are spoiling a fine investigation.
Online Reporter