‘‘ I am aware of the rate of crime in the country. This is our first priority to tackle as we take office,”
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE ERNEST MANGU
By Sylivester Ernest,The Citizen Reporter
In Summary
- During the sunset of Saidi Mwema’s reign at the helm of the law enforcement Force, heightened crime and unresolved murders had become commonplace – image tarnishing trends which his successor would seek to eradicate in order to cultivate a credible legacy
Dar es Salaam. Top of the
agenda of newly-installed IGP Ernest Mangu is certainly restoration of
public trust in the law enforcement Force – trust has been considerably
eroded by, among other trends, heightened crime and alleged bias
against the political Opposition.
The wave of armed robbery, drug trafficking and
poaching, to which there’s a ring of impunity on the part of the
perpetrators, has called into question, the ability of the Police to
live up to its motto: Usalama wa Raia (ensuring people’s safety and
their property).
During the sunset of Mangu’s predecessor, Saidi
Mwema, leaders of the Opposition, had openly declared that they would
not cooperate with the organ, over complaints that it was siding with
the CCM-led government, thereby compromising its impartially.
Particularly worrisome was the fact that criminals
had the guts to strike at the police itself, the cold-blooded murder
of Mwanza Regional Police Commander Liberatus Barlow being an
illustrative case. The outfit has also been criticized over
high-profile cases that hit a dead-end at the investigation stage,
especially when they reach the hearing stage in court.
A senior ruling party cadre in Mwanza Region was
killed in 2010 but the suspect, former Mayor Leonard Bihondo was
eventually set free by the court after languishing in jail for close
to three years. High profile crimes such as abductions, torture,
cybercrime and acid attacks, will certainly test the nerves of Mr
Mangu, who was sworn in by President Kikwete on Tuesday.
Failure to arrest perpetrators of
terrorism-related incidents are other minuses on the check-list,
pronounced ones of which include the attack on worshippers in the
compound of a Catholic Church and at the venue of a Chadema rally – both
in Arusha.
There is also the most recent case in Arusha on
the eve of the New Year, involving the attack on choir members by an
object thought to be a bomb while returning home after a night mass.
While witness accounts claim a bomb was thrown
from a police car, Arusha Police boss Liberatus Sabas told the press on
Friday that his boys only lobbed tear gas onto a rowdy group of youths
who were causing chaos under cover of celebrating the dawn of the New
Year.
The RPC said police threw tear gas to suppress
unruly youth who were burning tyres at Usa River area and a section of
the road.
Issues of kidnapping and torture also became common during Mwema’s tenure.
The abduction and torture of Dr Steven Ulimboka in
2012 and the torture of Chairman of the Editors Forum Mr Absalom
Kibanda last year, also cast the Police Force in bad light.
The culprits are yet to be arrested. Joshua
Mulundi, the only person to have been arrested in connection with the
kidnapping and attempted murder of Dr Ulimboka, was set free after the
Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) asked to withdraw the charges.
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