Armed police officers raid kitchen tea party, deputy minister defends action

Home Affairs deputy minister Obedingwa Mguni defended an incident in Siganda, Tsholotsho, where police officers allegedly pounced on women at a kitchen tea party  wielding guns and teargassed them. He was responding to Lwazi Sibanda (MDC-T Proportional Representation) who had asked if it was government policy to bar kitchen tea parties.

In his response Mguni said that it was the constitutional obligation for the police to prevent and detect crime. He also said that police were empowered to prevent disorder using the Public Order and Security Act (Posa). Said Mguni:

Section 219 of the Constitution says the police must detect and prevent crime, preserve security, protect lives and property, maintain law and order and call into order wherever there is disorder, and so, we will use the Public Order and Security Act (Posa) in any gathering with more than five people, depending on the type of gathering. I have never received any reports concerning a kitchen tea meeting, but if there was noise at that party, then the police will arrest.

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