sains sangster is there any law in zimbabwe?police are employed to cut crime and not to beat up protesters or people gathering at a funeral

michael chingambe, harare, zimbabwe

How long do we have to wait for Britain and other powers to take action against this madman? If there was oil or some other commodity that the West wanted, we would certainly have seen a very different approach to the situation. Shame on the British Government for hiding from the dreadful situation that is occurring in this once show piece Country.

Alexander McNEILL., Isle of Gigha, Scotland

Who was responsible for putting the man there ?

We were !!!

Hind sight is a wonderful thing.

The Country did far better under Ian Smith.

Perhaps we should now aplologise to these poor people

Bernard Parke, Guildford,

May the Lord help Zimbabweans. A time shall come for the oppressed to oppress.

lomafu, doncaster, uk

And it's not a criminal offence for policeman to be told to beat unarmed civillians ? Give me a break. Why bang on about Steve Beko, that was 40 years ago for goodnes sake.

Peter Rosenfelt, Johannesburg, South Africa

It takes something to turn a nation that is potentially the bread-basked ot Africa into a land of famine with a starving population, rampant inflation and police-state dictatorial politics. Not everyone has it in them to achieve this in such a relatively short time.
Step forward Robert Mugabe. This will be your legacy.

Ed, Dunfermline, Fife

To think that Bob Marley played at the official initiation of the Government of Zimbabwe, the country's Independence Ceremony. Robert Mugabe is an absolute disgrace! Surely, the international community as a responsibility to do something more than just implement economic sanctions against the Magube government. Oh, I forgot there's no oil in Zimbabwe!

Rik Lambert, Letchworth, Herts

My African Zimbwabean friend telling bemoaned the fact to me that wild animals in Africa can feed themselves far better than the African states can feed their peoples.
The UN should disband all African countries south of the Megreb as Sovereign entities and rule instead by UN officials such is the incompetance and corruption so endemic to all African states.

Phinias Gribble, Sheffield,

Mugabe is an incompetent tyrant. He should be replaced and it's high time the African Union spoke up about it!

Richard Ramsey, Salt Spring Island, CANADA

Robert Mugabe is not going to be happy until Zimbabwe is completely stripped of anything movable or sellable and whatever remaining population that has not fled the country has been cowed into a medieval serfdom...

This guy is a less eccentric version of Kim Jung Il. Lets just thank God that Zimbabwe doesn't have the bomb.

Steve Kraft, San Jose, ca

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

This is a furtherance, in my opinion, of the Social contract which exists between a government and the governed. Furthermore, it is the duty of every citizen, even police and employees of the government, to resist cruel and dehumanizing treatment, even if they are ordered to carry it out. Therefore, being a responsible citizen may, at times, be in direct conflict with the law, but be no less just or right.

blake, Philadelphia, USA

Good argument against gun control, eh? When a government has all the guns, this is what happens.

Mustafa, Elk Grove, California

Entirely untrue, Saint Sangster, on both counts.

Biko's death provoked local and international outrage, and has since been discussed in songs, plays, novels, and every historical analysis of the struggle in that period ever written. Such persecution was wrong then, and it's wrong now.

Sheltering policemen from the abuses of other policemen cannot be illegal. The illegal act was in ordering the policemen to beat innocents, people who may or may not have been wishing to peacefully protest, an action which is in any case within their constitutional and human rights.

To address the article, the situation may seem hopeful, and the reticience of the policemen in these latest persecutions is encouraging; however, it also seems possible that this 'civil unrest' might well be a partially or largely fabricated ruse, under which to declare a state of emergency and attempt a coup de grace against the MDC and other anti-ZANU-PF movements.

sans sense?, London, United Kingdom

"not a word was said?" About Biko? Give me a break! many words, books protests and eventually huge sanctions came on SA. Stop with the liberal revisionism already. SA was punished under a much higher standard than today's big human rights abusers. Sudan, North Korea anyone?

J meyers, mangilao, GU/USA

"president" mugabe, appears to becoming tyrannical in his approach to leading his countrymen on his dance of democracy, and he knowingly employs the most haneous of methods to attempt to secure his "leadership",, surley the world is paying attention? WHY is no action taken by the alleged freeedom loving governments of the west?? why are these things permitted to happen? why are police officers forced to beat there fellow countrymen? their job is to enforce civil law, not run rampant as paramilitary thugs,,,molesting democratic process for their despot master!!!

sam, lurgan, ireland

In South Africa the white people beat Steve Beko to death and not a word was said.

Saint Sangster, London, England

To encourage,assist,any Policeman to refrain from the performance of his duty is Criminal offence.The person who sheltered the five policemen was not obeying the law.

Sains Sangster, London, England