Harare – Zimbabwe’s opposition parties have reportedly urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to drop police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri for presiding over a corrupt force that protected criminals and arrested victims.

According to NewsDay, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesperson Obert Gutu has urged the new president to crack the whip and charge the police chief with corruption.

“Chihuri must be fired and arrested for corruption, failing to cause the arrest of suspected criminals, even when his juniors had prepared dockets. Instead, he would cause the arrest of complainants and abuse State resources, protecting the real criminals,” Gutu was quoted as saying.

The recently sworn in president was said to be planning to realign the security forces, especially the police, to ensure adherence to the rule of law.

Unnamed sources close to the president have also said that Mnangagwa was probably going to fire the police boss.

This came days after Chihuri was heckled at Mnangagwa’s inauguration.

According to New Zimbabwe.com, as Chihuri stood up to swear his allegiance to Mnangagwa, the incoming president’s supporters screamed for Chihuri‘s immediate resignation.

Chihuri was alleged to have been backing Grace Mugabe to succeed her ageing husband, amid intense infighting within the ruling Zanu-PF party.

The long serving police commissioner was also accused of plotting to arrest Mnangagwa after he was kicked out of ex-president Robert Mugabe’s government.