Earlier, two members of the ruling ZANU PF party were killed in Matabeleland and just as the year closed, another was reported murdered in Chipinge.

The murder of these innocents, whatever the provocation, cannot and must not be tolerated, coming as they do in addition to the deaths of more than 40 other Zimbabweans killed in the run-up to the 2000 parliamentary ballot.

The merchants of death who have once again been unleashed on Zimbabweans must be stopped at once by those whose duty it is to keep law and order.

With the country's political temperature rising dangerously because of these callous killings, we are most disturbed that the police force has not acted firmly against clearly identifiable gangs who have been terrorising some Harare residents in the past two weeks.

Mobs clad in fading green military fatigues issued only to those who have been trained by ZANU PF under the guise of a national youth service have descended upon Harare residents in Budiriro, Kuwadzana and Mabvuku with impunity.

They have viciously assaulted innocent people going about their daily business, ordering some to shout slogans of the ruling party and forcing others to attend the party's meetings in violence meant to test the people's patience.

During the attacks in which valuable property was also destroyed, witnesses reported that the police force either did nothing or responded too late after the mobs had disappeared.

In fact in one instance during the attack on Budiriro two weeks ago, some members of the public who retaliated against the gangsters were reportedly arrested.

While members of the public cannot and should not be allowed to take the law into their own hands, it is imperative that the police force, which is paid by long-suffering Zimbabweans, always intervenes swiftly on the side of the victims.

The police's failure for whatever reason to act with speed in the face of this undeclared war against innocent Zimbabweans can only lead to much worse violence and even loss of life as the public acts to protect itself from organised chaos.

It is crucial that Zimbabwe's police, already widely accused of favouring ZANU PF and of implementing selective justice that targets MDC members, does all in its power and more during the run-up to the presidential ballot to ensure that this perception is corrected without delay or risk having a serious public backlash.

The police must act without fear or favour against anyone found to be on the wrong side of the law, more so against common thugs who have been hired solely to instil terror in those who hold different political views.

Zimbabwe's political landscape is already too uneven ahead of such a crucial ballot because it has been deliberately made to favour the ruling party, and the police - as an impartial force - cannot afford to be seen to be exacerbating this outrage.

Indeed, it is difficult to see how a free and fair election can be held when innocent people are being tortured, raped and killed for their views every other week while no visible action is being taken against offenders.

Add to this the state media's total news blackout on activities of the MDC except when trashing the party, it becomes clear even to the blind that the upcoming poll can only be a sham, whose result is likely to be rejected by both Zimbabweans and the international community.

As a start, the police force must therefore get its act together rapidly, otherwise it will be difficult and immoral to blame innocent Zimbabweans who only respond to physical attacks by protecting themselves by whatever means they have.

In other words, either the police force acts and is seen to be acting against these hired agents of death and violence or the citizens themselves will be forced to do so, with ghastly consequences for a country already on the brink.