Despite the constitutional obligation of the State to protect citizens from violence from public or private sources, the Zimbabwe Police today reacted to demonstrations by citizens in Harare with a heavy handedness. Citizens where seen crying, running for dear life at the pursuit of the police in armour.
Others were lying down on the streets their bodies difficult to tell whether they were still alive or not. Most of the people who were seen being beaten by the police where both young and mature women. This comes at at the backdrop of recent Human Rights Activist abductions such as Tendai Mombeyarara.
Yesterday the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) issued a prohibition order which said no to the march, however the MDC A responded with an urgent High Court application challenging this decision. The MDC A lost their appeal, however citizens were not deterred from staging a march or demonstration at the Africa Unit Square in Harare.
The Citizens March however was responded to by the police with a ‘heavy
handedness’ where the police fired teargas to disperse people. There are
disturbing videos and pictures circulating on social media of citizens being
beaten and affected by teargas. Older women and young women are seen either
being beaten or heavily violated by the police. This is against human rights.
Human Rights organisations in Zimbabwe and Activists have spoken against the refusal by the state for citizens to exercise their constitutional right to demonstrate as well as the violence that the police has unleashed on citizens.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) reported that; ‘There is disturbing footage of several people being tortured and subjected to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment by the Police on allegations of demonstrating. POSA has clear provisions on how police can deal with such situations. Place have obligation to respect human rights. That POSA does not give them power to: 1. Torture any person even if they are suspected of breaking law. 2) Subject anyone to cruel inhuman and degrading treatment. They can only arrest following procedure in Constitution, to process for court’.
Ahead of the marches today morning, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Publicity, Mr Nick Mangwana however tweeted a seemingly cautioning statement to protesters that read; “If they don’t use violence, we don’t use force’. ‘That is a senior Hong Kong police officer’s outraged protesters that the authorities are using excessive force to quell demonstrations”.
This statement from a government official seem to go against the provisions of the POSA that makes it clear that under no circumstances can the state exercise torture and heavy-handedness on its citizens but to legally execute arrests and have perpetrators tried at law.
This afternoon, the International Community has raised concerns and called on the government of Zimbabwe to exercise restraint when dealing with demonstrators and has called for the peaceful and non violence march by citizens.
In their twitter statement, the European Union In Zimbabwe said; “Very worrying images from Harare CBD today, where the police heavy-handedly dispersed crowds of peaceful demonstrations. We call for restraint and proportionality and for respect for the constitutional rights to peaceful protest’.
The Embassy of Australia also spoke against the heavy handedness of the police through their twitter statement which read; “Concerned at the images of the heavy handed response to disperse crowds in Harare. Demonstrations must be peaceful but urge the security forces to show restraint and ensure response is proportionate”.
The former United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Bruce Wharton also called for prayers and observance of the rule of law in Zimbabwe through his twitter post: “Lots of us praying for Zimbabwe this weekend. Praying that marchers remain peaceful and refuse to be provoked or intimidated, that police and military behave professionally, and that politicians pay attention. The world is watching”.
CIVICUS Alliance, a global Human Rights and Citizens Action organisation called for the government of Zimbabwe respect the rights to protests and investigate abductions and torture of activists: “The government of Zimbabwe must respect the right of its citizens to peacefully protest and must allow demonstrations, planned for Friday, August 16, to go ahead without violence from security forces”.
The Zimbabwean people however have rights that are enshrined in the constitution to protest when there is need, and often the rhetoric by the government that protests are inspired by the West has been challenged as undermining realities of citizens and basic human rights.
In her twitter post, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, a Constitutional Lawyer and Politician challenged this notion by government dismissing it as undermining the peoples’ suffering. In a twitter post, Mahere said; ‘Dear Govt of Zim, We do not need foreigners to tell us to protest. Our daily struggles, the corruption, the high prices, no ZESA, the fuel queues, the dead economy, the broken health system, the high taxes, the chaotic monetary system and your incompetence are inspiration enough’.
The protests were organised by opposition party Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDCA) against the Zanu-PF led government’s handling of the economy and the unending corruption. Zimbabwean citizens have suffered over the last months over fuel hikes, reported continued looting of state resources, alleged partisan targeting in dealing with corruption.
The austerity measures have seemed to only target citizens who are struggling, while the government continues spending luxuriously. Since the enactment of the new government, citizens have had a 2% tax despite the fact that there is 95% informal employment. There is less accountability in the borrowing of the government whose debts the citizens seem to be obligated to continue funding.
The recent NSSA scandal of hundreds of millions where only one female minister has been arrested has been referred to as a facade by many who have cited the many scandals that include the ZISCO Steel that have not been accounted for.
Many claim that the President is surrounded by corrupt people who should be arrested, investigated and the loot brought back to the state coffers to enable a functional social services delivery including the health sector that is in dire need of resources.
The NSSA scandal has exposed the lack of care for the elderly who are impoverished yet NSSA has been astonishingly mismanaged at the watch of the government, while using the suffering people’s money to continue self enriching in construction which is not directly benefiting those who invested in their pension.
It is against this suffering and mismanagement that the citizens of Zimbabwe have a right to rise up peacefully, to not be provoked by the state to succumb to violence, but to demand for answers from this new administration.
This administration that is currently engaging international community for funding and business, should be committed to true democracy where the police does not turn heavy handedly at citizens for exercising their constitutional right to demand accountability and call for good governance. The government must rather show earnest engagement by shunning abductions of human rights defenders, allow citizens to peacefully protest or demonstrate their displeasure and ultimately engage in dialogue that fixes the country.
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