Known for its brutality against unarmed and innocent civilians, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) from the onset made sure they provoked the protestors and as the protestors tried to defend their constitutionally guaranteed rights, the police descended heavily on the unarmed civilians.
Video and picture evidence of police brutalizing citizens is appalling to say the least and gives credence to claims that Zimbabwe has been turned into a military State in which there is complete disregard of the country’s supreme law by power hungry politicians seeking to protect their stay in power through brutality.
Hundreds of casualties were recorded as the police brutalized protestors as well as other passersby who were caught up in the melee on August 26, 2016.
The police went on to institute a series of arbitrary arrests as they patrolled Harare’s Central Business District beating up people indiscriminately.
As if that was not enough, the State upped its terror tactics and resorted to abducting opposition and civic society activists.
At around 1am today, August 27, 2016, Kerina Dewa, the MDC-T Harare Provincial Vice Chairperson was abducted from her Harare home by unknown assailants.
Despite a strenuous search for her at police stations around Harare, the Zimbabwe Republic Police kept expressing ignorance over her whereabouts.
Following the intervention of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Kerina Dewa was located at Harare Central Police station at around 8.30am.
Her abduction followed that of former student leader, Gift Ostalos Siziba who was picked up by two unidentified gentlemen at the Copacabana bus terminus on August 26, 2016 and bundled into a car with registration number ABA 9705.
Siziba, who was abducted at around 1pm was finally located at Harare central police station at around 6pm. All along, the police was expressing ignorance over his whereabouts.
The abduction of Kerina Dewa and Gift Ostalos Siziba leaves us in great fear that the State is back to its elimination tactics which they have often used to silence dissenting voices.
At a time the State has turned brutal against citizens protesting against the continued economic decline in the country, we fear for the worst given the fact that the current government lacks the capacity to address the economic demise in the country.
The manner in which Kerina Dewa and Ostalos Siziba were abducted is synonymous with State security agents’ operations whom we continue to hold responsible for the abduction of human rights activist, Itai Dzamara in March 2015.
Like Kerina Dewa and Ostalos Siziba, Itai Dzamara had chosen to differ with the government of the day and since his abduction, his whereabouts remain a mystery with the State expressing ignorance over the issue.
Many other activists like Paul Chizuze and Patrick Nabanyama have disappeared without a trace while others were murdered at the hands of State security agents and ruling party militia.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition calls upon the government to uphold the constitution and respect people’s fundamental rights and freedoms. Differing with the ideology of the government of the day should never be criminalized.
We further urge regional, continental as well as international organisations to intervene and assist in alleviating the Zimbabwean crisis which is threatening the lives of opposition and civic society activists.
Post published in: Featured