Police torture thousands

hich also reported 15,000 documented violations of human rights by the police during the past eight years.

“A brief perusal of the court records makes it apparent that state agents have carried out torture on a massive scale for many years,” say human rights activists.

But the Forum said reported cases were only the tip of the iceberg, as merely to make such a report in Zimbabwe was a very dangerous thing to do, and many suffered in silence.

About 300 people took legal action against the police, but only 51 cases have been concluded. In 89% of these cases the police were found guilty but in only 20 cases has compensation been made. But in every instance the payment has taken so long that by the time it is received by the complainants it is virtually worthless.

For example, one was awarded Z$950,000 by the courts in November last year, when it was worth US$1,185. It has still not been paid and if it were to be paid this week it would be worth only US$5 in real terms.
Most people do not have the money even to engage a lawyer. The police are aware of this and act with impunity as a result.

A service to commemorate victims of torture was held in London this week on June 26 – the UN international day in support of torture victims. Several Zimbabwean survivors gave their testimonies at the emotionally-charged service. One woman related how her twin brother had died in 1986 as a result of a prolonged beating at Beitbridge police station. She said Misheck Zvavachakwe, the member in charge, and Blessing Zumidza, the officer in charge of CIO, were found guilty of her brother’s murder, but only spent six months in prison – during which they were kept on full pay – before being pardoned by President Robert Mugabe.

Human rights lawyer, Gabriel Shumba related how he, his brother, and an opposition Member of Parliament, Job Sikhala, were severely beaten and received electric shocks during interrogation. Since then he has campaigned tirelessly on behalf of torture survivors and addressed a closed meeting at the British Houses of Parliament on Monday this week.

Shumba said parliament had noted that a document adopted by the UN General Assembly implored the international community to intervene in situations such as Zimbabwe – where the state had failed to protect its citizens.

“It is time to start acting on that document and what was agreed was that SA needs to be publicly named and shamed with regard to its lack of response to torture in Zimbabwe,” said Shumba.