Police block victims march

Survivors of election violence and women activists in Harare and ordinary residents in Bulawayo were the primary targets of police harassment in cases that showed a pattern of continued and systematic abuse of the Zimbabwe Republic Police by those in power. International Peace Day was on Tuesday, 21 September. In Bulawayo, police avenging the shooting of a senior colleague by robbers reportedly imposed a de facto curfew in the usually lively city.Residents caught outdoors after hours are being assaulted and harassed by police, who insist the public must only venture out during the day and keep indoors at night. In Harare, a peaceful protest to highlight concerns around community safety and unprofessional police conduct by Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (MEZA) members landed the activists two nights in police detention. The WOZA members were arrested last Monday after marching on Parliament.Cruel police action however failed to deter over 400 survivors of political violence that has rocked successive elections, often with fatalities, to commemorate International Peace Day in Harare. Police stopped a planned march on the Justice and Legal Affairs ministry to petition for an end to political abuses as well justice for perpetrators of violence. Most alleged perpetrators still roam free.The survivors met at the Harare Gardens for an opportunity to interact and share experiences with fellow victims from across the country under the theme Dance for Peace, Zimbabwe need to be healed. The survivors had planned to peacefully march in Harare and submit petitions to Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and to the Organ on national healing and reconciliation before police denied them permission. Pastors took turns to preach to the gathering on the need to instill peace and stability. They called upon Zimbabwes political leaders to lead by example and desist from inciting their supporters into violence. After the commemorations, two representatives managed to submit the petition.The International Peace Day commemorations came days after ZANU PF supporters violently caused the abandonment of several public hearings on the coalition governments chaotic constitutional reform process.