In their statement after the shootings, the ZRP were vague and would not say what steps would be taken to establish the truth behind these executions.
“However, if there were any doubts, the chilling police attitude to killing suspects was made plain by a high-ranking officer just two days after the fatal incident in Harare,” said Senator Lilian Timveos, Alternative Minister and Spokesperson for Home Affairs.
The MDC statement continues: “Appearing before Parliament's Thematic Committee on Human Rights, Assistant Commissioner Takawira Nzombe made the startling demand that the Constitution should be amended to give police the right to kill suspects before bringing them to court. Nzombe claimed that the new Constitution gave more 'rights' to criminals than law enforcement officials.
“It must be stated right here that the law does not give anyone the right to commit crimes. What the law does is that it gives every person in Zimbabwe the right to a free trial and a fair judicial process, free from murder, torture, abuse, harassment and threats by state officials. The law also separates the powers of the three arms of government to ensure that the police do not act as judge, jury and executioner.
“Above all, the law guarantees the right of every suspect to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Where lethal force is used, a proper judicial enquiry must be instituted to determine the circumstances around such action and confirm if terminal force was justified.
The request by the police that there must be a 'constitutional amendment' to give them power to kill suspects for any reason without bringing them to court must, therefore, be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.
“The police are not immune to allegations that they are deliberately targetting innocent people, for political, personal and other reasons and killing them, only to brand them robbers when they are dead and can not defend themselves. The reputation of the Zimbabwean police has been blighted by these numerous incidents where they kill suspects willy nilly. Scores of people have been murdered under unclear circumstances in the last few years. This calls for a proper investigation.”
Post published in: News