Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations And A Break-Down In Law And Order
#ZRPWeCantBreathe
On September 29, 2021 members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police threw teargas canisters into a Beitbridge-bound Mulaudzi bus filled with citizens. The mayhem that ensued was aptly captured in a sad video circulating on social media platforms. The video captures sad and ugly scenes of toddlers, women and the old choking with teargas as they tried to escape what had suddenly become a death trap. Grannies, women and toddlers could be seen struggling to breathe. We cannot agree more with one commentator who in one group described the whole scene as one of “heartlessness and cruelty”, adding that, “Even Satan would not go that far.” What makes this issue most worrying is that it is a repeat of events of barely a year ago. On 12 October 2020, and in similar fashion, members of the ZRP teargassed a Rimbi Tours bus at the Harare Exhibition Centre resulting in ugly scenes as grannies, kids and the rest of the passengers fell over each other in a bid to escape death by asphyxiation from the teargas fired into the bus. After a few headlines, the matter died a natural death without any update as to whether the culprits had their day in court over their repulsive conduct. Another unacceptable case of the impunity that is sadly rampant in the everyday lives of citizens that makes each day perilous.
Deteriorating security situation
The cases of blatant police brutality are on the increase. In our previous Bulletins we have noted with the gravest concern how, under the guise of enforcing Covid-19 regulations, members of the ZRP have terrorized and extorted ordinary citizens in flagrant violation of the Police Service Charter and the country’s Constitution which they are sworn to uphold without fear or favour. What is most worrying is that all this happens against the background of a deteriorating security situation in the country characterised by a general breakdown in law and order, and the rise in robberies and violent crimes some of which are committed by, or in connivance, with rogue elements within the ranks of the ZRP and other security agencies. In a clear show of leadership deficit, as all this happens, there is deafening silence from both the Commissioner-General of Police, Godwin Matanga and the Minister of Home Affairs, Kazembe Kazembe beyond timid threats of action that never materialise. Such a scenario breeds resentment of the police and general fear among the citizenry.
Police Service Charter and Constitutional Obligations
We wish to remind the ZRP of their promise to the generality of Zimbabweans in terms of their much publicized Client Service Charter, “To uphold the Constitution of Zimbabwe by maintaining law and order, preserving the internal security of the country, protecting and securing the lives and property of the people and to institute dynamic policing practices that engender effective prevention, investigation and detection of crime.” Sadly, the actual conduct of the ZRP in recent years, as evidenced by their colonial-era brutality, extortion and bribery-seeking conduct is the complete opposite of what they committed to do. This conduct flies in the face of the Zimbabwe Constitution which, in 2013, abandoned the nomenclature “Police Force” for “Police Service.” The change should not be cosmetic. Instead, it should be a commitment to a paradigm shift from the colonial-era type of policing based on the use of force to a new rights-driven approach to policing. The same Constitution goes on in Section 219 to outline the duties expected of the ZRP which include, inter alia, protecting and securing the lives and property of the people of Zimbabwe, as well as the preservation of internal security and the maintenance of law and order. If recent events are anything to go by, the ZRP has dismally failed to discharge its constitutional duties, a reflection of the ineptitude of its command as well as the minister responsible for home affairs both of whom deserve to be immediately relieved of their duties. Ahead of the pending visit in October by the Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights from the UN Human Rights Office of the Commissioner, we call on Minister Kazembe Kazembe to urgently put measures in place to ensure that such violations of citizens by security forces will not be repeated.
CALL TO ACTION
CITIZENS: The role of our national police service is to serve its citizens and our communities and to protect us. It is our duty and right as citizens to hold officers at the highest level to account for how they engage with us. Therefore, we encourage all citizens to urgently:
- Petition Parliament to call Minister Kazembe Kazembe and Commissioner-General of Police Godwin Matanga before the portfolio committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services to account for the use of brutality by the national police service which they oversee.
- Petition Parliament to develop and pass anti-brutality laws and develop mechanisms for independent oversight of the police service.
- Document and share stories of your own experience with police brutality including photos. These will be collated and submitted to parliament with a demand for action. Post pictures of your letters online and with the hashtag #ZRPWeCantBreathe and tag ZRP, Minister Kazembe Kazembe, President ED Mnangagwa, Ministry of Information, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, and media outlets.