#COLDBLOOD
In the month of December, members of the state security
killed seven people in three of the four fatal incidents.
In the month of December,
members of the state security
killed seven people in three of
the four fatal incidents.
In Gweru, a soldier shot and
killed a man who had strayed into
a cantonment area while, two
soldiers allegedly shot dead a
man in a US$40 000 robbery heist
that occurred in Hatfield, Harare
and in Mhondoro-Ngezi, a soldier
accused by members of the
public of being in a sexual
relationship with a minor, opened
fire into a crowd, killing five and
injuring three.
On December 26, five police
officers allegedly assaulted a
Budiriro man to death. Percy Dick
(31), was going for a routine
medical check-up in the company
of his children when the police
stopped his vehicle and a dispute
arose. Police officers then
allegedly assaulted Dick, who
succumbed to the injuries
sustained.
On Christmas eve, at Mbalabala
Growth Point in Insiza, soldiers
reportedly beat up people and
vandalized revellers’cars
indiscriminately following a bar
brawl.
These are just a few of the
incidents involving state security
agents who took the law into
their own hands in December,
and it appears the cases continue
to increase unabated.
Police brutality was also
prevalent as the force battles to
maintain order after the
relaxation of lockdown
regulations. It was reported that
on the eve of the New year, police
officers beat up Gladys Dube and
others who had been waiting for
transport to go home. It is said
that Gladys and others were
waiting for transport around
9.30pm way past the curfew.
Instead of arresting them, it is
said the police officers
highlighted that they were drunk
and assaulted them. Another case
of assault was reported at 6th
Avenue rank where Sijabuliso
Moyo (31yrs) and company were
manhandled by ZRP officers. It is
said that Moyo and company
were caught not wearing masks
and instead of them being
arrested, police officers assaulted
them.
ZPP is gravely concerned about
the Zimbabwe Defence Forces’
lukewarm response to this issue,
which the ZPP believes is of great
national concern.
So far, the Zimbabwe Defence
Forces has only issued a
statement in which Brigadier
General Augustine Chipwere,
simply expressed regret over the
incidents and promised, ‘the ZDF
will help all surviving dependents
in accordance with the
regulations in such incidents.”
Without proffering what
proactive preventive measures
the institution will take, Chipwere
makes remarks that insinuate
that all the unarmed victims of
the shootings were to blame.
According to The Herald, a ZDF
member who was on patrol on
Christmas Eve in the quarters of
the air force base Josiah
Tungamirai in Gweru shot and
killed Painos Zihesvu Dzvetsvera,
who later succumbed to his
injuries.
Chipwere, while blaming the
victim, said the death could have
been prevented “if the late
Dzvetsvera had observed and
followed the signs in the roost
area and instructions from the
patrol.”
In the Mhondoro-Ngezi incident,
where a soldier killed five people
on Christmas Day at Wanganui
Shops in Mhondoro-Ngezi,
Chipwere said investigations
suggest Lance Corporal Monga
had a misunderstanding with a
civilian, Brian Mutero, in the
shops, which resulted in a mob
attack on Monga.
Monga reportedly fired three
warning shots in the air and
Chipwere, again blaming the
victims, said ‘despite the warning
shots, the crowd kept pushing
towards him. He then fired his
gun into the crowd, killing four
people on the spot and injuring
four others, one of whom later
died at a local clinic’
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