MAY
2.0. OVERALL ANALYSIS
2.1 May 2020: the month of masks, repression
On May 3, 2020, President Mnangagwa announced he was easing COVID-19 restrictions to allow some
industries to open. As part of the measures, individuals were now required to wear a face mask whenever
outside their homes.
While wearing face masks is a measure meant to help citizens protect themselves from contracting the disease,
in the context of Zimbabwe, it mimics the worsening repression, where people are not free to express
themselves.
During the month of May, the country’s human rights record took another knock. Zimbabwe was once again in
the spotlight of perpetrating human rights violations.
The State’s insensitive and oppressive response to citizens heightened as witnessed by the fact that the security
sectorcontributed75.78 percent of perpetrators of human rights violations during the month. On 13 May, three
MDC members, Netsai Marova, Honourable Joanna Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri were arrested for
conducting a flash demonstration and later abducted from police custody. The three were found dumped near
Bindura, having endured a night of torture by unknown assailants.
I in Manicaland, on 19 May, five soldiers and two members of ZRP Support Unit assaulted eight people at
Wengezi Service Centre. One of the victims’ legs was broken during the assault and he was taken to Mutambara
Hospital. Their crime was ‘loitering’ at the shopping centre during the partial lockdown.
In another case on 9 May in Chinhoyi, residents who failed to adhere to lockdown regulations were forced by
police and soldiers to clean public toilets. The offenders were not provided with any protective gear as they
cleaned the toilets.
On 4 May police officers from Zvimba West, patrolling at Murombedzi Shopping Centre in Ward 2 assaulted and
harassed villagers and informal transporters.
In Chitungwiza, a woman (name withheld) sustained a fractured ankle during raids which were conducted by
soldiers and police officers at Chigovanyika shopping centre and was admitted into Chitungwiza hospital.
These cases show characteristics of systematic assault on civil liberties and access to justice. People are more
and more unable to speak out or access justice and fair trial.
REPORT
HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS TO
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