Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CIZC) condemns in the strongest sense the continued use of force by law enforcement agencies against unarmed citizens.
Our concern comes in the wake of heavy police presence in the capital today, February 19, 2016 following yesterday’s clashes between the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and war veterans in Harare.
Yesterday, police resorted to the use of teargas and water cannons to disperse a group of war veterans who had gathered for an indaba and the ZRP insisted that its heavy handed approach was justified as the war veterans gathering was illegal.
As, CIZC we are on record condemning police brutality against unarmed and innocent citizens and welcome pronouncements by the War Veterans Minister, Christopher Mutsvangwa that police brutality should be challenged in the courts.
His sentiments vindicate the long standing concerns by civic society groups and opposition parties against a tendency by President Robert Mugabe and his cronies at the given time to abuse and manipulate the security forces to protect personal interests.
CIZC is of the firm view that there should be a clear separation between personal political interests and national interests.
We fear for the worst in terms of human rights abuses emanating from armed forces’ brutality against Zimbabwean citizens given the current infighting within the ruling party, Zanu (PF).
We implore the security services to desist from serving partisan interests as enshrined under the country’s constitution.
Section 208 (2) (a) is clear that the security services must not “act in a partisan manner, further the interests of any political party or cause, prejudice the lawful interests of any political party or cause, violate the fundamental rights or freedoms of any person”.
CIZC castigates the manipulation of the security services to push selfish agendas by those in the echelons of power and implores the security sector to respect people’s constitutional rights such as the right to peaceful demonstrations as well as freedom of expression and association.
