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Court throws out the police report on ZCTU
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
October 03, 2006

Our majority rule could easily turn into inhuman rule if we oppressed, persecuted or harassed those who do not look or think like the majority of us. DEMOCRACY IS NEVER MOB-RULE!" Robert Mugabe (1980)

Today, the 3rd of October 2006, 31 members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) appeared at the Rotten Row Magistrate Courts on allegations of defying the notorious Public Order and Security Act (POSA) by holding protests on the 13th of September 2006. The session was held in court 4, presided over by Magistrate William Bhila.

Mr. Bhila ruled that the police reports on the torture of the ZCTU members 'held no water' since the people who tortured them were investigating themselves. He outlined that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) should take over the inquiries on those responsible for the brutal torture of the fifteen people in police custody at Matapi Police Station. The police at Matapi produced a report on the torture as had been ordered by the court. The report as usual, distanced the police from any wrongdoing. Among other things the report noted that, "the suspects sustained injuries after attempting to jump out of moving vehicles.. The police had to use minimal force after some individuals were refusing to enter into Matapi police cells."

The defense lawyer, Alec Muchadehama of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni Associates argued that it was illogical for the perpetrators of the gruesome activities to investigate themselves. He argued that the report failed to capture the hard issues raised by the victims. It was therefore more of a deceptive document shifting away from the hard questions.

The magistrate made the following keynote rulings:

• The case has been postponed to the 17th of October 2006
• The CID should start investigating the assault of the ZCTU members
• All reporting conditions have been cancelled
• The investigations by the CID will continue concurrently with the trial.

The Coalition calls for the government to uphold good governance policies as a panacea to the incumbent national crisis. Torture is not an acceptable form of human treatment both domestically and internationally.

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