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Zimbabwe Peace Project statement on violence
Zimbabwe Peace Project
March 15, 2007

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The Zimbabwe Peace Project is deeply saddened that while women in oimbabwether parts of the world commemorated International Women’s Day, women in Zimbabwe did not have much to celebrate, as some of their own are in hospital nursing serious injuries sustained when they were tortured in police custody together with their male counterparts. They were arrested as they attempted to hold a prayer meeting in Harare as part of the SAVE ZIMBABWE CAMPAIGN. Torture is prohibited as a form of punishment and there are no circumstances that justify the use of torture. ZPP condemns these acts and believes that the police should be the protectors of detainees in their care.

This year women in Zimbabwe were supposed to have had a double celebration, following the passing of the Domestic Violence Act, but the unfolding events make a joke of this year’s theme ‘Fighting impunity in violence against women.’

ZPP is also disturbed by the way the police with the usual impunity have wantonly unleashed violence on innocent citizens in some of Harare’s high density suburbs. Residents in Harare’s high density areas are living in fear as they are being harassed and intimidated. During the period 12 - 14 March 2007, hundreds of riot police details deployed in Mufakose, Budiriro and Glen View went on a rampage beating up residents and forcing shop owners to close. In Glen View, police went to a funeral wake of MDC activist, Gift Tandare and randomly fired four gunshots injuring two innocent citizens while beating up others. Ten employees of Lucky 7 Supermarket at Mhishi shopping centre in Mufakose were treated at the local clinic, for injuries sustained when they were beaten by the police for wearing red t-shirts, a colour associated with the opposition MDC. The red t-shirts are actually the uniform for the staff at Lucky 7.

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