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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Strikes and Protests 2007/8 - Index of articles
Statement
on ZRP attacks of civilians
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
January
28, 2008
The National Constitutional
Assembly is deeply concerned by the level of violence being perpetrated
by the state security apparatus such as Zimbabwe Republic Police
(ZRP) and the Zimbabwe National Army.
The NCA is also concerned by the fact that the same policemen who
brutalise demonstrators face same problems like cash problems, electricity
cuts, water cuts and scarcity of basics in the shops.
Over the past weeks Zimbabwean civilians have faced serious attacks
from government agents especially from ZRP perpetrating politically
motivated violence.
It is NCA's concern that the police have continued acts of violence
with impunity. The NCA notes the deaths of Gift Tandare in March
2007, Batanai Hadzizi, Chemvura from University
of Zimbabwe and Edward Chikomba last year as clear acts of the
police force in a bid to thwart civil society and opposition party.
Chikomba a journalist was last year abducted by some people alleged
to be from the notorious unit of the Central Intelligence Organisation
and his corpse was found lying just outside Harare.
Investigations which are still going on have highlighted that some
of the people within the ZRP were neither trained nor ever qualified
to be trained by the policing department.
"The NCA believes some of the people who have been incorporated
within the ZRP are from the National Service Schools (popularly
known as Border Gezi training centre) this can be seen through the
extent of brutality which is lectured only at these militia schools,"
NCA Spokesperson Chivasa established.
It is worrying for the
NCA to note that even court sanctioned demonstrations are ending
up being clamped down by the ZRP like what happened to the opposition
MDC supporters last week, which also saw some innocent civilians
being chased through the use of teargas.
Zimbabwe has in the past seven years experienced increased polarization
in the country's police force as they have closely proved their
allegiance to the ruling party Zanu PF at the expense of citizens.
"Besides being the most poorly paid among the entire collection
of the civil servants, Zimbabwean police remain being partisan and
that is unfortunate," Chivasa adds.
The NCA wants to urge all Zimbabweans to deny unlawful arrests by
members of the police force. The NCA also urges members to prepare
defending themselves when faced with violent police at rallies and
demonstrations so as to protect their lives.
Visit the NCA
fact
sheet
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