Heal Zimbabwe Trust  has approached the Constitutional Court seeking for an order to Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa to urgently establish an Independent Mechanism to deal with complaints against the Police and other Security Services as required by the constitution.
Section 210 of the Constitution provides for the establishment of an effective and independent reporting mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints from members of the public about misconduct on the part of members of the security services, that is, the Police Service, the Defence Forces, the State intelligence services and the Prisons and Correctional Service, and for remedying any harm caused by such misconduct.
Heal Zimbabwe Trust director Rashid Mahiya argues that  government has done nothing “so far” almost two and a half years after the constitution came into force to set up this mechanism hence the Con Court appeal.
“This is a public interest matter and we urge  everyone who is concerned about the conduct of the police and other security service personnel and the use of violence in the curtailment of civil liberties, especially the right of  to demonstrate and to express views freely, to attend the court hearing,” said Mahiya.
He said the case has also been made more urgent by the increasing numbers of public demonstrations such as the recent disrupted teachers’ demo in Harare and the Chitungwiza –Harare commuter operators and police riots.
“Anyone who has seen pictures in the press of police officers apparently beating teachers and commuter omnibus drivers will realise how necessary such a complaints mechanism is,” he said.
“It will also help the police to fulfill their constitutional mandate while respecting the citizens of Zimbabwe”.