The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has lodged an appeal advocating for the cancellation of admission of guilty fines which 16 of our members were made to pay after being arrested during a peaceful march on the 13th of November 2015.
We held a peaceful march in the CBD on Friday the 13th of November 2015 in our quest to hand over a petition at the Parliament. This led to the unfortunate arrest of 16 of our members all of them females while some managed to escape arrest but we were badly beaten by the truncheon armed police officers. The 16 who were arrested were detained at Harare Central Police Station for a night were some heartless police officers denied them access to medical treatment irrespective of the fact that they were visibly injured as a result of the brutal beatings orchestrated by the police officers.
After one night detention the 16 arrested were made to pay US$20.00 fine each something which they did with a heavy heart because it was against their will but circumstances which were prevalent at that moment forced them to oblige.
It is against such a sad background that we have seen it fit to seek the cancellation of the admission of guilty fines because it remains clear that our members were and are not guilty of any case. Our members only paid the fines not that they were guilty but simply because they had no better option but rather do something that would allow them to seek immediate medical attention. It is an open secret that all of them were in serious pain yet they were denied medical attention in the cells hence like any other human being in bid to serve their lives, the payment of fine was the only option that would allow them to be released so as to seek medical attention something which was a crucial necessity at that time following the brutality at the hands of the police station.
We would like to categorically state that the march was a peaceful one hence it was a justifiable cause even up to now. We were simply exercising our freedom to demonstrate and petition as clearly enshrined in the national Constitution under section 59. With this we profoundly believe that the arrests were unlawful, more so the brutality and detention
were indeed uncalled for hence we feel we can’t continue folding our hence in the face of this wicked machination.
Up to date it remains unjustifiable and baffles our minds on the reason why our members were arrested when they were acting in accordance with the Constitutional provisions. It also leaves a lot to be desired when we try to think the reason why armed police ruthlessly pounced at our innocent members who were only armed with placards carrying simple and clear messages.
In the meantime we have instructed our Lawyer Obey Shava to appeal to the Officer in Charge (Law and Order) to cancel the admission of guilty fines as soon as possible, failure of which we will not hesitate to take further steps with our legal legs to ensure that justice prevails. We are glad that our Lawyer has since written a letter which has already been served to the Officer in Charge citing all the injustices they are presiding over, we are waiting to hear from them before we take another step. We are prepared to sue the state once and for all because we strongly feel it is now high that the continued violation of human rights that has been existing in our country since time immemorial immediately comes to an end.
Statement issued by:
Tererai Obey Sithole