By Political Reporter- Police in Nkayi are under fire for assaulting 11 villagers, forcing them to march and sing revolutionary war songs in Shona.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has taken up the case, demanding justice for what they describe as a”brutal crackdown.”
In a post on X today, ZLHR stated that the villagers were subjected to violence under the guise of an investigation into the theft of diesel.
“The Nkayi villagers have called on the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to take immediate action against the rogue officers who severely beat them and coerced them into singing liberation songs,” read part of the ZLHR post.
Lawyers Jabulani Mhlanga and Prisca Dube, representing the villagers, lodged a formal complaint with the Officer-in-Charge at Manoti Police Station. They condemned the conduct of the officers, who allegedly carried out violent raids across three homesteads belonging to the Sibanda, Ncube, and Lunga families, claiming to be investigating the theft of diesel from a local entrepreneur, Oscar Mawarire.
Mhlanga and Dube reported that the ZRP officers, armed with rifles, truncheons, and whips, unlawfully assaulted the villagers, including a minor, without any justification. They further alleged that the villagers were forced to sing liberation songs in Shona and were beaten again for not singing correctly.
The lawyers added that the officers conducted searches without warrants and seized various tools, falsely accusing the villagers of using them in criminal activities. Despite Mawarire reportedly informing the police that the villagers were not the suspects, the officers arrested seven of them and took them to a police post at Kana Mission.
The villagers were not allowed to wear shoes or warm clothing, and their rights were not explained to them during the arrest. At the police post, they endured further abuse, were forced to sleep on concrete floors without blankets or access to ablution facilities, and were handcuffed together.
The ZRP officers allegedly made discriminatory remarks, threatening to set an example to prevent “Ndebele thieves” from encroaching into “Shona territory.” On July 15, the villagers were released after paying US$30 each, but they were not issued receipts or provided with medical forms necessary for treatment at government facilities. They eventually sought medical care at a private clinic before engaging ZLHR.
On August 1, Mhlanga and Dube wrote to the Officer-in-Charge at Manoti Police Station, demanding an investigation into the abuse. They protested the violation of the villagers’ fundamental rights, including the right to liberty, dignity, protection from cruel treatment, and equality, as enshrined in Zimbabwe’s Constitution. The lawyers insisted that the officers responsible for the brutality be prosecuted.
The incident has sparked outrage, with some comparing it to the atrocities of the Gukurahundi genocide. “Is this tribalism another operation against yet another generation of dissidents?” one villager remarked, adding, “This is unacceptable, and Matabeleland must not stand for it.”
Mbiko KaMadlenya, a villager who experienced similar abuse during Gukurahundi, said the incident was a painful reminder of the past.
“This happened to me and my relative in 1985. We were in Grade 7, forced to sing Shona songs, beaten, and kept in a police station for two weeks. Our crime? Being Ndebele. I am shocked it’s happening again in 2024.