HUMAN rights defenders have expressed outrage at the increase in police brutality that has seen a rise in deaths, assault and torture of suspects while in custody.
JUNIOR MOYO OWN CORRESPONDENT
A number of suspected murderers and robbers have in the past two months been shot dead during arrests while several have allegedly been assaulted and tortured in police cells to force them to confess to crimes the cops would have arrested them for.
Two suspects, who were implicated in the gruesome murder of four people in a suspected botched ivory deal in Binga two weeks ago, were reported to have died although no information was released on the cause of their deaths.
This emerged during the appearance of the other suspects at the Binga Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Two men suspected to have been part of a gang of six that forced its way into a Kumalo house and robbed the owner of over R500 000 were shot dead by police in Gweru after a reported high speed chase about two weeks ago.
Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) activist Charles Thomas, whose treason trial opened on Wednesday, told the court that he was subjected to torture by police at Entumbane and Bulawayo Central police stations soon after his arrest in 2011.
Thomas said he had also been denied access to his medication until a magistrate ordered that he be sent to hospital when he first appeared in court.
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A number of other similar cases have been reported and no action seems to be taken against the cops concerned.
Zimbabwe Human Rights (ZimRights) national director Okay Machisa said torture was unacceptable on anyone and was even outlawed in the new Constitution.
“What the police are doing is unacceptable. Nobody is allowed to be tortured and it’s even written in the new Constitution,” he said.
According to the Constitution’s Declaration of Rights on Torture, Section 15(1) reads: “No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading punishment or other such treatment.”
Machisa said the police seem to be ignorant of the Constitution and ill-treat suspects instead of just investigating and arresting them.
“As a police force, they should have adjusted to the new Constitution by now.
“I urge them to leave this barbaric behaviour and abide by the Constitution,” he said.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) spokesperson Kumbirai Mafunda said torture was a serious crime and the police should adhere to the law.
“We consider torture as an international crime which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” he said.
“The Constitution clearly provides for the protection of the rights of accused persons and all law enforcement agents, including the Zimbabwe Republic Police, must respect that.”
If there is evidence that confessions were extracted through torture, there is a high likelihood that most cases may be compromised thus defeating the objective of law enforcement and justice.
“It’s self-defeating,” Mafunda added.
