Student leaders beaten up in police custody

By Lance Guma
10 November 2005

The President of the Zimbabwe National Association of Students Unions (ZINASU), Washington Katema has accused the police of assaulting detained student leaders in custody. Katema and five student leaders from the University of Zimbabwe were arrested Wednesday for allegedly organizing a student demonstration in tandem with a weekly nationwide plan of protest organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).

In an interview with Newsreel immediately after leaving police cells, Katema narrated how they were shuttled between 5 different police stations. They were subjected to varying degrees of assault and abuse between Borrowdale, Avondale, Harare Central and St Mary’s police stations before being sent back to Avondale again. Officers from the Law and Order section at Harare central allegedly severely assaulted them while questioning them on the reasons for the demonstration.

After being transferred to St Mary’s police station in Chitungwiza, chronic water shortages in the town meant they were consigned to stinking cells because of unflushed toilets. Lice and mosquitoes added to the misery. To top it all, the police switched charges at each police station. After being charged under the miscellaneous offences act, the charges were changed to go under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and vice versa. Amidst the deliberate confusion the POSA charge became the final one at the St Mary’s station.

Katema and his colleagues were arrested on Wednesday at the Manfred Hudson hall at the University of Zimbabwe after leading a demonstration by students. The students were protesting the late payment of their supplementary payouts, inflation and the country’s flawed constitution, which they believe is at the centre of the nation’s problems. He vowed the arrests will not deter them from further demonstrations and urged ordinary Zimbabweans to join the struggle against the oppressive regime.