Army and police units terrorising residents in Matabeleland North

By Tererai Karimakwenda
25 January 2006

The former governor of Matabeleland north has reported that residents in the province are living in fear at the hands of soldiers and police officials who are harassing and torturing innocent civilians and stealing from them. Veteran politician Welshman Mabhena said army and police units were deployed in the area last year to monitor and control gold panning activity, but they were never withdrawn. The number of state agents deployed there has continually grown and this visibility and display of power is meant to keep people too scared to act about anything.

An angry Mabhena explained that the police and soldiers loot from gold panners who have legitimate licenses issued by government. They also steal from ordinary civilians on the streets who are trying to survive selling their goods. Mabhena believes the primary purpose is to intimidate, harass and torture people in order to keep them fearful. He said there are many incidents that are suppressed, and the streets appear normal to the rest of the world.

A veteran politician and now activist, Mabhena was jailed for a long time before the liberation war in Zimbabwe and played a key role in politics along with Robert Mugabe and many others. He said this is why he doesn’t understand the actions of the Mugabe regime towards their own people. But he did say it is clear to him some things are done to give the appearance that people are revolting against the government when they are not. Mabhena said Zimbabweans are basically law abiding citizens and it is the government that needs to cleanse itself of corruption and hatred.