Court orders police to investigate themselves over assaults on activist

By Lance Guma
27 April 2007

A Harare magistrate on Thursday ordered police to launch a probe into their own assault of opposition activist Philip Mabika. Mabika is among 30 activists in remand prison on discredited allegations of petrol bombing government targets. Magistrate Lazarus Murendo ordered that he be taken to hospital for treatment. The police commissioner was ordered to set up an internal investigation into the assaults and submit its findings by the 12th of May. He said doctors should ascertain the injuries sustained by Mabika and establish the cause. The magistrate also had a chance to examine the opposition activist in the cells at the courthouse and found him with deep cuts on his wrists and a swollen back. There was also evidence of blunt trauma on both his knees as well as lacerations on the legs.

The authorities in Zimbabwe say they are still hunting down 70 opposition activists they suspect of involvement in alleged terrorist activities amid claims the government is trying to sugar coat its brutal crackdown. High Court Judge Justice Paddington Garwe had given state prosecutors up to 25 April to come up with a trial date. But instead the state responded by saying more arrests and interrogations were needed in order to complete investigations. Critics say the policy strikes at the very core of natural justice insisting police should investigate first before arresting people. Adding to concern is the fact that most activists have been abducted, interrogated and then tortured before being locked up in remand prison. The judiciary is also accused of pandering to government pressure and denying activists bail without reasonable cause.

MDC official Eddie Cross expressed hope there were members of the judiciary who are not compromised and the decision by the magistrate on Thursday to order a probe was to be commended. He said the nature of the government crackdown was well planned and intended to cripple the MDC’s capacity to fight an election next year. ‘They know exactly who to pick up,’ Cross explained. Senior MDC officials like Ian Makone, Glen View legislator Paul Madzore and Information Officer Luke Tamborinyoka have been in remand prison for over a month despite no clear evidence linking them to any of the alleged terror plots. Over 600 activists have been arrested, tortured and hospitalized since a prayer rally in Harare’s Highfield Suburb was brutally crushed by police. Activist Gift Tandare was shot dead in the melee.