Glen View residents tortured by police

By Tererai Karimakwenda

The police have charged a group of 12 Glen View residents and MDC-T activists with murder, following the Sunday death of a policemen at a local beer hall. A total of 24 residents had been picked up randomly by police, responding to the murder of policeman Petros Mutedza, who locals described as “a thug” who used to confiscate their goods.

Obert Gutu, the MDC-T MP and deputy Minister of Justice, told SW Radio Africa that 12 of the residents had been released and 12 appeared in a Harare court on Friday and, “could barely walk”. He said there was evidence of severe torture and it was clear they were in a great deal of pain. Some reported that they were beaten with baton sticks as police tried to force confessions. Gutu said he witnessed serious injuries, including swollen faces, arms and feet.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights finally gained access to the residents on Thursday, after they produced court documents calling on the police to produce their clients. They had been denied access since police made the random arrests on Sunday and Monday.

The deputy Minister criticized the police for “targeting all known MDC activists and officials” in Glen View during their investigations. Among those arrested is the MDC-T Councillor, Tungamirai Madzokere, and former Councillor Last Maengahama and 3 of his family members.

Gutu said Maengahama, who is an MDC-T national executive member, had been separated from the others during the week and taken to Matapi police station in Mbare, which has filthy jail cells that were declared unfit for human habitation by a Supreme Court Judge.

“It seems they wanted to break his spirit, so they would come late at night and beat him with a baton stick, under the feet, the buttocks and so forth,” Gutu explained. He said several residents had also been given baton sticks by the police and ordered to beat Maengahama, “because he is a senior party official and they wanted to humiliate him”.

The deputy Minister described Maengahama as a church going Christian who was actually at a prayer service at the time of the murder. According to Gutu, the church pastor has offered to show video footage taken on Sunday, which proves Maengahama was in church.

The police claim Mutedza was murdered by MDC activists who held an illegal meeting at the Glen View beer hall. But witnesses have reported that officer Mutedza was killed in a violent clash with unknown assailants who had been drinking there.

Several civic groups in the country have released statements condemning the behavior of the police during investigations and the subsequent torture of the residents. Gutu said the arrests are a continuation of the crackdown against the MDC and are part of a ZANU PF strategy to “make sure the party becomes dysfunctional”.

We were unable to contact the lawyers but a statement from the Crisis Coalition said the case was remanded until June 17th, after the Attorney General’s office asked for more time to investigate the murder. This means the accused will remain in detention for 2 more weeks. SW Radio Africa