Riot police brutalise MDC official… arrest journalists covering fracas (Picture)

By Staff Reporter

RUSAPE— Riot police on Friday wantonly applied excessive force to brutalise and seriously injure a handcuffed MDC-T official and businessman David Tekeshe on allegations of “disobeying a lawful order” and arrested three private media journalists for covering the skirmishes.

Freelance journalist Sydney Saize, Bernard Chiketo (Daily News) and Kenneth Nyangani (NewsDay) were arrested for taking pictures and interviewing people during the melee. The scribes were released without charge after two hours of intense interrogations.

The manner in which police acted has been widely condemned by members of the public who felt that the situation could have been handled much better had police been civil in their conduct. The incident occurred around 3pm, outside the Rusape Magistrates’ Court.

About 100 MDC supporters converged outside the court house to celebrate the release on bail of party supporter Tazviona Marima, who was arrested on Wednesday on allegations of being “a public nuisance”.

Marima allegedly threw a red MDC card inscribed “Mugabe must go” to the Officer Commanding Rusape District police Chief Superintendent Garikai Gwangwawa, who had summoned him to justify why MDC supporters wanted to demonstrate in Rusape.

Human rights lawyer Mr Taurai Khupe, of Khupe Law Chambers, told provincial magistrate Mr Shingi Mutiro, on Marima’s initial remand earlier that Chief Supt Gwangwawa assaulted his client, after being infuriated by the “Mugabe to go” slant.

Mr Mutiro instructed the National Prosecuting Authority to investigate the matter and report on November 18, when Marima’s trial is expected to start. The MDC supporters, who thronged the court, thought bail was miles away, but area prosecutor Tirivanhu Mutyasira consented to its issuance.

They wildly celebrated Marima’s release, with Tekeshe, who of late has been the fulcrum of resistance and leading the anti-Mugabe demonstrations in Makoni district, jovially leading party supporters in song and dance.

ZRP Rusape Central officer-in-charge Chief Inspector Brian Makomeke instructed the sloganeering MDC supporters to disperse quietly, but they kept singing while walking towards the Central Business District.

And when they were barely 10 metres away, Chief Inspector Makomeke unleashed the more than 20 riot police officers on them, with Tekeshe as their main target. They mobbed the businessman, beating him with baton sticks and kicking him.

Tekeshe fought back and bit one of his attackers on the right hand. The cops swamped him, trying to handcuff him. He resisted, and the last straw came when one cop hit the vigilant politician on the head using a baton stick. He briefly lost consciousness, lying head-upwards. This is when the cops pressed him down and handcuffed him.

Blood was gushing from the head wound. His pink and grey trousers turned scarlet in less than five minutes. It was not over yet. The businessman regained his strength and, and like an arrow drawn backwards, he rose up violently and charged towards his assailants, indiscriminately head butting any cop that came his way.

At least three riot police officers bit the dust. Police had to pull and use more force to subdue him. Vigilant citizens who witnessed the police brutality began scolding the cops for abusing a restrained person while recording the encounter.

Though the cops continued thumping him, Tekeshe refused to back down in the vacant stare of authority.

“You rather kill me. It is my right to demonstrate, and tell Mugabe that hatichakuda. You are all busy beating me, yet nemimi hamuchamudiwo because you are equally suffering. I have the courage to tell Mugabe to go so that you also become free. It is my right to demand change, Mugabe has failed, and he should go. He has destroyed the country. The economy is in a comatose (state) because of Mugabe, don’t be his dogs,” shouted Tekeshe.

“Do not push me into the car; I will get in at my own pace. You, hokoyo (pointing at one of the cops) I am ready to die; you can kill my body, but not my spirit. My mind is made up, I want change, and Mugabe should go. Uri kundirova, but newewo Mugabe wacho haumudiwo,”he shouted.

He started chanting the famous MDC slogan “chinja maitiro” as he was taken to the police station alongside the three scribes. Tekeshe appeared in court last Saturday, and was remanded in custody to today (Monday) for bail application.

Mr Khupe is representing him. The journos were interrogated on their alleged links to Tekeshe, and strangely though, for allegedly taking part in the demonstration. The reporters were also accused of taking pictures of the attack on Tekeshe.

The ZRP Rusape Central Police Station was sealed off, and lawyer Khupe, who had been seconded by MDC-T provincial spokesman and Mutasa Central MP Trevor Saruvaka to assist the five, was denied entry. Misa Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, and Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) condemned the arrest of the three scribes.

Saruvaka blasted police officers for using excessive force to against defenceless citizens.

“How can properly trained police officers bash a person in handcuffs? This is an unprecedented act of brutality and heavy handedness which is least expected from a police force that should be civilized.

“Let me tell you something, we are going to stand up against this regime. They have no right to treat people this way. You can’t just go brutalise and apprehend people like this. You have to have a reason to be putting your hands on people,” said Saruvaka.

As the officers attempted to rationalize their perpetual physical abuse, Saruvaka pointed out, “Look at the position that he’s in. You have him in handcuffs already. There’s no reason for you to be brutalising him like this.”

Widespread police brutality against those opposed to President Mugabe and his Zanu PF government exists in Zimbabwe, and such cases escape prosecution, despite it being one of several forms of police misconduct, alongside false arrest; intimidation; political repression; surveillance abuse and police corruption. Although illegal, police perpetrate it under the guise of law, patronising it as “the use of minimum force”.