Bulawayo Residents relive army brutality

The brutality suffered by the people of Bulawayo at the hands of the military during the January demonstrations was relived on Wednesday through a documentary by journalist Zenzele Ndebele.  

The documentary titled "Zimbabwe ShutDown: The January Protests" was aired to a full house at a Bulawayo hotel.

Guest of honour and Midlands State University lecturer Professor Gerald Mazarire detailed the history of violence in Zimbabwe largely attributed to the state.

"The situation we are seeing now is a situation involving an unresolved state," said Prof Mazarire. "We have to get to know who perpetrates violence in Zimbabwe. Is it the state and if so who is the state."

Ndebele revealed that two of his colleagues were affected by the shut down.

"The documentary is about the January ShutDown and the violence that happened after. Two of our staff members were victims of ShutDown violence.  The situation is bad and getting worse. The people who are supposed to be sailing the ship are clueless," said Ndebele.

In their narrations, the interviewed residents shared how they were indiscriminately assaulted by the soldiers who accused them of taking part in the demonstrations. One interviewee recollected how he was bundled into a military truck, assaulted until he collapsed.

"After I collapsed, they poured me with water and shoved crushed tablets into my mouth, that is when I woke up," said the resident.

Another resident said he was accosted by the soldiers on his way from a beer drink and was made to lie down and received a thorough beating.

In the interviews, the residents showed Ndebele scars on different parts of their bodies sustained in the assault. They said attempts to report the assault at the police were ignored as the police said they were not compiling dockets on the matter.