Soldiers are routinely tortured by their bosses

Soldiers are routinely tortured  by their bosses while on detention, a senior army officer has revealed.

Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Induna Detention Barracks Captain Sindiso Sibanda shocked the court last week while testifying in court during an inquest hearing into the death of Alfonce Nhengo (29).

Nhengo, according Southern Eye, succumbed to suspected torture while serving a 40-day sentence for an undisclosed offence at the detention barracks.

Nhengo's body had numerous bruises which raised suspicion among his family members.

Sibanda told magistrate Gladmore Mushove : "We asked each other (about the cause of the bruises), but no one could tell what had happened. I only realised that he had bruises on his back when we were lifting him up into the car and it was not an issue for me because at detention barracks we always witness that. Assault is a common thing."

The  court heard  that Nhengo, of Masvingo, who was a member of ZNA based at 11 Infantry Battalion at Induna Barracks in Bulawayo, died at the United Bulawayo Hospitals sometime in April 2014.

The court heard that army officials asked the pathologist to perform a post-mortem without reporting the matter to the police.

On July 14 2014, Nhengo's relatives reported the matter to the police after they failed to get full circumstances surrounding his death.

Police at Queens Park Police Station started investigations and obtained a post mortem report which detailed the cause of the death.

A post mortem report produced by one Pesanayi showed that Nhengo was severely assaulted leading to his death. The report stated that the cause of death was bronchial aspiration, compartment syndrome and severe assault. The inquest continues this week.