Heal Zimbabwe condemns police brutality.....its unconstitutional!!!

Heal Zimbabwe has expressed grave concern over the conduct of anti-riot police during the recent wave of protests that took place across the country in the past weeks.

In a statement HZT said in crushing some of these demonstrations, they used brutal force which involved assaulting demonstrators with button sticks and setting dogs on them, incidences which were captured on camera and video. Most of the people assaulted included women and youths.

"While the police under section 219 of the Constitution are compelled to protect and secure the lives of people and property, their conduct during some of these demonstrations leaves a lot to be desired,' said the trust.

"Such police brutality against unarmed citizens who were exercising constitutional provision 59, to demonstrate and petition defeat the ideals of rule of law and constitutionalism. The conduct of police which has received widespread condemnation is also taking place in the absence of an independent complaints mechanism where the public can submit complaints against misconduct by members of the security services which include the police."

HZT said the brutality by the police also come against a background where Heal Zimbabwe on 13 January 2016, took the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to the Constitutional Court over delays in providing an effective and independent mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints from members of the public about the misconduct of members of the security services in compliance with Section 210 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

"The decision by Heal Zimbabwe to take the Minister to court was necessitated by the government's delay in providing an Act of Parliament that sets up a complaints mechanism against members of the security services 3 years after the new constitution became operational," said HZT.

"Without an independent mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints from the public on the misconduct on the part of members of security services, constitutional provisions such as Section 206 which compel security services to respect fundamental rights and freedoms, citizens' rights will continue to be violated."

 Heal Zimbabwe said it continues to call on the government to swiftly provide an effective and independent complaints mechanisms (the court ruling was reserved) which will receive and investigate complaints from the public against members of the security services.

"Heal Zimbabwe also implores the government to use non-violent and engaging processes that seeks to address concerns amicably without resorting to the use of brute force," said the trust.