Beatings by soldiers continuing unabated

Rights lawyers yesterday accused the military and police of savagely assaulting 28 people who were receiving treatment in hospital after suffering severe injuries in previous beatings - before going on to detain the victims at Harare Central Police Station.

This happened despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa's vow yesterday to investigate and punish rogue members of the security forces accused of killing and severely assaulting civilians during last week's deadly riots.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) told the Daily News that the despicable incident happened in the wee hours of yesterday, at a non-profit hospital which had been treating the victims of assault by security forces.

"The injured sought medical attention at a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) medical centre ... Soldiers raided the place during the early hours of the morning today (yesterday), assaulted them and detained them at Harare Central," rights lawyer Kudzayi Kadzire said.

"It is regrettable, deplorable and very inhumane for the State agents to raid 28 injured people who were receiving medical treatment during the early hours.

"The 28 are detained at Harare Central and lawyers were denied access," the ZLHR had said earlier on social media.

Police were similarly accused of raiding a clinic in Belvedere last week, after foreign and local journalists released footage of the brutalised victims of the government's crackdown.

Contacted for a comment, police spokesperson Charity Charamba said she was not aware of the incidents.

"I do not know anything. Why don't you call the facility and ask for details?" Charamba asked the Daily News.