News / National
Subdued Chihuri in hot soup
13 Dec 2014 at 07:43hrs | Views
THE High Court has blasted Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri and his senior officers for taking a leading role in violating human rights through imposing an unconstitutional retraining exercise on junior officers convicted of misconduct.
Scores of police convicts were being detained at Morris Depot in Harare for further punishment disguised as "retraining", despite serving their respective prison sentences at Chikurubi detention barracks.
Six constables last week successfully challenged the brutal exercise, saying they were being assaulted, denied food, and had their salaries unilaterally slashed during the retraining period.
They complained of being forced to wear heavy trench coats in scotching sun, barred from accessing the outside world and being denied proper clothing, among other forms of abuse. They deposed affidavits explaining the violation of human rights by the police, resulting in the court ordering their immediate release.
Justice Francis Bere said he could not believe that Chihuri just watched as his fellow police bosses flagrantly breached the constitutional rights of the juniors. "It is difficult for me to fathom that all these shenanigans are being done with the approval of the Commissioner-General of Police," he said.
"It is particularly frightening to note that this well-orchestrated scheme is being instigated by senior members of the police against fellow police officers.
"The enquiry in this case has exposed the respondents (police bosses) of their deliberate violation of not only their own Police Act, but the Constitution as well."
Justice Bere said instead of punishing the junior officers, it was one of the leading perpetrators like Senior Assistant Commissioner Grace Ndebele who required rehabilitation.
From Sen Asst Comm Ndebele's testimony, Justice Bere said he established that there was no proof of any retraining taking place at Morris Training Depot.
She failed to produce any documents confirming the retraining programme, neither did she bring any of the training instructors to confirm the existence of the training, he said.
The court had to believe the applicants, considering that they had indicated that no training was being conducted except for humiliation and embarrassment of the juniors by senior officers at the depot.
Meanwhile, 11 other constables who separately filed their own applications for freedom this week, yesterday won their case before Justice Happias Zhou.
Scores of police convicts were being detained at Morris Depot in Harare for further punishment disguised as "retraining", despite serving their respective prison sentences at Chikurubi detention barracks.
Six constables last week successfully challenged the brutal exercise, saying they were being assaulted, denied food, and had their salaries unilaterally slashed during the retraining period.
They complained of being forced to wear heavy trench coats in scotching sun, barred from accessing the outside world and being denied proper clothing, among other forms of abuse. They deposed affidavits explaining the violation of human rights by the police, resulting in the court ordering their immediate release.
Justice Francis Bere said he could not believe that Chihuri just watched as his fellow police bosses flagrantly breached the constitutional rights of the juniors. "It is difficult for me to fathom that all these shenanigans are being done with the approval of the Commissioner-General of Police," he said.
"It is particularly frightening to note that this well-orchestrated scheme is being instigated by senior members of the police against fellow police officers.
"The enquiry in this case has exposed the respondents (police bosses) of their deliberate violation of not only their own Police Act, but the Constitution as well."
Justice Bere said instead of punishing the junior officers, it was one of the leading perpetrators like Senior Assistant Commissioner Grace Ndebele who required rehabilitation.
From Sen Asst Comm Ndebele's testimony, Justice Bere said he established that there was no proof of any retraining taking place at Morris Training Depot.
She failed to produce any documents confirming the retraining programme, neither did she bring any of the training instructors to confirm the existence of the training, he said.
The court had to believe the applicants, considering that they had indicated that no training was being conducted except for humiliation and embarrassment of the juniors by senior officers at the depot.
Meanwhile, 11 other constables who separately filed their own applications for freedom this week, yesterday won their case before Justice Happias Zhou.
Source - Chronicle
