Soldiers assault six week-old baby and mother - report

Close to twenty  heavily armed soldiers on Sunday reportedly ransacked as Hopley Farm house and assaulted a woman and her six week old baby.

The baby was thrown on the floor by marauding soldiers.

According to an update by The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, the soldiers where hunting for an MDC-T youth chairperson identified as Svosve.

Said the Forum in statement seen by Bulawayo24.com :"There have been reports of organised violence and torture in Hopley  perpetrated by soldiers who were looking for one Svosve,the MDC-T youth Chairperson. "The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum interviewed three of the victims namely Davison Mangena, Vengai Chingoriwo both males and Tatenda Kadzitonge a female and wife of Svosve. "Mangena and Chingoriwo were assaulted for expressing ignorance on the whereabouts of Svosve, while Tatenda had her door kicked open by about 20 soldiers who ransacked the house looking for her husband. As their search yielded no results the soldiers threw buckets of water at her, assaulted her and threw her six-week-old baby on the floor".

The Forum added that it was "deeply concerned by this well-orchestrated wave of violence meant to silence any dissenting voices".