Villagers tortured, forced to sing war songs in prison cell

Eleven villagers from Tshayane village in Nkayi, Matabeleland North province, were allegedly tortured and assaulted by police officers from Manoti Police Station in Gokwe, Midlands province, on July 14. The villagers were arrested on charges of stealing diesel but were reportedly coerced into singing liberation songs during their interrogation.

The villagers, including a 13-year-old minor, were reportedly beaten by seven police officers armed with rifles, truncheons, and whips. They were allegedly forced to sing liberation songs and punished for not performing adequately. The police, lacking search warrants, also seized various tools from the villagers' homes, claiming they were used in criminal activities.

According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), despite Mawarire, the complainant in the case, stating that the villagers were not suspects, the police arrested them and detained them at a police post without proper attire or access to their rights. The villagers were reportedly made to sleep on concrete floors with no blankets or facilities.

The villagers were released on July 15 after being ordered to pay US$30 each, but they did not receive receipts or medical report forms. They sought medical treatment privately and later filed a complaint through ZLHR on August 1, demanding an investigation into the police conduct.

The ZLHR's complaint highlighted that the villagers' rights, including liberty, dignity, and protection from cruel treatment, were violated. The Officer-in-Charge of Manoti Police Station has yet to respond to the complaint.