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Tear gas terror in sex workers crackdown
2 hrs ago |
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A late-night police operation targeting suspected sex workers in Hurungwe has drawn criticism after residents alleged that tear gas deployed during the raid affected innocent families, including pregnant women and young children.
The operation, which reportedly took place around midnight last Wednesday at Chikuti, a mining settlement along the Harare–Chirundu highway, allegedly saw police use tear gas as they attempted to arrest suspected sex workers.
Residents claim the tear gas spread into nearby homes, causing breathing difficulties among people who were asleep.
Heavily pregnant Millicent Banda said she woke up struggling to breathe.
"I don't know what happened. I woke up around 01:00 to thick smoke of tear gas, choked and had difficulty breathing," she said.
Another resident, Nomsa Mutengu, said her nine-month-old daughter, Miya Zinyama, was also affected by the fumes.
Mutengu said she took her child to Kasimure Clinic before being referred to Karoi Hospital, where she was issued with a prescription she could not afford and advised to return for a follow-up examination.
She further alleged that obtaining treatment became more difficult because she was required to produce a police report.
"After being tear-gassed in the middle of the night, I went to the clinic and they asked me to bring a police report, which I was given after some harsh words from the police officer," she said.
"The officer implied that tear gas smoke was not that harmful."
According to Mutengu, an assistant sergeant identified as Damba wrote authorisation for treatment on a plain sheet of paper after informing her that official police medical referral forms were unavailable.
The handwritten note reportedly stated that police had run out of Form 234 medical referral forms and requested that the bearer be assisted.
Clinic records allegedly noted that the child had a "hot body" and had "inhaled tear gas smoke."
A woman identified only as Talent, who described herself as a sex worker, said police launched the raid without warning.
"The police raided us at the shops and we ran in different directions, with some hiding in nearby houses. They tear-gassed the whole area to punish just a few sex workers they had failed to arrest," she alleged.
When contacted for comment, Mashonaland West police spokesperson Inspector Ian Kohwera said he would seek information from the relevant police station.
"I will come back to you after getting a report from the relevant station," Kohwera said.
No further comment had been received by the time of publication.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the Zimbabwe Republic Police had not responded to the specific claims regarding the reported use of tear gas or the alleged impact on nearby residents.
The operation, which reportedly took place around midnight last Wednesday at Chikuti, a mining settlement along the Harare–Chirundu highway, allegedly saw police use tear gas as they attempted to arrest suspected sex workers.
Residents claim the tear gas spread into nearby homes, causing breathing difficulties among people who were asleep.
Heavily pregnant Millicent Banda said she woke up struggling to breathe.
"I don't know what happened. I woke up around 01:00 to thick smoke of tear gas, choked and had difficulty breathing," she said.
Another resident, Nomsa Mutengu, said her nine-month-old daughter, Miya Zinyama, was also affected by the fumes.
Mutengu said she took her child to Kasimure Clinic before being referred to Karoi Hospital, where she was issued with a prescription she could not afford and advised to return for a follow-up examination.
She further alleged that obtaining treatment became more difficult because she was required to produce a police report.
"After being tear-gassed in the middle of the night, I went to the clinic and they asked me to bring a police report, which I was given after some harsh words from the police officer," she said.
According to Mutengu, an assistant sergeant identified as Damba wrote authorisation for treatment on a plain sheet of paper after informing her that official police medical referral forms were unavailable.
The handwritten note reportedly stated that police had run out of Form 234 medical referral forms and requested that the bearer be assisted.
Clinic records allegedly noted that the child had a "hot body" and had "inhaled tear gas smoke."
A woman identified only as Talent, who described herself as a sex worker, said police launched the raid without warning.
"The police raided us at the shops and we ran in different directions, with some hiding in nearby houses. They tear-gassed the whole area to punish just a few sex workers they had failed to arrest," she alleged.
When contacted for comment, Mashonaland West police spokesperson Inspector Ian Kohwera said he would seek information from the relevant police station.
"I will come back to you after getting a report from the relevant station," Kohwera said.
No further comment had been received by the time of publication.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the Zimbabwe Republic Police had not responded to the specific claims regarding the reported use of tear gas or the alleged impact on nearby residents.
Source - The Standard
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