Escalating violence in Zimbabwe
These images of a tortured 38 year old man were taken yesterday in Harare. They were sent to us by email with this message attached:
The attached pics are of a young man (38) from Dzivarasekwa, Harare who was abducted by “soldiers” militia in full combat camoflage kit with fringed hats who beat him for hours with chains and fan belts on his back and chest. Also on his feet and hands.
The reason for this terrible beating is that he transported MDC supporters to the pre election rallies.
Ambulances went to Kotwa Hospital on Saturday evening to uplift five critical cases and they were stopped just short of the hospital by CIO agents who threatened their lives and then followed them for 100 kms back to Harare.
Now the ambulances refuse to go out there.
I really fear for those peoples lives.
We have been trying to get them out in civilian trucks, but Police road blocks surround the Mudzi area. If we were not successful last night, then a convoy of vehicles will go in.
This is a shocking situation we find ourselves in, when we are prevented from taking our battered and burned members to hospital.
April 21st, 2008 15:52
The escalation of violence in Zimbabwe does not come as a surprise to anyone. It is only unfortunate that there are too many silent voices that could really make a difference if they cared. The only thing to do now is be patient and wait for the day when it will all end. And it will. We must only hope that what is to come is much better than what is. But in spite of the uncertainty, Mugabe must go.
April 21st, 2008 16:13
I realise the emphasis has been on trying to reassure the perpetrators of violence, but have a different idea. Why not make posters of all known Zimbabwean human rights abusers, naming them and listing their known or suspected crimes. Publish their identities and crimes on the Net and even in Zimbabwe if that can be done under the noses of CIO and police. Make it clear that war criminals will not be offered amnesty! One of the revelations of South Africa’s TRC was the surprisingly small number of really bad people responsible for directing so much violence. Why not expose those people as much as possible…?
April 21st, 2008 20:16
Sally, the identies of these people has already been published on the net. What happened… Zilch
April 21st, 2008 20:52
You are exactly correct. Name and shame keeps the pressure on, and the worst of the worst are a sadistic relatively few.
Charges separate true believers from opportunists, paid from pathological. Those who push for charges and those who deliver leniency are in two different places: one gives a hard push out the door and another cushions the fall. You want those who are participating in atrocities to be well aware that these are crimes under Zimbabwean law.
Who are the bad guys? Obviously the top tier is more rotten than a sack of apples in Long John Silver’s footlocker. At the lower ranks, people like the ZFP Councilor in Kazangarare known as Jawet, responsible for terrible beatings, will be easy to track down and arrest. Jawet has a terrible record, her crimes have now been reported worldwide, with shocked readers writing to express their horror at Jawet’s crimes — who would want to hang around and take orders from her if it could lead to jail time?
Naturally one must be careful on who publicizes and when; and to avoid the Zimbabwe reflex of doing nothing then threatening people with death. There are legal remedies between these two extremes.
There are those who will say, perpetrators have nowhere to go and will hang on forever, but this is not the reality of name and shame. Once the thoughtless person realizes that violence will be accounted for, only the dark souls remain to do the work.
Those who say that crimes met with charges are counterproductive have been shown to be incorrect. Activists once phoned Abraham Dapi, a cruel Law and Order officer in Bulawayo to let him know the world knows who he is and he should watch his behavior. He grew strangely silent and according to L&O counsel, is still hoping to avoid charges. there were posters once for accused murderer Joseph Mwale. This will haunt him until apprehended.
CIO hanging around Kotwa Hospital in order to deny treatment to injured people, then following the ambulances is the kind of cruel crime that can be documented in the hopes of prevention. Ambulance chasers: you are known to you, your friends, and hundreds of people. You won’t be able to deny these crimes when you reach court. Better to stop now.
April 22nd, 2008 10:21
Apologies for our South African president Thabo Mbeki’s doing nothing to stop this wickedness and being directly responsible for it through his omission to stop it. And he can stop it if he had the WILL. Boycott 2010 SA Soccer World Cup !
April 22nd, 2008 15:52
It is really sadening to see the people of Zimbabwe suffer under this ruthless dictactor called Robert Mugabe. The man is so heartless such that he does not even care whether the people of Zimbabwe eat, drink or let alone survive to see the next day. I’m quite appauled by the stance taken by the South African president Thabo Mbeki, how on earth someone in his right state of mind can declare that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe. Does he(Thabo) personnally think that the people of his native South Africa can cast votes and then stay more than a week without the votes being published. May be Mr Mbeki does not understand the word crisis and he needs a referal to the dictionary before answering the particular question. Long live people of Zimbabwe we are with you in prayers and God will definately intervine one day you wil be free. As for Mr mbeki you are just but pathetic to say the least.
May 7th, 2008 10:53
Is it possible to find evidence on for example google earth of the burning and looting the ZPF kretins are carrying out?
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I want to make a news article on it
April 21st, 2008 22:20
[...] albums, a collection of photos of citizens hospitalized for injuries they received in beatings. The most recent photos are of a 38-year old man, beaten with chains and fan belts to punish him for driving citizens to [...]
April 23rd, 2008 08:23
[...] albums, a collection of photos of citizens hospitalized for injuries they received in beatings. The most recent photos are of a 38-year old man, beaten with chains and fan belts to punish him for driving citizens to [...]