Organised Violence and Torture
in Zimbabwe

IRCT
Harare and Copenhagen - June 06, 2000

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2.     Background
Zimbabwe has had an extensive history of gross human rights violations over the past three decades. The Liberation War of the 1970s, the low intensity war of the 1980s in Matabeleland and the Midlands, the deteriorating human rights climate in the 1990s, all form the context in which the current situation must be seen.

2.1 Liberation War
The Liberation War of the 1970s was well documented, both at the time by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace as well as subsequently by historians. There are now a number of reports on the human rights violations that took place.1 These are supplemented by scientific reports.2 These reports indicate human rights violations such as extra-judicial killings, physical torture, psychological torture, rape, mass terror, and disappearances, in addition to the more usual casualties of war. From the pattern of organised violence, the "pungwes" deserve special attention. These night meetings were a combination of traditional ceremony with songs and dances, but were also occasions for political education. "Sellouts" and political opponents were tortured and frequently executed at these "pungwes".

The long-term consequences are also described. A recent epidemiological study shows that the number of persons suffering from disabilities and psychological disorders is still very high: more than 1 person in 10 over the age of 30 was shown to have physical disability, psychological disorder or both.3 Disappearances are also known to have a serious impact on survivors4 . The gross rights violations of the 1970s were all excused by formal statutes of impunity beginning in 1975 and ending in 1980 with a formal amnesty for all human rights violators passed by the British government.

2.2 Matabeleland (Gukurahundi)
The pattern of gross human rights violations seen in the 1970s was repeated during the low intensity war that affected Matabeleland and the Midlands in the 1980s. This has been well documented in the Breaking the Silence report produced by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF).5 A Government Commission produced a report during the period in question, but its findings were suppressed by the government and the subject of a Supreme Court application currently.

The CCJP/LRF report has been corroborated subsequently by other reports.6 These reports document extra-judicial killings, physical torture, psychological torture, rape, mass terror and disappearances of a very high magnitude. It is again worth noting the frequent occurrence of "pungwes". Torture and extra-judicial killings were frequent occurrences at these "pungwes", clearly used as instruments of mass psychological torture. The very high number of disappearances and mass graves remain a considerable cause for concern to the local communities.7 A recent epidemiological study indicates that 5 in 10 adults are suffering from clinically significant psychological disorders, following this low intensity war.8 The gross human rights violations of the 1980s were also covered by states of impunity, both during the emergency and with a formal amnesty at the end.

2.3 Food Riots of 1998
The period from 1987 to 1998 was one of relative peace, and few gross human rights violations were identified. This relatively secure period was overturned in January 1998 with massive human rights violations occurring during the Food Riots. These human rights violations were well-documented at the time by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, and have been reported in several publications.9 Extra-judicial killings, physical torture, psychological torture, and mass terror were all described. More than 40 cases have been the subject of civil litigation for compensation for gross human rights violations, and 10 cases have been settled in the complainants’ favour. The event was also discussed before the United Nations Human Rights Committee. In its observations and recommendations10 to the Government of Zimbabwe, the UN body urged that all cases of alleged excessive use of force committed by members of the police or the army be investigated by an independent and impartial body. The UN Human Rights Committee also urged that action be taken against those officers found to have committed abuses and that compensation be paid to the victims. To date, the Zimbabwe government has not followed the recommendation, nor has there been any serious comment upon the findings of the report.

2.4 Torture in 1998 and 1999
Since 1998 there has been a continuous deterioration in the human rights climate of Zimbabwe, reflected in several human rights reports.11 These general reports have been supplemented by a recent report from the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum focusing on organised violence and torture in Zimbabwe.12 The most notorious case involved the kidnapping and torture of the two Zimbabwe Standard journalists, Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto. This case has been widely reported and all the facts are known (see above-mentioned reports). The Amani Trust and the Human Rights Forum had instituted an urgent appeal for support to international partners. The IRCT and Amnesty International strongly supported this urgent action case.

GM
Had survived a murderous attack in June 1998. Subsequently he and his family were harassed and threatened by government agents on a regular basis. He was accused of conniving with elements of Zanu PF in order to link to the labour movement, especially the emerging political wing of the ZCTU. He was helped to seek asylum outside the country. The harassment of his family continued after his leaving the country. The latest incident involving his family was reported on the eve of the launch of the Movement for Democratic Change. State agents burst into his family home early in the morning, searching for GM examining documents and threatening his young son.

JK
Was severely tortured by officers of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). On very flimsy grounds, she and her husband were arrested on suspicion of having murdered their maid. JK received very severe treatment, including beatings, suspension, electrical shock, and beatings to her genitalia. The Human Rights Forum is following up this case in order to get accurate details. A private lawyer is assisting her and her husband in making charges against the ZRP and claiming damages.

BS & AM
They are brother and sister. BS was arrested by police officers after protesting against the Epworth Local Board for destroying her house and crops. Policemen at Hatfield Police Station struck her with clenched fists, boots and a stick. After hearing of his sister's arrest AM went to the station where he was also detained and beaten with a truncheon under his feet. The Human Rights Legal Unit is now waiting for a pre-trial Conference date from the Registrar of the High Court.

PZ
PZ was assaulted by members of the ZRP after being overheard making comments about alleged corruption by the police. He was dragged off by an armed policeman and then beaten with rifle butts and truncheons, slapped and kicked with boots. The assaults stopped when Security Guards at a shop nearby heard his screams and came to his assistance. The policemen ran away. He made a statement at Matapi Police Station, corroborated by several witnesses.

RM & NZ
Were taken to Nyamweda Police Station in Mhondoro as suspects in a theft of maize grain case. They were beaten with truncheons, iron bars, plaited electric wires and a hosepipe. NZ apparently received a much more severe beating and died nine days after being released from police custody. The death certificate shows that death was caused by multiple-tissue injuries caused by a blunt object.

PM
He was assaulted on his back, buttocks, under his feet and all over his body by police officers who were investigating a case of theft of money from his employer. He was handcuffed with his hands at the back. His legs were forced between the handcuffs whereupon the policemen started assaulting him with a truncheon under his feet.

FN
He was assaulted on his back, buttocks, under his feet and all over his body by police officers who were investigating a case of theft.

MM RM, EK & LM
These men are related to each other. They were arrested by police in Bulawayo on allegations of theft of a motor vehicle. They were arrested at different times but they all complained of being locked in a car boot and being assaulted. They were kept at Bulawayo Central Police Station for five days. They were later transferred to Harare where they were released without being charged.

EL
He was seen by policemen waiting at a certain place in Chitungwiza. He was dragged and shoved into the back of a police van. On the way to the station he was assaulted. He was dragged into a holding cell, then later released after paying a $50.00 fine, presumably for loitering.

The Human Rights Forum also saw a number of cases, and the civil suits involving these cases are pending.13 The Human Rights Forum maintains that in the cases seen by its Human Rights Legal Unit there is an apparent trend towards the police using forms of torture that are more difficult to initially detect. The Forum also highlights the use of electrical shock and "falanga" or beatings on the soles of the feet, adding that falanga has not been reported widely before in Zimbabwe, but its frequency increased throughout the 1980s and the 1990s.

  1. See AMANI (1997)(a), Survivors of Torture in Mount Darwin District, Mashonaland Central Province: Overview of Report and Recommendations, LEGAL FORUM, 9, 49-60; AMANI (1998), The Psycho-Social Needs of Survivors of Organised Violence and Torture in the Community, HARARE: AMANI.
  2. See AMANI (1998), Survivors of Torture and Organised Violence from the 1970s War of Liberation, HARARE: AMANI; MUPINDA M (1995) Loss and grief among the Shona: the Meaning of Disappearances, LEGAL FORUM, 9, 41-49; REELER, A.P. (1998), Epidemic violence and the community: A Zimbabwean case study, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL, 33, 128-139; REELER,A.P., & MUPINDA,M.(1996), Investigation into the sequelae of Torture and Organised Violence amongst Zimbabwean War Veterans, LEGAL FORUM, 8, 12-27.
  3. See REELER,A.P., MBAPE,P., MATSHONA,J., MHETURA,J., & HLATYWAYO,E. (1998), The prevalence and nature of disorders due to torture in Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe, TORTURE (submitted for publication).
  4. See MUPINDA M (1995) Loss and grief among the Shona: the Meaning of Disappearances, LEGAL FORUM, 9, 41-49
  5. See CCJP/LRF (1997), Breaking the Silence. Building True Peace: A Report on the Disturbances in Matabeleland and the Midlands, 1980 to 1988, HARARE: CATHOLIC COMMISSION FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, & LEGAL RESOURCES FOUNDATION.
  6. See AMANI [1998](c), Survivors of Organised Violence in Matabeleland: Facilitating an Agenda for Development, Report of the Workshop, BULAWAYO: AMANI; AMANI (1999) "A "Report on the Exhumation and Reburial Exercise Overseen by the AMANI Trust in Gwanda District, 25 July to 3 September 1999" BULAWAYO: AMANI; EPPEL, Shari: "Drying the Tears of the Dead: A Way to Heal the Living": conference paper presented at the Traumatic Stress in South Africa conference, Johannesburg, January 1999.
  7. See AMANI (1999) "A "Report on the Exhumation and Reburial Exercise Overseen by the AMANI Trust in Gwanda District, 25 July to 3 September 1999" BULAWAYO: AMANI; EPPEL, Shari: "Drying the Tears of the Dead: A Way to Heal the Living": conference paper presented at the Traumatic Stress in South Africa conference, Johannesburg, January 1999.
  8. See AMANI [1998](c), Survivors of Organised Violence in Matabeleland: Facilitating an Agenda for Development, Report of the Workshop, BULAWAYO: AMANI.
  9. See ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM (1998), Human Rights in Troubled Times: An Initial Report on Human Rights Abuses During and After Food Riots in January 1998; ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM (1999), A Consolidated Report on the Food Riots, 19th to 23rd January 1999, HARARE: ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM.
  10. Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Zimbabwe. UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE, Sixty-second session. 4 August 1998, CCPR/C/79/Add.89
  11. See CHEATER A (1999) Human rights developments July - December 1999 ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS BULLETIN 2 2-65; CHEATER A (1999) Human rights developments January-June 1999 ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS BULLETIN 1 3-47; FELTOE G (1999) Zero tolerance for torturers ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS BULLETIN 1 109-132.
  12. See ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM(2000), Organised Violence and Torture in Zimbabwe in 1999, HARARE: ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM
  13. See ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM(2000), Organised Violence and Torture in Zimbabwe in 1999, HARARE: ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM.

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