Organised Violence and Torture
in Zimbabwe

IRCT
Harare and Copenhagen - June 06, 2000

3.1 Definitions  TOP
There are two definitions that must be considered here. The first is the definition contained in the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment (1984). Torture is defined as:

'…any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any other reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions'.
(UN Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984), Article  1)

'… the infliction of significant avoidable pain and suffering by an organised group according to a declared or implied strategy and/or system of ideas and attitudes. It comprises any violent action which is unacceptable by general human standards, and relates to the survivor's feelings. Organised violence includes, most importantly, "torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" as mentioned in Article 5 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Violence which occurs in these and similar situations as a direct consequence of political repression, although it may appear random, is of a structural nature, and involves violation of basic human rights and can only disappear when human, social and political relationships are profoundly changed'. (WHO.1986)

3.2 Violence monitoring  TOP
The politically motivated violence, which has spiralled in the past two months of 2000, became a matter of immense concern to all the members of the Human Rights NGO Forum. The Human Rights NGO Forum accordingly started a project to record and act upon cases of political violence and to support and unify the initiatives being pursued by individual members of the Forum. It began gathering statements from victims on 11 May 2000. The project has already received a large number of survivors' accounts of torture and beatings, as well as cases of killings. Together with the numerous reports of political violence in the press, these victims' accounts provide yet more evidence that Zimbabwe is experiencing gross human rights violations.

The Human Rights Forum has issued a number of reports to date that have described the organised violence and torture.¹⁴ These reports have been based upon press reports as well as eyewitness testimonies and the statements of victims themselves. Additionally, the AMANI Trust has produced a series of quantitative summaries of the violence.

3.3 Extra-judicial killings  TOP

• At the time of writing, 29 people are reported as having been killed. Reported cases of fatalities include the following¹⁵:In Bindura two MDC supporters were killed after a Zanu (PF) vehicle stopped the vehicle carrying MDC supporters back from a rally. Two persons from the Zanu (PF) vehicle then attacked the cab of the MDC vehicle with iron bars and then tossed a petrol bomb inside the cab. Two of the MDC supporters inside the cab died from burns.
• In Mhangura an MDC organiser was shot and killed.
• In Kariba MDC supporters were kidnapped by supporters of Zanu (PF) and badly beaten. Two persons died as a result of these assaults.
• In Harare Zanu (PF) supporters allegedly beat to death a person because he was wearing an MDC tee shirt.
• In Kariba a farm worker was killed allegedly after Zanu (PF) violently attacked farm workers on an estate village.
• In the Madziwa district a group of government supporters allegedly beat to death a person who could not produce a Zanu (PF) membership card when called upon to do so.
• In Macheke a white farmer, who was an active supporter of the MDC, was kidnapped from his farm by war veterans and their supporters and severely beaten and then executed by shooting him in the head.
• In Nyamandhlovu a white farmer, who was a supporter of the MDC, was attacked in his farm homestead by a large group of war veterans and their supporters and was shot and wounded and beaten to death.
• In Mukumbura the brother of an MDC parliamentary candidate, was allegedly beaten to death by a large mob of Zanu (PF) supporters. The mother and father of the brothers were also severely beaten.
• In Beatrice a white farmer, who was a supporter of the MDC, was beaten with concrete blocks and iron bars. He subsequently died from the injuries that had been inflicted. Another white farmer in Beatrice was shot and subsequently died, although it may turn out that this was a criminal rather than a politically motivated murder.
• Sgt Alex Chisasa was killed at 9:30 p.m., by a gang of 5-6 on the Jack Quinton bridge near his home in Mupinge, Chipinge area. He is thought to have been beaten to death with an iron bar. Chisasa was stationed at Chisambange police station. His killing is thought to have been political as immediately before the incident he was drinking beer in the township, dressed in civilian clothes. He was publicly criticising the political strategy of Zanu (PF) and the party's use of war veterans. His death was brought to the attention of the project, but no further details are available at present.
• Takundwa Chipunza an MDC supporter from Budiriro, Harare, was killed, allegedly by Zanu PF supporters, 12 of whom have been arrested and are on remand until 5 June.

• Whilst organised violence has been very commonly reported (see below), systematic torture has not been so commonly reported. Torture victims will often not seek assistance for fear of further retaliation, but nonetheless several cases have been reported.¹⁶ 21 April 2000: MDC members were drinking at Wasara-Wasara beerhall in Gokwe, the Midlands, around 9:45 p.m. About 20 Zanu (PF) youths and "war veterans" approached them and one of them was abducted. He was taken to their office at the council building, where he was brought before around 200 Zanu (PF) supporters. He was then tortured with electric shocks and beaten on the soles of the feet at gunpoint. A war veteran named Shenje led the assault.
• 28 April 2000: An MDC member was tortured, allegedly at the hands of CIO operatives in Kambuzuma, Harare. He has given a detailed statement of his ordeal.
• 8-16 May 2000: Three people interviewed said they had been tortured at Chenjerai Hunzvi's surgery in Budiriro between these dates. Each claimed to have seen other people being tortured inside(there are unconfirmed reports of four more victims. Takundwa Chipunza, who died of beatings outside the surgery, is also suspected of having been tortured at the surgery.

Below the report refers to a further number of alleged torture cases that were investigated directly.

14. See ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 15 May 2000; ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 19 May 2000; ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 26 May 2000.
15. See ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 15 May 2000; ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 19 May 2000; ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 26 May 2000
16. See ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 15 May 2000; ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 19 May 2000; ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM: VIOLENCE MONITORING PROJECT The Unleashing of Violence: A report on political violence in Zimbabwe. Update for the week ending 26 May 2000

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