Breaking the Silence, Building True Peace
A report on the disturbances in
Matabeleland and the Midlands
1980 - 1989

Summary Report

Contents   «   »

PART ONE: BACKGROUND
Part One index
I.   Introduction
II.  Data sources
III. Historical overview

III. Historical overview

4. How did the Government respond to the increasing banditry?                                                           3.«   »5.
The Government said quite rightly that it was their responsibility to try and maintain law and order during these years. However, their response to the problem was seen by many as being too harsh. From early 1982, the Government used emergency powers to enforce widespread curfews, road-blocks, detention without trial and house to house searches.

Kidnapping of six tourists
When six foreign tourists were kidnapped allegedly by dissidents in Matabeleland North in mid-1982, large numbers of troops were sent into Matabeleland. The tourists were killed within a few days of capture, but this was not clear for some years. In the meantime, troops mounted widespread searches for them.

The kidnapping caused the Government to bring back a law first used by the Rhodesian Government in 1975, preventing the prosecution of anyone in the security forces no matter what they did, as long as it was done to "preserve security" in Zimbabwe. As soon as this law was enforced, there was a growing number of reports of people being randomly or systematically detained, and of troops abusing civilians.

"Dissidents" or ordinary civilians?
From mid-1982 onwards, the Government increasingly failed to distinguish between "dissidents" and those they alleged were "supporters of dissidents". Even Prime Minister Mugabe himself stated in April 1983 that when troops were in rural areas where people were thought to be feeding dissidents, "we eradicate them. We don't differentiate when we fight because we can't tell who is a dissident and who is not". Other Ministers made similar statements, and the complaints of abuses of civilians continued to grow. In November 1982, CCJP met the Prime Minister to express their concern about this.

However, the worst was yet to come for civilians. In early 1983, the Government unleashed the 5 Brigade on rural areas, thus beginning in earnest what could be called a "double edged conflict". On the one hand, the Government continued to target genuine dissidents, with the help of 4 Brigade, 6 Brigade, the Paratroopers, the Police Support Unit and the CIO. On the other hand, they deliberately targeted civilians, through the use mainly of 5 Brigade, but also through CIO and, in 1985, ZANU-PF Youth Brigades.  TOP   3.«   »5.