THE Zimbabwe Republic Police has reportedly begun
disciplinary action against its officers recently arrested for assaulting two
women from Cowdray Park high-density suburb in Bulawayo on charges of violating
COVID-19 lockdown regulations.
Six police officers were arrested on Friday for severely
assaulting two women with batons on their backs and hips.
This follows an uproar from residents, civic society
activists, opposition parties and other stakeholders after the incident was
circulated on social media.
The cops were supposed to appear at the Western Commonage
Magistrates’ Court, but their case was referred back for further investigation
after the complainants’ lawyers raised concern over how the case was being
handled.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi told Southern Eye that the law enforcement agency had begun disciplinary
proceedings against the accused officers.
“The process is already in motion. Already, they are facing
criminal charges. The process is in motion, and that is the position on the
ground,” Nyathi said on Wednesday.
According to the complainants’ lawyer, Nqobani Sithole,
there was an attempt to shield a senior police officer implicated in the abuse
of the women from facing justice.
“We met with senior police officers within the hierarchy
and it was agreed a superintendent and above should investigate the matter. The
issue that we were raising was whether a senior officer in the police force can
be investigated by a junior officer,” Sithole told Southern Eye.
According to the opposition MDC, the women could have been
assaulted by soldiers. “The severity of the assaults is not consistent with
police training,” MDC women’s assembly provincial secretary, Hallen Tsepiso
Mpofu said in a statement.
“We suspect this barbaric attack was carried out by people
who are military-trained. The assault by the ‘police officers’ was worsened by
the fact that anti-Ndebele slurs were pelted at the women, something common in
Matabeleland during the early 1980s Gukurahundi genocide.” Newsday
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