This victim presented with moderate‐to‐severe soft tissue damage and head injuries.
Activists who went to report on violence against them were subsequently arrested and further
beaten by police, and several activists reported being arrested and tortured by police and CIO in
police cells, particularly in Warren Park.
Several victims reported being tortured in Carter House, a building in Mbare��which appears to
house various small enterprises, but which also has the reputation for being a torture centre for
ZANU PF. The following two testimonies both are among those that mention Carter House as a
site of torture:
I was returning from work… from Chitungwiza, and when I reached the corner of
Runyararo Street and Samuriwo in Mbare I was put into a white Combi by Zanu‐PF
youths. They started beating me in the Combi with sticks, iron bars and tyres. I was
beaten on the head, back and buttocks and they pulled my dread‐locks. They took me
and 3 other men to their base at Carter House in Mbare. There we were severely beaten
and at around 5pm taken to Mbare Police Station. We were arrested and denied any
medical treatment. I spent 2 nights there with the charge of public violence.82
I was at work at … and at around 1400hrs Zanu‐PF youths came and told the security
guard that they wanted to see me and M… When we went outside the company premises
they held our belts and put us in a Combi whilst slapping us. They took our cell phones
and drove to Carter House. When we arrived there they started beating me with wooden
planks and logs. Inside Carter House they beat me under the feet and buttocks and
poured beer into my nose. When I tried to block the plank they used to beat me with,
they hit me on my left arm and [the plank] broke. They beat me from 1400hrs to around
1900hrs. After beating me they took us to Mbare Police Station where we were detained
without charge.83
These victims both presented with severe soft tissue and head injuries, and both also had clear
evidence of falanga – beating on the soles of the feet.
One of the worst consequences of the Mbare violence was the displacement of at least 140
residents including women and children, who were then housed in Harvest House, MDC‐T party
headquarters, and subsequently in various church centres including Silviera House. The police
raided the churches housing the displaced, and took large groups of men and women into
custody for some hours.
82
Statement from victim, March 2011.
83
Statement from victim, March 2011. Interestingly, Carter House was also used as a centre by the Youth League to
rape and beat women during the Bus Protests of 1956 – interview with Zimbabwe activist and historian.
37
Select target paragraph3
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