Of great concern is the clear involvement of state agents in the political violence of the last three
months, with a total of 87 out of 190 victims, or 46%, indicating that their beatings and torture
were meted out by police, mostly in uniform. Many cases of shocking torture were reported as
having taken place in police stations, in particular Warren Park Police Station.
Graph 4: Showing perpetrators by general grouping: January to March 2011
Two victims reported being tortured by soldiers, and in 30 cases, victims reported ‘police working
together with youth’ were responsible for attacks on them. This is indicative of a continued policy
of state‐led political violence, with the police showing blatant support for, and at times collusion
with, violent Zanu PF supporters. Yet again this reinforces a clear message that Zanu youth have
impunity to act violently.
i.
MDC‐T as perpetrators
This situation, of the state and Zanu PF supporters having impunity to commit often horrendous
acts against the presumed opposition, leads to reciprocal violence. As already indicated in the
section on Mbare, at times the MDC‐T resorts to violence, but this seems to be most generally in
response to violence against themselves, to which the police refuse to respond.
There was a major confrontation in Nyanga constituency on 13th February, in which 30 Zanu PF
supporters provoked a group of several hundred MDC‐T supporters who were trying to hold a
meeting in the open. This resulted in several Zanu PF supporters receiving severe injuries,
including in one instance the loss of an eye, and in at least one Zanu PF supporter having her
home burnt to the ground.87
87
K Nyathi, The Standard, Feb 27‐March 5: Minister linked to Nyanga reign of terror.
42
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