As can be seen from Table 11, most person were injured by members of the Zimbabwe
Republic Police, but a large number were also injured by members of the Zimbabwe National
Army. Some were injured by more than one branch — uniform branch and support unit of the
ZRP — or more than one agency — ZRP and ZNA.
Table 11
Alleged perpetrators of human rights violations
Zimbabwe National Army
16
Zimbabwe Republic Police
23
Riot Squad
2
Criminal Investigation
Department
1
Support Unit
4
The medical complaints of these survivors were split between those who had been shot —
death, bullet wound and amputation — and those who had been assaulted — fracture, pain.
Two person complained that they had lost employment as a result of the injuries sustained. One
man, for example, sustained permanent disability — loss of function in his arm — as a result of
a bullet wound, and was unable to continue his employment as a driver due to the disability.
Table 12
Medical complaints of victims of Food Riots
[n=42]
death
1
bullet wound
10
amputation
1
fracture
4
pain
12
loss of job
3
epilepsy
1
As regards the deaths, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum has only been able to obtain
information on the follow-up to one death, that of Kudzai Ndlovu who was shot and killed in
Gweru. The public inquest, which was concluded in March 1999, revealed a wholly
unsatisfactory situation. The presiding magistrate noted that no satisfactory investigations were
conducted in order to reveal the identity of the perpetrator, and went so far as to state that the
ZRP in Gweru were actually stifling investigations. He then recommended that the
investigations should be taken over by an independent team of investigators from a different
town. This is clearly at variance with the assertions of Superintendant Bvudzijena and the ZRP’s
own report.
Torture
Torture can be defined according to various different definitions, the most common of which are
the definitions contained in the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment (UN.1984) and the Declaration of Tokyo
(WMA.1975). The latter has remained the most complete statement about torture yet produced
by the medical profession.
Select target paragraph3
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