three day stay away from the 14th to the 16th of January 2019. A number of
people reported for duty but due to threats communicated through social
media platforms, most businesses shut down and people were forced to go
back home. Schools called upon parents to collect their children. The
environment became tense when some residents in various townships
barricaded roads using boulders, rocks and ram-shackled vehicles. Tyres
were burnt all over the roads as a way of stopping vehicles from patrolling
and commuter omnibuses from ferrying residents to and from town. Reports
were received that disgruntled citizens and riotous people went on a
rampage and destroyed shops, service stations, police stations, a tollgate
near Harare, among others. These acts resulted in the deployment of police
by the Zimbabwe Republic Police and military officers by the Zimbabwe
National Army. It is alleged that from the evening of Monday, 14 January
2019, the army and the police started a crackdown in suburbs, hunting down
citizens (mostly men) whom they alleged to have caused mayhem on that
Monday. Some media reports pointed out that several people had been
brutalised by the army resulting in injuries, loss of limb and life. This
prompted the ZHRC to conduct a monitoring exercise of the human rights
situation in the suburbs from the 17th to the 25th of January 2019 as per its
mandate to promote, protect and monitor human rights.
2.
Methodology
In carrying out the mission, the ZHRC made use of a hybrid of methodologies to gather
information for the generation of practical and informed recommendations. The interaction
between the ZHRC, persons affected, their witnesses and the general public was
participatory.
2.1 Desk Research: The ZHRC conducted a desk research on national, regional and
international instruments that guide in control and management of such situations.
Page 2 of 68