Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on violence against peaceful protestors in Harare No 3 – Statement by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights ZLHR condemns in the strongest possible terms the violent attack, which was perpetrated upon peaceful marchers and innocent bystanders in last Saturday’s March for Peace. The sequence of events leads to the inevitable conclusion that a group of ZANU (PF) supporters armed themselves with weapons and set out from their meeting at ZANU (PF) headquarters with the clear intention of intimidating and causing physical harm to a group of fellow citizens whom they perceived as “opposition” supporters. Whether they were incited to action by any official of ZANU (PF) or the War Veterans Association cannot be proven at this time but we call for an immediate investigation into this aspect of the attack. That an armed mob could pass through riot police on duty and attack persons exercising their constitutional right to demonstrate peacefully is also shocking in the extreme. The behaviour of the police, in “turning a blind eye” to the mob which was visibly armed with weapons, requires investigation, as does the failure to arrest the perpetrators of the attack. This inaction, contrasted with their earlier activity in arresting five peaceful demonstrators before the march for “disobeying a lawful order to disperse”, seems to indicate a high degree of partiality. We also question the lawfulness of the police instruction to disperse, since a High Court Order specifically authorising the demonstration to proceed was shown to the Officer in Charge. We also condemn various recent statements made by the President himself and other Government officials, which could be interpreted as encouraging such violent attacks on members of the opposition and white Zimbabweans. We call on the Government of Zimbabwe, every political party, and every individual citizen to renounce violence, intolerance and racism. No 4 – Statement by Faculty of Law on Violence in Harare The Faculty of Law is appalled by the events in Harare on the morning of Saturday 1 April 2000. A large peaceful march was taking place. The police had been notified of this march in advance and a court order had been served upon the police ordering that the march be allowed to proceed. As the marchers were moving up Union Avenue, a sizeable group of armed assailants without provocation savagely attacked the demonstrators. As substantial numbers of shoppers and bystanders were in the vicinity, they inevitably got caught up in this attack. The violent mob hurled large stones at the people who were fleeing from the attackers. They also set upon people and beat them with sticks, bars and various other implements. At least five people suffered serious head and facial injuries and had to be hospitalised. A number of other persons suffered less serious injuries. The victims included several women. It seems that the police did not intervene to stop this mob as it proceeded from ZANU (PF) Headquarters and went up Union Avenue openly carrying the weapons they were to use in this vicious attack. Only after the attackers had carried out their attack did the police intervene. The Faculty is concerned about the recent escalation of violence in our county, the Harare incident being one of the worst examples of this. Far from seeking to curb this violence some government officials have made statements that have encouraged the use of violence against members of the opposition and against whites. Some leaders of the war veterans who have been called in to assist government in its election campaign have issued dire threats of violence. If violence is not to spread further all Zimbabweans must renounce the use of violence. Leaders of the government and the opposition must condemn any resort to violence. Unless government condemns the violent incident in Harare, the impression may be created that government officials were actually involved in planning this attack or, at least, that government condones the attack. It is imperative that the police investigate the Harare incident expeditiously and bring to justice not only the persons who perpetrated this lawlessness but also all people who instigated it. - 27 -