service and living conditions back home, are capable of saving considerably more than 10%, and that only those police officers who have found favour with the authorities are sent to Kosovo as a reward for their unswerving loyalty to Zanu-PF. Chief Detective Inspector Henry Dowa: alleged torturer It is not certain precisely when Dowa joined CIVPOL Kosovo, but it appears to have been around March 2003, as he was still seen in Harare the month before.12 In May 2003 his presence in Prizren, Kosovo was confirmed, as were serious allegations of his involvement in torture in Zimbabwe. According to victims seen by REDRESS, Dowa was well known to MDC activists in Harare, with a feared reputation for brutality. Since at least 2000, when the current wave of human rights violations began, he was attached to the Law and Order Section of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the ZRP, based at the country’s main police station, Harare Central, in the capital. By the time he went to Kosovo he had reached the rank of Chief Detective Inspector. The Law and Order Section of the non-uniformed CID dates back to pre-independence days and specialises in ‘political offences’, which are still very broadly defined.13 The involvement of the ZRP, including the CID, in torture is well documented. In a report which covered events in Zimbabwe from January 2001 to August 2002, it was found that the State agents most frequently cited as being responsible for gross human rights violations were the ZRP.14 Within the ZRP the uniformed branch is the main perpetrator, followed by the CID.15 A victim seen by REDRESS alleged that in 2002 at Harare Central he was beaten with a wooden pole in the presence of Dowa and then, after his hands were handcuffed behind his back, an electrical wire was attached behind his ear and he was subjected to repeated electric shocks ranging from ten seconds to about a minute. This torture continued for several hours during which time Dowa and others screamed questions and accusations at him. Between shocks he was kicked, slapped and punched. He was also beaten on the soles of his bare feet with batons. Medical reports compiled soon after the torture confirmed that all his injuries were consistent with what the victim described.16 12 According to reports received by REDRESS. The main piece of legislation used both before and after independence was the Law and Order (Maintenance) Act (Chapter 11:07). This was the central legislative weapon used by the white-minority regime to repress African nationalism: see Zimbabwe Country Study (supra), page 8, footnote 39. It was only repealed in 2002, and replaced by the almost equally repressive Public Order and Security Act (Chapter 11:17). 14 Torture by State Agents in Zimbabwe: January 2001to August 2002, Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, March 2003, pages 12-13. In 99% of the violations torture was reported, often accompanied by other forms of abuse or ill treatment such as unlawful arrest and illegal detention. 15 Ibid. The percentages found were 61% and 14% respectively. 16 This victim’s affidavit evidence, along with the medical reports, was sent to UNMIK. 13 4