As can be seen from Table 6, there is a very strong association for assaults and torture to be associated with political events, and
shootings not to be so; according to the Human Rights Forum report, shootings were almost wholly in connection with the Food Riots
in 1998, and with the ZRP rather than the Zimbabwe National Army [ZNA].
TABLE 6
Association of type of violations with political events
Source: Human Rights Forum (2006)
NON POLITICAL
POLITICAL
Assault
20.8%
30.3%*
Assault [GBH]
64.2%
66.7%
Murder
1.9%
0
Property violations
5.03%
6.1%
Theft
1.3%
0
Torture
57.2%
75.8%**
Unlawful arrest
11.9%
11.4%
Unlawful detention
18.9%
20.5%
Shooting
11.3%**
1.5%
*[p=0.05]; **[p=0.005]
Regarding the alleged perpetrators, the legal cases indicate that both the ZRP and the ZNA are complicit.
TABLE 7
Alleged perpetrators of torture
Source: Human Rights Forum (2006)
NO TORTURE
TORTURE
ZRP [Uniform branch]
30.3%
42.1%*
ZRP [CID]
1.01%
13.7%*
ZRP [PISI]
1.01%
0.5%
ZRP [Riot Squad]
24.2%
15.8%
ZRP [Support Unit]
6.1%
6.3%
Zimbabwe National Army
28.3%
44.7%*
CIO
0
0.5%
ZANU PF
5.1%
1.1%
*[p=0.05]; **[p=0.01]
Thus, the legal cases completed before the Zimbabwean courts, as well as hundreds more awaiting completion, strongly corroborate
the other reports of the Human Rights Forum, and it is significant that the allegations of torture and other gross human rights abuses
are supported by decisions of the Zimbabwean courts themselves. These may only be civil suits, in which the burden of proof may
be lower than criminal prosecutions, but there are also a small number of criminal court cases in which torture by the ZRP has been
proven50.
4.3 Amani Trust
The Amani Trust carried out a small investigation of the violations experienced by commercial farm workers in 2002.
A very high percentage (71%) reported an experience of torture or repressive violence, whilst 90 cases, or 65%, had had some
experience of torture or repressive violence prior to the present episode. The sample also reported that many adults’ families had
witnessed their torture. 82 cases [59%], had had other adults witness their torture, and this was usually a spouse. Other family
members were also reported as having experienced violence: 76 cases, or 55%, had a similar experience to the interviewee. Even
children were not exempt. 77 interviewees [55%] reported that children in their families had witnessed the violence they had suffered.
50
See S vs Reza, HH-02-04, Crim. Appeal 159/03; See also Redress (2005), ZIMBABWE: THE FACE OF TORTURE AND ORGANISED VIOLENCE. Torture and Organised
Violence in the run-up to the 31 March 2005 General Parliamentary Election, LONDON: REDRESS TRUST; Redress (2004), The Case of Henry Dowa: The United Nations
and Zimbabwe under the spotlight, January 2004, LONDON: REDRESS TRUST.
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