decision to appoint the Commission. Thirdly, the
Secretariat of the Commission was housed at the
Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary
Affairs, which compromised the independence
of the Commission.
polarisation of the witnesses who appeared
before it, stating in its report that there was a “a
very worrisome degree of polarisation and
bitterness within the body politic of Zimbabwe.”
Ultimately the Commission released weak, hazy
and cosmetic recommendations, without
specific identification of perpetrators and
specification of sanctions. To date, the
government has taken no concrete and visible
steps to implement the recommendations.
President Mnangagwa subsequently promoted
Brigadier-General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe,
the commander of the military unit that
conducted the 1 August shootings, to the rank of
Major-General Presidential Guard.
The submission and presentation of evidence
before the Commission was marred with politics.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
attempted several times to ensure that certain
evidence was placed before the Commission,
without success. The Forum presented to the
Commission the names of 17 eyewitnesses to the
events of 1 August, but these were never called
to testify. Yet the Commission lamented the
Police officers in Harare Central Business District
Specific Cases
Ÿ
On 16 February, Abel Mauchi of Matuvi village under Chief Makore in Gutu, Masvingo, filed
summons demanding $10 000 in damages from ZANU-PF supporter Matora Masiiwa, who
assaulted him after he refused to surrender his voter registration slip containing his serial
number and other personal information. Musiiwa was arrested and charged with assault.
Ÿ
On 4 March, supporters of Nelson Chamisa assaulted supporters of the then MDC-T Vice
President Thokozani Khupe at a party meeting in Bulawayo.
11
STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ZIMBABWE 2018
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