By Costa Nkomo
The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) says 10 members were injured and several arrested after armed anti-riot police raided their private meeting at the ZESA Training Centre in Belvedere, Harare.
ZINASU Harare Provincial Chairperson Tatenda Kudzai told CITE that they were holding a meeting when police descended on the venue and brutalized some of the students.
“The notorious anti-riot police officers invaded our meeting and started beating up students, leaving a dozen with injuries,” said Kudzai.
“As we speak right now, our President, Emmanuel Sitima, has been taken and is held captive and treated like a terrorist at the Harare Central Police Station.”
Another student, Vital Maronjese, said they were peacefully conducting themselves when the police’s brutal assault occurred.
“When they arrived, they appeared like people who wanted to understand our meeting. Little did we know that the indiscriminate brutal assault was about to begin. We started running in different directions, and amid the chaos, I was injured,” Maronjese said.
However, police issued a statement contradicting the students’ testimonies, saying law enforcement agents were called to duty after clashes among the students who vandalized property at the venue.
“The police were called in to come and maintain law and order. This is on record and can be confirmed by ZESA officials.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police therefore dismisses a statement by human rights lawyers and civic organizations, as well as social media postings, alleging that it is the Zimbabwe Republic Police which caused violence,” said national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
The 44 arrested students were taken to Harare Central Police Station, where they were made to pay a US$20 fine each before being released. However, ZINASU leader Emmanuel Sitima remained in police custody.
The students were represented by Gift Mtisi, instructed by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
Heal Zimbabwe Trust Advocacy Officer and former ZINASU Secretary Tapiwanashe Chiriga said the government must not take advantage of the SADC Summit to suspend citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of association and assembly.
“A paranoid state is out to get every dissenting voice in the land at the slightest convenience,” Chiriga said.
“The government of Zimbabwe has de facto banned the right to free association and assembly in Zimbabwe as part of its SADC preparations. The disruption, assault, and arrest of the ZINASU General Councillors is another window into the state of human rights in Zimbabwe. We cannot suspend life and our constitutional rights because we have a SADC summit.”
The incident comes two days after Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe issued a warning to citizens to “behave” or face consequences. Kazembe was echoing President Mnangagwa’s plea for citizens to make the country’s environment welcoming to SADC Summit delegates.
“Those who are going to misbehave will be unfortunate and will have themselves to blame,” Kazembe said on Monday at the burial of Brigadier General Dr. Michael Chaminuka, who died last week after a short illness.
