- Mnangagwa ‘appalled’ by attack on protester
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Several activists are in hiding in Zimbabwe to escape arrest, or a worse fate, as they fear the crackdown may last for months, even as President Emmerson Mnangagwa condemns a brutal attack on a protester.
The heavy-handed tactics by the security forces followed an outbreak of rioting and looting during a shutdown called by union leaders to protest a hike in fuel prices.
The 150 per cent rise in pump price has further stoked Zimbabwe’s notorious hyperinflation. Food now costs three times the average salary.
Arrests and rapes, beatings and deaths
So far 12 people have been killed, many more injured and between 700 and 1,500 detained, The Guardian (UK) reports.
Hundreds of activists and opposition officials remained in hiding at the weekend after almost two weeks of arbitrary arrests, beatings, rapes and abductions committed by police and military.
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesman, Jacob Mafume, said five members of parliament, 10 councillors and more than 200 members of the party have been detained.
Mnangagwa said he is “appalled” by an attack by security officials on a protester featured in a news report by Sky News.
His statement came after widespread criticism of the way security forces have handled the protests that broke out on January 14, a day after he announced the new fuel prices.
Mnangagwa said he has ordered the arrest of those behind the attack, but the BBC reports that his condemnation has received a mixed reaction with some calling him “uninformed”.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), a government body, has accused soldiers of using “systematic torture” in the crackdown on protests.
In a report, that has since been removed from its website, it strongly criticised the authorities for using troops to quell demonstrations, resulting in deaths.
Victims tell of being beaten and shot by Zimbabwe’s security forces
The report by Sky News shows a handcuffed man being pulled away from a van by a soldier and at least one police officer. He is then seen being repeatedly beaten around the head by one of the officials.
“I was appalled by today’s @SkyNews report. That is not the Zimbabwean way,” Mnangagwa posted on Twitter:
“I have instructed that the individuals behind this be arrested and encourage all those impacted to contact the authorities and file an official complaint.”
But reacting to the tweet, many have criticised Mnangagwa.
Nigel MK Chanakira tweeted: “We have many wounded whom we may show you. Are you honestly so uninformed about what is going on in our country?
“It’s difficult to believe that it is you who runs this account. I’m very willing to engage you on this matter with a few braves.”
Another Twitter post by @ToxiK8n said: “What’s appalling is our president only stating now that he is appalled after all that’s happened.”
Last week, a government spokesman defended the crackdown, telling the BBC: “When things get out of hand a bit of firmness is needed”.
Worst abuses for a decade
The Guardian reports that activists and lawyers fear the brutal crackdown may continue “for the foreseeable future” as authorities seek to crush all possible opposition to the ruling Zanu-PF party.
“This is not going to be over quickly. We have seen that the state have just notched up the level of oppression and that is the level they are going to be operating at for the foreseeable future,” said Doug Coltart, a human rights lawyer in Harare.
The abuses are the worst seen in Zimbabwe for at least a decade and have dashed any remaining hopes that the ousting of autocratic ruler, Robert Mugabe, in November 2017 would lead to significant political reform.
One veteran activist described the crackdown as likely to become “the new normal”.
“This is going to go on for weeks, months, however long it takes for the authorities to feel sure they have made certain that there’s no real opposition left,” the activist, who requested anonymity, said.
Around 20 arrests were reported on January 25 and 26 across the country, as well as scattered incidents of assault. Police appeared to be targeting poor vendors and taxi drivers.
Hundreds of opposition activists are currently in hiding, or have fled overseas, according to The Guardian.
“They are not just trying to arrest me, they are trying to kill me,” said Ishmael Kawzani, a former independent candidate in local elections.
He has fled his home in Kuwadzana, a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of Harare, which has seen repeated army dragnets in recent days.
At least six people have been charged with subversion – an unprecedented number – and so face prison sentences of up to 20 years.
They include four trade union officials, an MDC parliamentarian and a well-known social media activist.
“There is a kind of messaging here. They are saying: ‘We can go for your leaders, so we can go for anyone.’
“They are saying to Zimbabweans ‘we don’t care who you are,’” said Alec Muchadehama, a lawyer representing Peter Mutasa, a senior trade union leader charged with subversion.
There are also concerns about mass trials of up to 60 men and women accused of participating in riots and looting.
It now appears very unlikely that Mnangagwa, who succeeded Mugabe and won contested election last year, will achieve his stated aim of ending Zimbabwe’s pariah status to unlock the massive financial aid necessary to avert total economic collapse.
Basic commodities such as food, fuel and medicine may remain both scarce and increasingly expensive, making further protests likely.
Authorities have defended the crackdown as a necessary measure to restore order.
Unions, lawyers moving towards the front line
Labour activists and unions are considering further protests in coming weeks. Teachers have been among the most vocal advocates of further direct action to force concessions from the government over pay and conditions.
However, the detention of several leaders of teachers’ unions has made mobilisation harder, officials said.
On January 25, the powerful Apex council, which combined dozens of civil service unions, said it would not accept the latest government offers of increased allowances and might move towards industrial action.
“The unions are cautiously moving towards the front line but they will want to move with a collective position.
“These guys are in an invidious position because they still need to earn and protests would contribute [to] a further erosion in government services,” said Piers Pigou, a South Africa-based expert with the International Crisis Group (ICG).
Lawyers are also meeting to consider their strategy in the face of the crackdown, and may demonstrate during the coming days week.
“After the sheer brutality of the last two weeks, the population has been cowed into submission. Lawyers have that layer of protection that might allow them to march, though being beaten up or shot is still possible,” said Coltart.
