Zimbabwe’s government has pledged to “thoroughly” investigate allegations of abuse and rape levelled against its security forces during a brutal crackdown to quell last week’s anti-government protests.
Nationwide demonstrations erupted last week after President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced on January 12 that fuel prices were being more than doubled. Furious demonstrators took to the streets in several cities and towns with widespread rioting and looting before soldiers and police brutally put down the protests at the cost of at least 12 lives, according to NGOs.
Hundreds of people were injured. “The government wishes to assure the public that all allegations of misconduct against any of our security services will be thoroughly investigated and that the law will be allowed to take its course,” Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said on Friday. He said complaints should be lodged with the police and also assured that they would be treated with “sensitivity”, but many Zimbabweans fear retribution and find reporting such cases daunting.
In a separate statement, Home Affairs Minister Cain Mathema acknowledged reports of “alleged rape, sexual abuse and assaults”.
“We take these rape allegations very seriously and investigations will be instituted immediately once complainants file reports with the police,” Mr. Mathema said.
