‘Abusive’ cops trial in false start again

THE trial of six Bulawayo police officers charged with brutally assaulting two sisters during the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown period yesterday failed to take off again after their lawyer sought for a further postponement. Simbarashe Bvekwa, Tichaona Zariro, Patson Gumoreyi, Elizabeth Denhere, Zibusiso Masuku and Christabel Munyondo were arrested for assaulting siblings Ntombizodwa and Nokuthula Mpofu for allegedly violating the COVID-19 lockdown measures in April.

Their trial has had false starts for over a month now.

The cops’ lawyer Nkosiyabo Sibanda of Tanaka Law Chambers sought another postponement yesterday when they appeared before magistrate Tancy Dube claiming he had an ongoing matter at the High Court.

According to the State case, the accused assaulted the two sisters on their backside and hips several times, insulting them with obscenities and degrading them along tribal lines after arresting them on charges of violating lockdown regulations.

Police have often been accused of human rights’ violations while enforcing COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Churches have warned of civil unrest if acts of police brutality against citizens under the cover of enforcing COVID-19 lockdown measures continue unabated.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) last month filed a notice to sue the police for fatally assaulting Bulawayo resident Levison Ncube in April for allegedly violating lockdown restrictions.

The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance also said the reported rights’ violations were against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the Sadc protocol on Gender and Development, which forbid any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.