Source: Everson Mushava, NewsDay
OPPOSITION political parties under the banner of the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) are preparing to sue individual police officers implicated in the brutal attack of protesters in the on-going demonstrations for electoral reforms.
Nera head of legal affairs Douglas Mwonzora yesterday said the opposition parties were currently busy gathering evidence on police officers who have been mercilessly bludgeoning protesters.
“We are already preparing lawsuits. We are not going back. The police officers violated people’s rights instead of protecting them. They should be made to account for their actions,” he said.
On Monday, ghastly pictures of Glen View protesters assaulted by the police during Saturday’s Nera nationwide demonstrations emerged, putting the issue of police brutality to the fore. A report by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum also identified the police as the biggest perpetrators of human rights abuses, being liable for 64% of the 555 abuse cases so far recorded this month.
The police have, however, denied that they were violating human rights, insisting they would be responding to provocation.
Mwonzora said he would also sue the police for the teargassing of opposition political leaders at Harare Magistrates’ Courts during the first Nera demonstration.
“Our principals were teargassed during a demonstration that had been sanctioned by the High Court. The police should also answer to that,” he said.
Mwonzora said the Nera demonstrations would go ahead today in Chitungwiza and other areas as earlier announced.
Source: Everson Mushava, NewsDay