Zimbabwe: beatings and abductions continue despite Mnangagwa pledge

Reports say brutal crackdown persists after president vows to rein in security forces

Jason Burke in Harare
Wed 23 Jan 2019 17.10 GMT

A brutal crackdown on protesters and opposition activists in Zimbabwe has continued despite President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s pledge earlier this week to stop excesses by the security forces.

Soldiers in the southern city of Bulawayo launched a new wave of raids on Tuesday night, while more sporadic security operations continued in the capital, Harare.

The crackdown by the police and army followed a breakdown in law and order last week after unions called a “shutdown” to protest against a rise in fuel prices, which was marred by looting and rioting. Twelve people were shot dead by police while many more were assaulted amid the worst violence seen in Zimbabwe for a decade.

The unrest comes 14 months after Robert Mugabe, who took power in 1980, was forced to resign following a military takeover.

“There is less widespread general retribution but still a lot of targeted arrests, abductions and beatings. This is clearly ongoing,” said Doug Coltart, a human rights lawyer and activist in Harare.

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