Mtetwa challenges police

LAW Society of Zimbabwe president and top human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has lodged a formal complaint to the police over her assault and other colleagues at the hands of the police early last month after the police have been reluctant to take up the case.
Mtetwa and her colleagues Chris Mhike, Collin Kuhuni and Terence Fritzpatrick allege that they were viciously assaulted by members of the police both in uniform and in plain clothes along Cumberland Road in Eastlea.
The four were assaulted after gathering on 8 May with several of their colleagues in Harare, to present a petition to Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa protesting the detention of lawyers Alec Muchadehama and Andrew Makoni.
After being referred from one police station to another, Mtetwa said they encountered a lot of problems because the assailants were police officers and the strategy was to “intimidate them into abandoning their complaint”.
In a letter directed to the Deputy Commissioner (Crime), Mtetwa said they tried to make a report at Harare Central Police Station but they were referred to Rhodesville Police Station, which was said to have the necessary jurisdiction over the matter.
“We proceeded to Rhodesville police where we once again struggled to lodge our complaints as the sergeant on duty developed cold feet when he heard who the assailants are. He referred us to Highlands which he indicated was the station with the relevant jurisdiction,” wrote Mtetwa.
She said they finally wrote their statements and gave them to the sergeant but they were denied medical examination forms.
“The sergeant refused to give us the medical examination forms, insisting that only Highlands police could give us the form. He undertook to transmit the complaints to Highlands,” she explains.
Mtetwa added that when she followed up the issue on 14 May with Highlands Police, she was advised that the report had been taken to Harare Central under CR61/5/07.
She said despite explaining the need to have “our injuries examined by a Government Medical Officer (GMO), noone was prepared prepared to give us the correct form”.
“In the meantime the injuries are healing with the result that the GMO who examines me, if I am ever examined, will not get a good picture of what injuries are suffered. This I contend is so gross a miscarriage of justice as to require your intervention,” wrote Mtetwa.
Deputy Commissioner in charge of crime Innocent Matibili was not immediately available for comment last week.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka said they were not aware of the letter from Mtetwa maintaining that any case presented to the police will be dealt with accordingly.
“Those medical examinations form are given to the people at the particular police station a report would have been made. We are not aware of that letter you are referring to,” said Mandipaka.