via Think-tank urges interest in police, State security brutality case – NewsDay Zimbabwe January 12, 2016
LEGAL think-tank, Veritas, has urged Zimbabweans to take interest in a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) hearing tomorrow where a citizen, Rashid Mahiya, has challenged government to set up mechanisms to receive complaints from the public on the conduct of police officers and other members of the security sector.
by VENERANDA LANGA
Veritas said in a statement that they instituted the case where Mahiya had taken Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and others to the ConCourt so that they implement Section 210 of the Constitution.
The section stipulates that “an Act of Parliament must provide an effective and independent mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints from members of the public about misconduct on the part of members of the security services, and for remedying any harm caused by such misconduct”.
Veritas said the matter was of public interest as it had a strong bearing on civil liberties.
“This case has been instituted by Veritas because of the delay of two-and-a-half years in carrying out the important constitutional provision for such a ‘mechanism’,” the think-tank said.
“Veritas urges everyone who is concerned about the conduct of the police and other security service personnel and the use of violence in the curtailment of civil liberties, especially the right to demonstrate and to express views freely, to attend the court hearing (Wednesday).”
The think-tank said the application would seek an order compelling government to set up the complaints body.
“The case is made more urgent by the increasing number of public demonstrations — most recently by teachers and operators of commuter omnibuses — and the violence employed by the police to break them up and restore order.”
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