Human rights activists called on the Commonwealth yesterday to investigate the abuses perpetrated by a growing number of state-sponsored youth gangs in Zimbabwe.
Investigations by the Guardian reveal that President Robert Mugabe’s youth militia are increasingly well-trained in torture techniques that are then used on civilians.
Police take virtually no action against the forces, widely known as ”green bombers” for the colour of their military-style uniforms and for their reputation for violence.
The trauma is evident on the face of Jameson Gadzirai (23) three weeks after he and three others were abducted by the Zanu-PF youth militia.
He had gone to Kuwadzana township in Harare as part of a residents’ association team.
”They were ‘green bombers’. I could tell from the uniforms,” Gadzirai said. ”They started beating us. They suspended us in the air and whipped our backs and our backsides. They beat the soles of our feet. They were organised, very systematic.
”And they kept asking us questions. Who did we work for? Who was paying us? Who were we spying for?”
Gadzirai added: ”They seized our cell phones and when they found the numbers of lawyers and [Harare’s] Mayor Elias Mudzuri, they said that proved we were spies.”
When they were released after a few hours they could hardly walk because of their swollen feet, and they could not sit down.
Medical tests confirmed that the injuries were consistent with Gadzirai’s account.
When they reported the incident to the police, they were arrested. No action has been taken against their attackers.
Thirty similar reports in Kuwadzana were documented by the Human Rights Forum in January.
”The systematic use of violence by the green bombers is a gross human rights abuse,” said John Makumbe, a member of Zimbabwe in Crisis Coalition, who was recently beaten by police.
”Anyone who doesn’t believe that there is torture in Zimbabwe need only look at my face. The situation is getting worse by the day. We appeal to the Commonwealth to send a fact-finding mission to investigate. It is urgent.”
The recent rise in violence has been blamed on a local byelection planned for March 29 and 30. Scores of youth militia were brought into Kuwadzana and quickly established an unofficial curfew to stop residents congregating at night.
”They beat up anybody found out on the streets or in beer halls after 6pm,” said Tendai, a Harare worker too fearful to give his full name. ”Because of transport problems many people get home late and they get beaten.”
Fanuel Tsvangirai, the chairman for the opposition MDC party in Kuwadzana, was abducted on January 21.
”Eight guys took me from my home. They took me to their camp and they handcuffed me to a pole. They stripped me and stuffed my pants in my mouth. There were about 100 youths there and they sang Zanu-PF songs as I was beaten. They wanted me to disclose the MDC’s strategy for the upcoming byelection.
”They wanted me to give them the names and addresses of other MDC members.”
Tsvangirai says he was beaten for four hours before being turned over to police, who he claims subjected him to more beatings, electric shocks and cigarette burns.
Gaping wounds on his feet, hands, shins and thighs are testimony to his story. He was eventually released without charge on January 27.
The youth militia are trained in six-week sessions at four camps established by the government. Ostensibly they are doing their ”national service” and learning skills to help the community, but witnesses tell a different story.
”They teach political orientation and history of the liberation struggle,” a young man who went to one camp said. ”They do teach some skills, like carpentry, but we did lots of military training and physical exercise. We learned songs. In military training we learned methods to interrogate and beat people.” – Guardian Unlimited Â