adminhangover, observers said yesterday.
Although South African Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) on Wednesday said they were investigating the death of the man who was a taxi driver, observers argue the police lacked respect for human life.
“We are still interviewing the witnesses because the allegations are that he was dragged by the police vehicle,” IPID spokesperson Mr Moses Dlamini said.
The 27-year-old man was later found dead in police cells by a police officer on Tuesday night.
The gruesome murder of the Mozambican man and the recent fatal shooting of 44 people, including 34 miners at Lonmin — owned Marikana platinum mine show South African police’s lack of respect for the sanctity of human life, University of Zimbabwe lecturer and political observer Dr Charity Manyeruke said yesterday.
“A lot of investigations needed to be done. The case in which the South Africa police tied a Mozambican man on a truck and dragged him is a clear indication that there are still some remnants of the Apartheid system in the police force. They showed little regard for human life as indicated by what they did at Marikana. They need to be liberated from Apartheid,” she said.
There are also some cases in which the police in South Africa were video taped punching, kicking and setting dogs Mozambican men accused of poaching in the Kruger National Park. They are also accused of setting their dogs on illegal immigrants including Zimbabweans during routine training sessions.
The numerous cases of police brutality on citizens and foreigners make the South African police not fit to be assigned to probe any alleged cases of human rights abuses outside South African borders some observers claimed.
There were reports in private media this week that South African police were investigating accusations by 84 women who say were raped in the run up to Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections.
South Africa National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mr Makhosini Nkosi confirmed the claims.
The 84 women are being sponsored by New York based AIDS Free World organisation that has been used by some officials in the United States of America and Zimbabwe to push for an illegal regime change agenda.
However, details on how the South African police or courts would investigate or prosecute people resident in Zimbabwe were not made available.
However, AIDS Free World legal and gender advisor Mr Shonali Shome insisted South Africa was able to prosecute foreign citizens given that it was a signatory of the Rome Statute, which established the Hague based International Criminal Court.
Dr Manyeruke, yesterday said South African police lacked discipline as witnessed by numerous cases they have taken the law into their own hands as witnessed by the brutal killing of the Mozambican.
“Killing a person that way is the waste abuse against human rights . . . taking the right to life without dignity . . . without authority? The police are there to protect civilians and not kill them,” she said.
Dr Manyeruke said reports that so many women were raped in Zimbabwe in 2008 were meant to tarnish the image of the country and the local police.
She said there was evident in the country that Zimbabwe Republic Police was among the highly professional forces in the world.
“People are arrested for committing crime in this country. We applaud the ZRP for ensuring that members of the force are disciplined. In Zimbabwe corrupt police officers and those who abuse their authority are dealt with. What is happening in South Africa is the highest order of disorder,” she said.
Zanu-PF national spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo, yesterday said the timing of the so called violence in the country and the attempt by the Canadian based NGO to raise cases of rape emerged shortly after the dates of the referendum were announced.
He said the whole issue was designed to tarnish the image of the country, Zanu-PF and President Mugabe as the country gears for elections this year. He said South Africa, as one of the most violent countries in the world was not supposed to lecture to Zimbabwe about violence and human rights abuses. Cde Gumbo said over 50 women were raped in South Africa daily and it was shocking that the same NGOs were silent as if those were not rights abuses.
“The position of Zimbabwe is very clear . . . As a sovereign and independent state Zimbabwe will not brook any nonsense from any country. We stand firm on that position and South African Government and the African National Congress know that.
There are whites behind the scenes who say lets investigate Zimbabwe on this and that and then the Black Government . . .The influence of Apartheid is still there in that country,” he said. He said the ongoing abuse of women and children in South Africa was a critical problem facing the country. When ever Zimbabwe starts preparing for some elections, the MDC-T and other parties raise cases of violence, some of which later turn to be false.
Online Reporter