Vigilantism is a crime

WE commend the police for their swift action in arresting five teenagers from Wedza, Mashonaland East who were caught on camera assaulting a young woman all over the body, including private parts, with switches.

The vide of the assault was widely distributed on social media with social media footage of the assault showing the 18-year-old victim with blood stains all over her body igniting widespread outrage and calls for the arrest of her assailants.
We call on the police to investigate another incident where a man, somewhere in Matabeleland, was assaulted in front of camera.

The video, filmed in a rural set up whose exact location is yet to be established, shows villagers laying the man face down, lowering his trousers and exposing the buttocks before assaulting him with a switch.

As the man wails in pain, some villagers hold him down so that he doesn’t move while another mercilessly assaults him.

Speaking on the Wedza incident, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they arrested Vimbai Mike aged 19, three 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old on Wednesday over the assault which occurred at Mupfuuri Village, Wedza.

He said on Thursday last week, the five teenagers lured the 18-year-old victim to Vimbai Mike’s homestead on the pretext that they wanted to give her vegetable seedlings.

“The suspects locked the victim in one of the huts, undressed her, assaulted her with switches and inserted three sticks into her private parts while recording a video. The victim fell unconscious and the suspects poured water on her before freeing her at 3pm,” Comm Nyathi said.

The arrest of the suspects led to the recovery of a cellphone used to record the assault.

Vimbai Mike is detained in police custody while the other four suspects, who are juveniles, have been released into the custody of their parents. All five will be taken to court for the due processes of the law to take its course.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police implores the public to settle disputes amicably without resorting to violence. The law will take its course in this case without fear or favour,” Comm Nyathi said.

The arrest of the five Wedza teenagers should send a clear message that the police will not fold their arms and watch as people take the law into their hands.

Instead of resorting to violence, members of the public can approach the police in cases where crime has been committed. They can also approach the police community relations offices, community or religious leaders in cases of disputes.