International Human Rights Watchdog, Amnesty International, has demanded that the government of Zimbabwe conduct thorough and impartial investigations on August 1, 2018, killings of protesters.
This comes as a year has passed since the army descended on MDC protesters who were demonstrating in the streets of Harare against alleged manipulation of election results in favour of ZANU PF presidential candidate, President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
About seven people were killed whilst scores of protesters and others going about their daily businesses sustained gun wounds.
The Mnangagwa instituted Kgalema Motlanthe led Commission of enquiry summoned army commanders who denied deploying their members to kill civilians. The commission among other issues recommended that implicated police and soldiers must be brought to justice so as to foster peace and stability in the country.
Whilst the government has claimed that it has begun implementing the recommendations, some stakeholders including the Dutch Embassy Harare have noted with great concern that no action is being taken by the government.
In resonance with the sentiments of many stakeholders, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa, Muleya Mwananyanda, on Thursday said justice to victims of the August 1 shootings were yet to receive justice. In a statement, Mwananyanda said:
Authorities must institute thorough, effective and impartial investigations into the killings of protesters, some of whom were killed while fleeing, with those found to have acted unlawfully brought to justice through fair trials.
Mwananyanda added that no one should be above the law if the country needs to become a human rights-respecting society.
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