Mangwana: It's Natural That Lockdown Violators Are Assaulted By Soldiers, Police
The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Ndavaningi Mangwana, said it is natural that there are excesses by security forces when enforcing lockdown measures across the country.
This follows numerous reports of people, including journalists, who have been brutality assaulted by soldiers and police under the guise of enforcing lockdown regulations.
Speaking during an interview after touring radio stations in Gweru – ZBC’s 95.4 FM and AB Communications’ 98.4FM – Mangwana argued that even United States of America forces have been accused of using excessive force during the Iraq and Afghan wars. He said:
We have laws that are supposed to be implemented. President Mnangagwa recently said there is a complainants mechanism to be publicised for people to report abuse by law enforcers.
He also said lockdown measures should be implemented in a humane way so that’s the way we want it to be. But in all situations, there are always excesses. That’s natural.
American soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq, Afghanistan, were reported to have used excessive force and this happens in any situation where people are involved.
A Beitbridge man had his calf nearly ripped off by a police dog while the officers were chasing after illegal money changers in the town last week.
In another incident, a Mabvuku man, David Mutendera, was left with facial injuries after he was reportedly assaulted by soldiers on 5 August after arriving home around 7 pm in violation of the dusk-to-dawn COVID-19 curfew.