Condemnation of Police Brutality Against Students at St. Faith’s High School
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) strongly condemns the recent actions of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), where the police allegedly deployed a police dog against high school students from St. Faith’s high school in Rusape during a peaceful demonstration.
This incident represents a grave violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom to demonstrate and petition stated by section (58) of the constitution of Zimbabwe. freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment stated under section (53). The use of force, particularly against students exercising their right to protest, is unacceptable and undermines the principles of justice and democracy. The (UDHR) article 20 states that everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. This means that individuals have the fundamental right to gather, express their views, and participate in peaceful demonstrations without fear of repression or punishment.
Schools are communities of learning and knowledge. They must not be turned into war zones through the deployment of state violence. ZimRights has visited the school and spoke to several witnesses at the school. ZimRights confirmed that indeed the police unleashed violence on the students after they exercised their right to demonstrate. ZimRights was reliably informed by witnesses that the students were rightfully expressing their grievances. One of the parents who spoke to ZimRights acknowledged that these grievances were legitimate. Grievances are never solved through violence. We encourage the stakeholders to use dialogue in resolving conflicts and not violence. The police had no right to use violence against students who were peacefully expressing themselves.
As an association committed to promoting, protecting, and defending human rights in Zimbabwe, we stand in solidarity with the victims of police brutality at St. Faith’s high and further call on the following:
- An immediate investigation into this incident St. Faith’s to establish the full extent of the harm caused by police brutality and the identity of the perpetrators.
- Following the establishment of the truth, perpetrators must be held accountable without further delay.
- The Parliament of Zimbabwe to hasten the process of operationalising the Independent Complaints Commission that is envisaged by section 210 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
- The Ministry of Education to ensure that all institutions of learning are safe from any forms of violence especially state violence against students.
- Faith’s high to review its grievance handling processes to accord students an opportunity to find redress for any complaints that may arise.
ZimRights is an association of ordinary people who include parents, teachers, among thousands of believers in human rights who share the same struggles facing the country. As such, while we do not claim to know everything, we believe violence is never an option for resolving conflicts. Through our Right to Peace Campaign, we remain available to assist institutions and individuals seeking support and resources to transform conflicts peacefully and build communities that actively lead in creating and sustaining a culture of human rights. For support in this work, stakeholders are free to get in touch with us on the details below.
Issued by ZimRights information department.
Contact Info:
Email: info@zimrights.org.zw
