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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ZIMBABWE: MDC accuse police of torture

JOHANNESBURG, 17 January 2003 (IRIN) - Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) on Friday accused the police of torturing party officials taken into custody.

The statement followed the court appearance on Thursday of MDC Member of Parliament (MP) Job Sikhala, who alleged that he had been beaten by the police, subjected to electric shock treatment, and forced to drink an unknown substance that left him feeling unwell.

Sikhala reportedly told magistrate Caroline-Ann Chigumira that he "witnessed the most horrifying incident of inhumanity which even the laws of the jungle would not tolerate".

The MP was arrested along with four other people after being accused of burning a public transport company bus on Monday. He said that after he was arrested he was blind-folded and taken to an unknown destination by two police officers, the Daily News reported.

"When I got there, they started beating me under my feet," Sikhala was quoted by the newspaper as saying. "They said I had to tell the truth about the bus incident. They beat me until I gave in and told them what they considered the truth ... All this was happening while live electric wires were tied to a toe on each of my legs and on my genitals.

"At one time I passed out and when I regained consciousness one of the officers urinated on me and I also urinated," Sikhala reportedly said. "Then I was ordered to roll on the urine until it dried up. I was later told to drink some liquid which they claimed was the urine. But the liquid was choking and did not smell like human urine. I am sure it was some poisoned stuff. No wonder I had a severe cough and running stomach this morning."

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said he had not received reports of Sikhala alleged torture, but he told IRIN: "We don't have a culture of assaulting or torturing suspects in our custody."

MDC secretary-general Welshman Ncube said in a statement: "The torture and inhuman treatment of MDC MP for St Mary's, Job Sikhala, is typical of the reign of terror that [President] Robert Mugabe has unleashed on all the people of Zimbabwe who have dared to hold views different from those of his party.

"Revelations that Sikhala was also made to drink an unspecified liquid also confirms our fears that all MDC leaders and activists who have been in police custody in the last few months have been poisoned," Ncube said.

He named five MDC officials who had been held by the police - some of them allegedly tortured - and forced to drink an unknown substance that had made them ill.

Themes: (IRIN) Governance, (IRIN) Human Rights

[ENDS]

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