Zimbabwe’s Lawyers March for Justice for Imprisoned Protesters

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE – Hundreds of lawyers in Zimbabwe took to the streets on Tuesday to advocate for justice for individuals detained in jails and those undergoing expedited trials following a series of violent protests this month that resulted in numerous arrests and a severe crackdown by security forces.

Authorities report that over 1,000 arrests have occurred since January 14, when a three-day stay-at-home strike was initiated in response to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s fuel price hikes, leading to unrest and looting. Defendants have been systematically denied bail, a move that legal advocates argue infringes on their rights.

The pressure group Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) indicates that the arrests, primarily for public order offenses, have overwhelmed the capacity of the legal system. Many detainees, including minors, have not received legal representation.

ZLHR noted that nearly 50 individuals have been acquitted of public violence charges, while around the same number have faced convictions, with sentences of up to seven years. Alarmingly, many of those convicted did not have legal counsel during their trials.

In a response to the backlash, Mnangagwa vowed to investigate the actions of the security forces, which residents and eyewitnesses claim involved nighttime raids where alleged protesters were forcibly taken from their homes and subjected to beatings.

On Monday, the president announced the arrest of a soldier and a police officer who were caught on camera assaulting a handcuffed individual.

The opposition has expressed skepticism regarding the president’s assurances, pointing out that no accountability has been established in relation to the deaths of six individuals killed by military forces following post-election violence last August.

Human rights organizations report at least 12 fatalities during the recent unrest, whereas police have acknowledged only three.

Amidst an ongoing economic crisis, tensions are escalating as public sector employees issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to address their pay demands or face a strike.

‘JUSTICE NOT POLITICS’

The lawyers marching through Harare displayed placards with messages such as "Systemic beatings, detentions silence the rule of law" and "#No to judicial capture, #justice not politics; #no to militarization of magistracy." They marched from the Law Society of Zimbabwe offices to the Constitutional Court, where they submitted a petition while being monitored by riot police.

On the same day, Zimbabwe’s High Court was expected to rule on a bail application from activist pastor Evan Mawarire, who is being held in a maximum-security facility on charges of subversion after he expressed support for the stay-at-home strike on social media. Mawarire, previously known for his vocal criticism of former president Robert Mugabe, could face a sentencing of up to 20 years if convicted.

The current crackdown has raised alarms among human rights advocates who fear a return to the oppressive governance reminiscent of the Mugabe era.

The government has accused the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) of instigating the protests, a claim that its leader, Nelson Chamisa, has rejected.

Chamisa remarked that Zimbabwe is experiencing an intensification of oppression, warning that the current situation may be far worse than the violence witnessed under Mugabe’s rule.