Zimbabwe Republic Police (Support Unit) on Patrol
Since that is my daily route from work to home, I did not consider fleeing because I was not one of the coke vendors.
Hwange, Zimbabwe – On August 22, 2020, I was taking my regular route through Madumabisa village in Hwange on my way home from work at Zambezi Gas. Since Hwange is a quiet town, I have been walking this road for years without ever having any reason to be concerned. I was excited to get home and spend time with my kids after a long day at work. I had no idea that the day would end tragically.
Then there was a loud gunshot. I felt weak at a moment. Close to the gunman, the bullet struck my belly, rupturing my stomach and revealing my intestines.
Near my house, police were chasing down illegal coke dealers. Even though I had witnessed some conflicts, I felt safe since I didn’t think the police would shoot me when they saw me strolling.
Upon passing a 3.5-ton truck, I came upon three ambulatory police policemen. They stopped me, and I complied immediately. Without warning, one officer, gun in hand, shot me in the stomach.
Due to the high rate of unemployment in our neighborhood, some people turn to the Hwange Colliery Company’s disposal site in search of coke. A 50 kg bag of coke sells for between US$3 and US$5 on the underground market.
The company had engaged police services to disperse people from the site, not to shoot at them. That day, I was one of two women who fell victim to police shooting in Hwange, as officers indiscriminately fired at coke vendors.
Swept under the carpet
I believe the police failed in their duty, and their conduct was a gross violation of human rights. Represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), we reported the case, protested against the police’s actions, and demanded legal action.
No information has been given to us, even though the police acknowledged the occurrence and promised to look into it. This raises suspicions that authorities may have ignored the problem in order to protect the alleged offenders.
Coal deposits lifespan
Hwange Colliery Company Limited claims that the proved reserves in their concession are expected to endure more than a millennium at the current rate of production. For many years, coal has been utilized to generate electricity and produce coke, which is widely available in our town. It is alarming that coke output has increased. There has been little progress despite the entrance of businesses, but there has been a rise in forced labor, shootings, displacements, and cruel working conditions in coke oven batteries.
Zulani Mudenda is a survivor of a police shooting incident in her neighborhood. She gives an account of her personal experience.
