For the second time, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has deployed the military in the streets to supposedly maintain peace and order, amid public outcry that the force used could have been excessive, as it left civilians dead, while others were injured from gunshot wounds.
The government which had been under fire since the 1 August 2018 killings of civilians by the country’s security forces, has been trying to justify the deployment of the army, saying it was a necessary move meant to protect property.
However, many question the motive of the state for valuing property more than human lives. They say while it should not be condoned to engage in violence, destruction of property should not be important than human life. “I do not support the destruction of property but killing citizens under the disguise of trying to protect property must not be tolerated,” said one social commentator, recently in an interview with this publication.
Meanwhile, Veritas Zimbabwe has taken a swipe at the state for not valuing human life. The constitutional watchdog says any force that should be used by the security forces in dispersing illegal gatherings or demonstrations should be proportional to the demands of the situation.
While the state is saying the deployments and killings of civilians was justified, Veritas says, taking human life is barbaric.
“Whatever violence is used, and whatever the provocation people must not be killed. The right to life is sacrosanct, and cannot be taken away, except by a court of law when it sentences a criminal to death,” says the watchdog.
Veritas says if the security forces are to use firearms to maintain public order, that should be done with extreme caution, and if the forces kill anyone in that operation, the killing will always be unlawful.
