ARMY . . . Zimbabwean soldiers have been accused of beating and harassing civillians

HARARE – The German embassy has sent a protest note to the Zimbabwean government after armed soldiers at a military barracks northwest of Harare harassed and beat up a German Jesuit priest.

The embassy which described the attack as “unacceptable” and “particularly despicable” said in the letter to Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Ministry that it expects Harare to take "appropriate action against the perpetrators and urges them to do their utmost to prevent this kind of incident from happening again”.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and his defence counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa were not immediately available for comment on the matter.

The attack on the German Father Wolfgang Thamm is the latest in a growing list of incidents of beatings and harassment of civillians by members of Zimbabwe’s army, which human rights groups have long accused of aiding or committing political violence and abuses against perceived opponents of President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party.

The German priest was attacked while on his way to pick up a sick parishioner so he could take him to hospital. 

According to a statement released by the Father Thamm, a soldier flagged him down as he drove past the barracks at Darwendale, slightly more than 50km northwest of Harare.

On stopping his car about three or four soldiers armed with rifles came up to the vehicle and, according to Father Thamm: “One took away my (eye) glasses and hit me on my right eye with his fist. The soldier then forced me out of the car and pushed me into a large puddle of water on the road and ordered me to sit in the water.

“When I hesitated for a moment he knocked me over so that I fell into the dirty pool. They splashed water all over me and I received five or six hard blows on my head and was kicked with their boots.”

Drenched with the dirty water and injured from the kicks and beatings, Father Thamm – who is a well known figure in the Banket/Darwendale area where he has spent many years ministering and carrying out social work among the community – was finally allowed to proceed with his journey.

Father Thamm reported the matter to the police, who in the past have ignored such reports implicating soldiers or other state security agents in cases of violence.

The German embassy described the attack on the Jesuit priest as "unacceptable misconduct (that) does not only come as a disgrace to the Zimbabwean armed forces but must be qualified as being particularly despicable in view of the fact that Father Thamm has devoted his entire life to religious, social and educational work for the people of Zimbabwe."

Zimbabwe’s army and police are staunch backers of Mugabe, credited with keeping the veteran leader in power after waging a ruthless campaign of violence last year to force Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from a second round presidential poll that analysts had strongly tipped the former opposition leader to win.

Tsvangirai had beaten Mugabe in the first round ballot but failed to achieve outright victory to avoid the second round run-off poll.

The former foes eventually bowed to pressure from southern African leaders to agree to form a government of national unity that has been able to end hyperinflation to stabilise the economy. But the coalition government has struggled to enforce the rule of law with frequent reports of political violence and farm invasions blamed on the army and militant supporters of ZANU PF. – ZimOnline