Villagers from the Marange diamond mining area have raised red flag over what they described as serious human torture from state security forces who are allegedly shooting and torturing villagers found without identity documents.
Addressing parliamentarians at a breakfast meeting in Harare, Marange Development Trust (MDT) Chairperson, Malven Mudiwa said restriction of human movement has resulted in many people being shot and beaten to death even without committing crimes.
“People are being shot and beaten to death. everyone is entitled to carry an ID, if you are found without it you will be taken to what they are calling a base and beaten, sometimes to death,” said Mudiwa.
According to Mudiwa, before the discovery of diamonds, Chiadzwa villagers depended on crop cultivation, breeding goats, cattle and chickens (road-runners), selling wild fruits, charcoal and gardening but their lifestyles had been disturbed as they now have to move around with identification failure of which they will be subjected to torture.
A Marange villager, Beulla Mawayo said they are living in fear due to tight security as a result of diamond mining activities and illegal mining activities happening in the mine fields.
“People are being beaten to death, we are now scared to send our children to grocery shops because if caught by the security without IDs they will be taken to base and beaten for trespassing.
“Another problem is open gullies filled with water that children and animal are drowning everyday,” said Mawoyo.
MDT Secretary, Letwin Muchena said the issue is affecting mostly women and youths who constitute the majority population.
“This problem is mostly felt by women and young people because without farming land, poverty becomes the order of the day. Without employment opportunities, young women are being forced into prostitution to survive,” said Muchena.
