ZRP denies claims officers assaulted Zimbabweans returning from South Africa

Police say a viral video circulating on social media has been wrongly linked to Zimbabweans returning from South Africa and instead relates to an earlier operation in Mazowe.

HARARE – The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has dismissed social media claims that police officers are assaulting Zimbabweans returning home after fleeing xenophobic violence in South Africa, saying a viral video being shared online has been misrepresented.

The allegations emerged after a video circulated on social media showing police officers striking a group of men with batons while ordering them to roll on the ground. Some social media users claimed the footage showed returning Zimbabwean migrants being assaulted at Beitbridge Border Post. In a statement issued on Saturday, ZRP national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the claims were false.

According to Commissioner Nyathi, the footage does not depict an operation involving returning migrants but instead relates to an earlier police operation conducted at Jumbo Mine in Mazowe.

"For the record, the video in question relates to a mining operation incident at Jumbo Mine in Mazowe sometime back," Commissioner Nyathi said.

"It has nothing to do at all with returning residents from South Africa or the situation at Beitbridge Border Post."

The police said there was no operation targeting Zimbabweans returning from South Africa and urged members of the public to verify information before sharing it on social media.

"The ZRP therefore dismisses as false and misleading social media claims alleging that police officers are conducting an operation targeting returning immigrants," Nyathi said.

He added that investigations had been launched to identify individuals responsible for circulating what police described as false and misleading information.

"Investigations have now been instituted to account for those who are peddling false information through abuse or misuse of social media platforms," he said.

The statement comes amid heightened public attention following reports that some Zimbabwean nationals have been returning home after being displaced by anti-immigrant incidents in parts of South Africa.

While the ZRP clarified the origin of the video, its statement did not comment on questions raised by some social media users regarding the conduct of officers shown in the footage during the mining operation. Under Zimbabwean law, the use of force by law enforcement officers is governed by the Constitution and other applicable legislation, with police expected to exercise their powers within the limits prescribed by law.

The authenticity of the video itself has not been disputed by the police. Rather, the ZRP maintains that the footage has been incorrectly linked to the situation involving returning Zimbabwean migrants at Beitbridge.

ZRP denies assault claims

TagsZimbabwe Republic Police, Beitbridge, South Africa, Xenophobia, Mazowe, Jumbo Mine, Paul Nyathi, Viral Video, Crime News, Southerton Business Times