Detained GALZ employees beaten and tortured by police

The arrest of two employees of GALZ (Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe) shocked Zimbabwean and international civil society, with worrying reports from their lawyer that Ellen Chademana and Ignatius Muhambi have been beaten and tortured while in custody.

This week further marked the fifth anniversary of Operation Murambatsvina, the ‘slum clearance programme’ which saw some 700.000 Zimbabweans lose their homes and livelihoods in 2005. Zimbabwe Watch member Amnesty International argues that many of the victims are still homeless today, criticizing the Zimbabwean Government’ s re-housing scheme.

The good news of the week comes from the ZMC, which has given licenses to four daily newspapers, among which the Daily News which was banned in 2003. Hopefully this is the first step toward a more open media landscape in Zimbabwe.

Other news concerns reports that President Mugabe is set to pick a land audit team, KP monitor Abbey Chikane being informed by CRD Director Farai Maguwu on continuing smuggling and human rights abuses in Marange, and an IMF statement on Zimbabwe.