By Idah Mhetu

The High Court on Tuesday ordered the police to stop beating up civilians caught violating the current 21-day lockdown against the spread of coronavirus.

Speaking to the media outside High Court, human rights lawyer Jeremiah Bamu said the court had ordered security forces enforcing government’s lockdown regulations to stop all manner of abuses visited upon civilians during the tense period.

“The police and all other security forces involved in effecting the lockdown regulations, must not assault people, should not set dogs on people, should not confiscate or destroy people’s properties,” said Bamu.

This follows incidents in which police have been assaulting and torturing civilians for allegedly leaving the confines of their homes during the current lockdown period.

Zimbabweans who rely on self help projects have found it tough to survive the past days as the lockdown order abruptly cut them from their market stalls and other sources of income.