Johannesburg – A British member of parliament has expressed her horror at reports of Zimbabwean women being raped by soldiers during a violent crackdown on protesters.
Harriet Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire and the United Kingdom’s joint minister of state at the Foreign Office and Department for International Development, urged Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to ensure the soldiers involved were brought to justice, Pindula News reported on Friday.
Baldwin was reacting to a report by ITV News in which a woman named Melody said she was raped by two soldiers whilst children watched.
“Sickened by ITV reports that Zimbabwe’s security forces have raped civilians during their violent crackdown. Sexual violence is an atrocity and who is commanding these forces? The UK urges @edmnangagwa to ensure these perpetrators are brought to justice,” the minister said via her Twitter account.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Joel Biggie Matiza has dissolved the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe board led by Advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba with immediate effect.
Matiza said the board was no longer able to execute its mandate after several members relocated abroad and that there was also a clash of interest because others were already members of public offices.
African News Agency (ANA)
