HARARE - The Zimbabwean military's use of
live bullets to quell post-election violence in the summer was
"disproportionate and unjustified", according to an inquiry
released on Tuesday.
Six protesters and bystanders died and dozens were injured
in violence after delays in announcing results that made
Emmerson Mnangagwa the first elected head of state since Robert
Mugabe's removal from power last year.
Most Zimbabweans had hoped the July 30 vote would end the
country's pariah status and help usher in an economic recovery.
Instead, it plunged Zimbabwe into turmoil reminiscent of
contested votes during Mugabe's 37 years of rule.
An investigation found the deployment of the military was
legal but that soldiers should have operated under police
command, which was impeded by the sudden surge of trouble.
"The use of live ammunition directed at people, especially
when they were fleeing, was clearly unjustified and
disproportionate," said the report, extracts of which Mnangagwa
read to reporters.
"The commission's finding on a balance of probabilities from
all the evidence received is that the deaths of these six people
and injuries sustained by the 35 others arose from the actions
of the military and the police."
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
immediately dismissed the report, saying Mnangagwa's government
was trying to "whitewash" the army's actions.
"Our view is that they are trying to whitewash the August 1
event by making a false equivalence between the demonstrators
and those who were shooting unarmed protesters using bullets and
guns," MDC spokesman Jacob Mafume said.
The inquiry, led by former South African president Kgalema
Motlante, accused some MDC leaders of enflaming tensions around
the election and fomenting protests that it said were
pre-planned.
Soldiers unjustifiably used whips and rifle butts against
the protesters, the report also said. It urged the military and
police to hold to account any members who may have failed to
follow the chain of command when quelling the protests.
There have been no arrests for the deaths.
Mnangagwa has previously blamed the MDC for the
post-election violence. The MDC has said its hands are clean.
Mnangagwa said he would make a decision on how to proceed
after studying the report.