Harare City Council moves against officer in baby-carrying woman’s arrest video

A video of a Harare municipal police officer manhandling a woman carrying a baby during an attempted arrest over street vending has put the council’s enforcement tactics under fresh scrutiny, with the local authority now investigating the incident and threatening immediate disciplinary action against the officer if his identity is confirmed.

Responding to the video, the council said it was establishing the identity of the man involved, warning that confirmation of his municipal police status would trigger disciplinary proceedings. “If indeed the man in the video is a municipal police officer, we will take immediate disciplinary action,” it said.

The authority said municipal police officers were expected to perform their duties with “utmost respect for residents and their rights”, stressing that “this behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated”. It pledged to keep residents informed as investigations continue.