High Court slams prisons over Mutare cells lacking flushing toilets, screened baths
MUTARE – The holding cells at Mutare Central Police Station and Mutare Remand Prison do not have toilets with an internal flushing mechanism or washing basins inside the cells. Additionally, the bathing facilities at Mutare Remand Prison remain unscreened, compromising inmates’ dignity.
This emerged as Mutare High Court Judge Sijabuliso Siziba ruled that the conditions Michael Mundandishe endured while in police custody amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment, violating his constitutional rights.
Mundandishe, a Mutare resident, sued the Zimbabwe Republic Police and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services after his arrest on Aug. 1, 2024. He was detained at Mutare Central Police Station and later at Mutare Remand Prison under what he described as inhumane conditions. The court found these conditions violated Section 50(1)(c) of the Constitution, which mandates humane treatment of arrested persons.
Justice Siziba ordered ZRP Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba, ZPCS Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu, Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe, and Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi to take immediate action. The ruling mandates the installation of flushing toilets and washing basins in holding cells, as well as screened-off bathing facilities at Mutare Remand Prison to uphold inmates’ dignity.
Mundandishe’s legal challenge, filed by Passmore Nyakureba of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, stemmed from his arrest alongside 11 others during a constituency development meeting in Chikanga, Mutare. He was charged with convening an unsanctioned gathering.
The court’s decision is seen as a landmark ruling reinforcing detainees’ constitutional rights and placing pressure on authorities to improve detention conditions nationwide.
