Police torture allegations spark human rights concerns in Zimbabwe and Malawi

In Gwanda, Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Peace Project reported that police officers allegedly arrested and tortured four men at Gwanda Central Police Station for about 15 hours before releasing them without charge. The incident was highlighted among 17 human rights violations documented in Matabeleland South Province in June, raising concerns about arbitrary detention, torture, and due‑process violations.

In Malawi, the Malawi Human Rights Commission criticised the continued use of torture by police and prison staff, pointing to Mikuyu prison in Zomba as a hotspot. Commission Commissioner Teresa Ndanga urged officers to abandon brutal interrogation methods, and police prosecution head Prescort Zuze Mwayiulipo acknowledged the need for a fundamental overhaul of interview techniques to eliminate torture.

Both reports underscore persistent issues of police‑perpetrated torture and the broader demand for accountability and reform in law‑enforcement practices across the two countries.