Imaginary Steps Forward and Real Steps Backwards
The death of former President, Robert Mugabe, the abduction of Doctor Peter Magombeyi, Doctors’ and students’
strikes, turning away of children from school, food aid deprivation, the sharp decline of the Zimbabwe dollar are
some of the highlights in the month of September.
The abduction of Doctor Magombeyi by alleged state agents on the 14th of September 2019 brought to mind the
poisonous socio-political environment that is proliferating in Zimbabwe. Dr. Magombeyi, in his capacity as Acting
President of the Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association (ZHDA), has been vocal is advocating for a better wage
for doctors and better working conditions since doctors downed tools on the 3rd of September 2019. His abduction
triggered widespread strikes and demonstrations by doctors, nurses and support medical staff in Harare and
Bulawayo, as well as their counterparts in Namibia, South Africa and Kenya calling for his immediate release. He
was eventually found on the 19th of September 2019 in Nyabira reportedly, confused and disoriented. Despite a
High Court order permitting him to travel to South Africa for further tests and treatment, police barred him from
leaving, citing that he was at risk of being ‘abducted’. His father, Kingstone Magombeyi lodged an urgent High
Court Chamber application leading to Judge George Chiweshe throwing out the state’s appeal.
Magombeyi’s abduction came at a time when the country was still reeling from widespread abductions and torture
which occurred in the month of August. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, that Zimbabwe Peace Project
(ZPP) is part of, recorded a total of 67abductions which targeted political activists, human rights defenders and
one comedian.
Former President Robert Gabriel Mugabe passed away at the age of 95 on the 6th of September 2019 after a long
battle with prostate cancer in a Singaporean hospital. Mugabe’s death ignited mixed emotions for Zimbabweans
and the world at large. While most leaders mourned and showered praises about Mugabe’s legacy, for many it was
a chance to purge the deep emotions they harbored over the man who led Zimbabwe for 37 years. One stark
depiction was captured by the very background of his death-in a foreign hospital whilst he had presided over a
collapsed health system in Zimbabwe. Mugabe’s legacy for many Zimbabweans is that of a despotic, violent and
repressive regime. Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) came into existence to address matters of violent political
conflict which proliferated during Mugabe’s reign, leaving millions traumatised and perpetrators arrogant as
impunity prevailed. ZPP has a database teeming with horrendous accounts of victims of such human rights
violations. Hopefully the raw and emotional accounts expressed by the populace subsequent to Mugabe’s demise