April 2019
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
ABOUT ZPP
Not yet Uhuru
The month of April heralded 39 years since attaining
independence. Sadly, this independence is not evident
as Zimbabweans are living in a country with a biting
economic
environment
characterised
by
sharp
increases in prices, evictions, impunity of those in
power and deprivation along political lines.
The most prominent violations, and sadly an annual
occurrence, during the month of April
were
surrounding the Independence Day celebrations.
The organisation was founded in 2000 by church-based and
human rights organisations. The current members of ZPP are
Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), Zimbabwe Council
of Churches (ZCC), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace
in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ), Counselling Services Unit (CSU),
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), Civic
Education Network Trust (CIVNET) and Women’s Coalition of
Zimbabwe (WCoZ).
ZPP was established with the objective of monitoring,
documenting and building peace and promoting the peaceful
resolution of disputes and conflicts. The Zimbabwe Peace
Project seeks to foster dialogue and political tolerance through
non-partisan peace monitoring activities, mainly through
monitors who document the violations of rights in the provinces.
The monitors, who at full complement stand at 420, constitute
the core pool of volunteers, supported by four Regional
Coordinators. The Regional Coordinators relate with the
national office headed by the National Director and programme
officers in various units.
People were forced into making donations towards
Independence celebrations and in some instances
marshalled to go for the celebrations held throughout the country by various Zimbabwe
African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) structures.
The economy has continued on a downward spiral as the Real Time Gross Settlement
(RTGS) dollar rate keeps tumbling against the United States dollar (USD) both in the official
and parallel market rates. This is further exacerbated by the fact that service providers have
resorted to pegging their prices in USD which currency the majority of Zimbabweans do not
even earn. Prices of basic commodities such as fuel, bread and cooking oil continue to rise
beyond the reach of many.
There is a disquieting trend of the military’s continued interference in civilian matters,
particularly in perpetrating violations against civilians. ZPP notes that since November 2017
when the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) played a prominent role in the elevation of
President Emmerson Mnangagwa to office, there has been a steady rise of human rights
violations that the army is responsible for. This was most apparent when the force brutally
stamped dissent in 1 August 2018 fatal shootings and January 2019 killings. ZPP also notes
that the month was characterised by extensive evictions in some parts of the country with
over 1200 families left homeless.
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