January 2019
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Analysis
January was a test for the state given the underlying political and socio-economic setbacks
that continue to threaten the livelihood of the citizens after the July 2018 Harmonised elections.
Following a period of hope by the citizens in the new administration for economic
transformation these hopes were shattered by the end of the year into 2019 civil servants
threatened to strike together with doctors citing that their salaries and benefits were in variance
with the realities of the hyper-inflationary economy. In Harare Amalgamated Rural Teachers
Union (ARTUZ) took the lead to conduct peaceful demonstrations at Africa Unity Square and
at Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube’s officers demanding teachers’ salaries in US
Dollars. The announcement of the price hike in fuel by President Mnangagwa only served as
a trigger to catalyse the Zimbabwe Trade Unions (ZCTU) and social movement This Flag to
call for a 3 day stay away. The foundation of the recent stay away and the amount of support
it received from the citizens across Zimbabwe do not come as a surprise as this was laid in
most of the human right violations which were noted since September 2018. The stay away
turned violent as the state security response was heavy handed in its use of live ammunition
and excessive force to disperse demonstrators. Unresolved and increasing economic issues
drive people to desperation to be heard as such the call for a stay way occurred at a time
when citizens were at wits end drowning in uncertainty and expanding insecurities.
The frustrations of citizens also played out in the looting of supermarkets, road barricading
and burning of tyres cementing the notion that there exists some deep seated resentment
towards the new administration. Deep seated anger, and vicious cycles of reprisals continue
to tarnish the hopes of Zimbabweans who following the events of November 2017 which were
full of promise of a positive shift in governance, rule of law and the socio-economics and civic
liberties. The continued rise in the prices of basic commodities, shortage of essential goods,
poor access to essential medical products and the subsequent pricing of commodities in the
US dollar over the past few weeks have raised the levels of frustrations. Unprogressive
roundtable dialogues have not yielded fruitful results further deepening the crisis, one case in
example being the response of the government to the doctor’s 40 day industrial action.
Government acknowledges that there are challenges in the country but struggles to implement
lasting measures to effectively contain the years of suffering endured by the citizens. The
economic climate is too unstable to structure in place measures and options which will
accommodate interests of all social groups. The austerity measures introduced in 2018 by the
Minister of Finance such as the 2% tax is reported to be yielding positive results in terms of
increased revenue for the national treasury but the ordinary taxpayer is yet to reap the benefits
of these stringent measures which have so far continued to impoverish.
Matters are not helped by the progressive emasculation of institutions like the judiciary that
would curb executive excess. Towards the end of January, legal practitioners conducted a
peaceful march to make a submission to the Constitutional court demanding a return to the
rule of law as they felt there was a miscarriage of justice in the fast tracked handling of cases
of those accused of inciting violence and committing various crimes during the protests. Nonstate actors like the press, non-governmental organisations, cultural and religious institutions
have laboured under the yoke of regime-sanctioned repression in its many forms, ranging from
intimidation, detentions, raids, closures, financial restrictions and in many cases, torture and
extrajudicial killings. These excesses are conducted under the veneer of a legal framework
designed to justify them notwithstanding the protections contained in the Bill of Rights of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe. The response to the march of the legal practitioners by the Chief
Justice Luke Malaba served to consolidate these views.
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