Zimbabwe Peace Project

July 2016
Human Rights Violations
MONTHLY MONITORING REPORT

Protests & protests against protests

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2016_7 July Monthly Monitor Report

Monthly Monitoring Report

Executive Summary: Protests and protests against protests were recorded in the month of July 2016 in Beitbridge, Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. From July 1 Beitbridge residents and cross border shoppers went on massive demonstrations against the imposition of a ban on imported goods as stipulated in Statutory Instrument (SI) 64 of 2016; the protests turned violent resulting in the torching of a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority warehouse and 36 people were arrested. While most citizens in all parts of the country had expected a nationwide stayaway on July 6 as mobilised for by citizen movements on the morning of July 4 areas such as Epworth, Ruwa, Mabvuku, Mufakose witnessed protests by commuter omnibus operators including drivers and conductors. The commuter omnibus operators were protesting against the increasing number of police roadblocks which they argued made it difficult to make a living as most of the money they made they had to pay the police. The protestors barricaded roads and burnt tyres. In Makokoba, Bulawayo, violence erupted as roads were blockaded, tyres burnt and thrown onto roads and some shops looted. On 6 July at house number 2219 First Street in Makokoba a policeman threw a teargas canister into Gogo Dube’s* house causing a fire which burnt the house and destroyed all household property. The old lady and her five grandchildren were injured in the process of escaping. They also inhaled teargas smoke. In a similar incident, in the same township a three year-old child died at Burombo Flats after a teargas canister was thrown into the house and the baby is said to have inhaled the smoke. Almost on a weekly basis during the month of July various protests were recorded in Harare. Another stay away was called for on 13 and 14 July by #ThisFlag campaign in response to the fact that the government either ignored or was not interested in listening to their demands which had been made public. On 15 July 2016 vendors led by the National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe chairperson, Sten Zvorwadza staged a demonstration at the Town House in Harare against alleged corruption by municipal police. In a bizarre turn of events, on 20 July 2016, Zanu PF youths protested against the protests. They staged a march to their party headquarters in support of President Robert Mugabe and denounced stay-aways and protests. The youths were ferried from different parts of the country to join the march and were promised residential stands by the ruling party. What was different in these protests was the manner in which the state responded to the demonstrations. The protests by non Zanu PF aligned organisations were met with stiff resistance and state machinery was deployed to crush dissent. However the Zanu PF youths and ‘war veterans’ were accompanied by the police and no arrests or assaults were noted. There was a by-election in Mazowe North during the month of July and this election was symptomatic of the greater electoral challenges faced in the country. Election days are usually peaceful but preceded by rampant intimidation and politicisation of food aid. This particular election day was peaceful although on the days leading to it people in Mazowe North were threatened with assaults and denied food aid if they voted for the opposition party. Youths were promised residential stands on condition that they voted for the Zanu PF candidate. While the protests raged on, the politicisation of food aid continued across the country. For instance, Member of Parliament for Hurungwe West Mr Keith Guzah reportedly distributed maize to Zanu PF members of Mashuma district on 8 July 2016. The MP brought 60 bags of maize. It is said the MP told people that the maize was for those who voted for his party. John Kempo* was denied food aid because he is not in the party structures and he alleged that the MP said people who did not support Zanu PF were going to starve to death. In a related case, in Buhera South’s ward 24 on 23 July four MDC-T activists who had participated in food for work program were denied access to their food allocation and had to grab the bags by force.

Documents

2016_7 July MMR.pdf
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