AUGUST 2017
ordered to contribute as memos went round asking
civil servants to contribute for the celebrations.
Factional ruptures also manifested themselves at
the National Heroes Acre when Vice President
Phelekezela Mphoko was heckled by alleged
Lacoste faction supporters who did not want the
Vice President to officiate at Shuvai Mahofa’s
funeral. Tempers flared after Mahofa was said to
have been poisoned at the party national
conference in Victoria Falls in 2015. Accusations
and counter accusations disrupted the funeral
wake of the late Mahofa believed to be an ally of
Vice President Mnangagwa. The ZPP is
apprehensive this state of affairs does not bode
well for the 2018 in the horizon unless resolved.
Itai Dzamara since February 2012 and March
2015 are still unaccounted for and it seems the
government is not moved by this state of affairs.
The Zimbabwean government has still not ratified
the International Convention of all Persons against
Enforced Disappearances and with the 2018
elections on the horizon and the many conflicts
within and across political parties there is a risk
more citizens could meet this fate.
DATA GATHERING
Information contained herein is based on reports
from ZPP long-term community based human
rights monitors, who observe and record cases of
human rights violations in the constituencies they
reside. ZPP deploys a total of 420 communitybased primary peace monitors (two per each of the
210 electoral constituencies of Zimbabwe). The
monitors compile reports that are handed over to
ZPP Coordinators who man the different ZPP
regional offices in the ten administrative
provinces of Zimbabwe. Upon receipt and
verification of the reports from the monitors, the
Coordinators compile provincial monthly
monitoring reports, which are then consolidated at
the national office into the ZPP Monthly
Monitoring Report. This report contains some of
the violations recorded by ZPP, the organisation
has a data base with the rest of the injustices and
gladly shares it with interested stakeholders.
There was conflict between police and soldiers in
Harare on 1 August. Police released a press
statement saying the security forces enjoy good
relations and the matter would be investigated.
President Mugabe also expressed regret over the
issue on Heroes Day. A number of reasons have
been put forward for the clash. Some believe
traffic police had put a spike on a vehicle
belonging to a soldier. Police and soldiers have
been known to run transport businesses in the
CBD, which the police commissioner has
admitted to in the past. Sometimes they fight for
lucrative pick up points and touts told ZPP that
they pay protection fees to some members of the
security forces and this might have been the
reason for the violence that ensued.
On August 30 the world commemorated the UN
International Day of the victims of enforced
disappearances. In Zimbabwe Paul Chizuze and
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