May 2019
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Moreover, the concerted smear campaign perpetuated by the State through The Herald, The
Chronicle and its surrogate tabloid The Patriot and online publication, Harare Post, is exposing
machinations of the administration. For instance, inferences that ZPP, together with other CSOs
have established an organisation meant to spearhead anti-government protests together with
the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are baseless and pregnant with falsehoods with
the objective of unduly discredit the named organisations. This clearly exposes that the
Mnangagwa administration will not stand down in allowing Zimbabweans’ enjoyment of their
rights and freedoms. Other organisations mentioned in the malicious article include, the
Counselling Services Unit, the Research and Advocacy Unit, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights and the umbrella body the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum to which all
the organisations listed are members. The targeting of CSOs also had The Patriot single out
RAU and its Senior Researcher Anthony Reeler in an article ‘Savanna RevolutionZimbabweans Beware’. The dates on which Reeler is accused of having run a workshop in
Johannesburg are the same dates that Reeler was working in the RAU office in Harare.
The recorded total number of violations declined from 171 to 157 from the previous month. In
April the high number of violations were attributed to the demand for contribution to
Independence Day celebrations. While taking note of numbers it is even more crucial to note
that beyond the numbers there are other issues to be considered like uncertainty, volatility,
growing fear and other issues taking place among citizens. The environment is worrying in
many different way, particularly the crippling economy biting from all ends making it difficult
for citizens to make ends meet.
In May, the major form of violation was harassment and intimidation related to food and other
aid distribution. Zimbabwe received below average rainfall in the 2018/19 agricultural season
and Cyclone Idai aggravated the situation, increasing the vulnerability of more households with
regard to food security. Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza
recently highlighted that the situation is not only dire in rural areas, but that 40% of urban area
households will also need food aid. Depreciating macro-economic conditions will further
impoverish people and they will likely need this aid. Thus it is particularly worrying when aid
is politicised, and deserving families are deprived at the expense of political comradeship.
Economic decline continued unabated with inflation at a 10 year high of over 75% (April
Zimstats), fuel increased from RTGS $3.36 to RTGS $ 4,97 for petrol and RTGS $3,22 to
RTGS $4,89 for diesel while the RTGS currently keeps shedding value (98% since February
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