January 2019
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
The absence of an independent and impartial judicial branch of government implies that there
is little or no recourse available to everyday citizens for violations visited on the poor and
vulnerable. Politically-motivated legislation that seeks to suppress civil and political rights
entrenches the injustices that have been caused to everyday citizens by a dysfunctional
judiciary. A bird’s eye view of the global terrain for civic and political rights makes the case for
increased advocacy and urgency in tackling the causes of constricted environments, poverty
and the effects of inequality. Globally, there exists a general anti-government sentiment that
should not be dismissed out of hand.
The months-old protests in Sudan, the fallout from Britain’s interminable wrangling with the
European Union, the aftershocks of the government shutdown in the United States, the Yellow
Vests in France, to mention a few, underscore this point. Events that shocked the world such
as the London Riots of 2011 and the response by stakeholders to the same offer us in
Zimbabwe a leaf to borrow from to better examine and prescribe appropriate remedial
measures.
Events of January 14 to date continue to dominate the Regional and International community
who continue to encourage Zimbabwe’s leadership to act quickly in the prevention of further
loss of life, as at the end of January 2019 there were 12 confirmed deaths. The National Peace
and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has recently called for a National Dialogue while the
President has put together an Advisory Council as part of the measures of inclusivity to put to
test his word that he indeed is a listening President “ soft as wool”. Key questions remain
unanswered: what do the Commissions of Inquiry after violent epochs in Zimbabwe actually
achieve? Should Motlanthe be packing his bags to come once again to address/investigate
the violence question? Did we read the report, will the recommendations be implemented?
ZPP calls for the following:
An immediate stop to the use of excessive force by the security agents for crowd
control. More humane and dignified mechanisms should be the standard as opposed
to the use of live ammunition. Soldiers, whose mandate is clearly defined by the
Constitution and other enabling Legislation, should be withdrawn from the public and
returned to the barracks.
The state and interest groups should immediately engage in dialogue with the trade
Unions, business associations such as transport operators in order to expedite talks
on ending the economic crisis and provide solutions to give relief to the suffering
citizens.
Civil liberties and rights as enshrined in the Constitution, including the rights to
assembly, protest and association, should be respected.
Draconian and highhanded actions such as the shutting down of internet services
should be highly discouraged as it is an infringement of the right to information and
adversely impacts commercial enterprises which increasingly rely on digital
connectivity and other technologies to operate.
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