JUNE
As noted in this report, Zimbabwe is sliding into full autocracy, characterized by artless arrests and
abduction. This is happening as the economic situation becomes dire with each day, and government
appears unprepared, or perhaps unwilling to deal with the situation, which has left every ordinary
Zimbabwean exposed to poverty. In more ways than one, as illustrated in this report, Zimbabwe is under
a darkening sky, and it requires every citizen’s effort to advocate for the return and respect of basic
rights, and to ask government to play its role in enhancing the economy and ensuring all citizens are
accorded their political, economic and social rights. This cannot continue.
In light of this, ZPP recommends the following:
• Government should prioritise fixing the economy as it has become the biggest threat to people’s socioeconomic rights. An inclusive approach should be followed to ensure that everyone contributes to
making decisions about the economy. In addition, separation of powers should be implemented. The
suspected interference of the Joint Operations Command, which if true is worrying; securocrats are
not expected to interfere in economic affairs or any other civillian affairs for that matter. See the story
here
• Government should prioritise its workers, and accord them a living wage, as failure to do so impacts
on the fundamental rights to health and education. Government should also look into the plight of the
people in the informal sector, persons with disabilities, and ensure they get adequate social support.
• Arbitrary arrests should stop, and government should respect the people’s rights to assemble, petition
and associate, and should not interfere in such. More importantly, any democracy thrives on a nation
that enjoys freedom.
• There is need for concerted efforts in fighting the entrenched impunity, and this requires political will
and genuineness at government level, otherwise there is will be more loss of confidence in institutions.
Those that break the law, whether as the police army, or government officials, should be arraigned
and go through the due criminal procedure. Only by doing so can government restore confidence and
get the needed foreign investment .
• In the interests of the public and interests of its own credibility, government should conduct itself in a
transparent manner when investigating cases like the abduction of the three MDC youth leaders and
other related cases. As it stands, the only narrative of what transpired is coming from government,
and the victims have not been able to tell their side of the story. Unless government is complicit, it
should just be as transparent.
ABOUT THE ZIMBABWE PEACE PROJECT
The organisation was founded in 2000 by church-based and human rights organisations.
The current members of ZPP are Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Catholic Commission
for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ), Counselling Services Unit (CSU), Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), Civic
Education Network Trust (CIVNET), Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ), National Association for the Care of the Handicapped
(NASCOH) and Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA).
ZPP was established with the objective of monitoring, documenting and building peace and promoting the peaceful resolution of disputes
and conflicts. The Zimbabwe Peace Project seeks to foster dialogue and political tolerance through non-partisan peace monitoring
activities, mainly through monitors who document the violations of rights in the provinces.