JOHANNESBURG, South Africa. (News of The South) -THE Human Rights Watch World report 2016 released on Wednesday indicated that Zimbabwe is one of the countries which silenced voices critical of the government in the past year.
Zimbabwe was also named as one of those countries which intimidated, harassed and silenced dissent voices including journalists and civil society. Speaking at the launch of the report, the Human Rights Watch senior researcher Dewa Mavhinga said 2015 saw a human rights activist Itai Dzamara being brutalized by the police and his disappearance. Dzamara’s lawyer, Kennedy Masiye was also beaten by the police. Mavhinga said, “Opposition parties, journalists and rights activists have come under pressure in several SADC countries the past year. President Robert Mugabe consolidated his grip on power and failed to make meaningful human rights reforms.”
The country’s bad human rights record was also evident when five community leaders representing the Tokwe-Mukosi dam flood victims were sentenced to five years in prison for public violence. He also stated that mot of the problems in Zimbabwe are ‘man made’ resulting from bad governance and corruption. He said most Zimbabweans were not afforded socio economic rights like right to education, health, water and sanitation. Mavhinga said, “Zimbabwe’s police, soldiers and the Central Intelligence Organisation are highly politicized. There is serious factional fighting with some positioning themselves for post Mugabe era.”
He said Mugabe’s succession jostling resulted in the persecution of some people. Mavhinga also said after Mujuru’s expulsion from Zanu PF, those perceived to be sympathetic to her were targeted for reprisal. The Human Right Watch said they were put under surveillance, arbitrary arrested and some threatened.
Some politicians and police also targeted LGBT people forcing some of them to go underground. During the period under review, the National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe were arrested and intimidated. Mavhinga also stated, “the arrest were part of the violent crackdown on unlicenced street vendors, mainly women living in extreme poverty. The crackdown was marked by beatings, destruction of goods and arbitrary arrests.”
Human Right Watch also noted that the government failed to realign some laws with 2013 constitution. They also criticized the government for failing to establish the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission for post conflict justice, healing and reconciliation. The organisation also said the government has also failed to have an independent mechanism to address past human rights crimes like the Gukurahundi massacres.
South Africa was also on the wrong side for the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals which resulted in over 2 400 displaced. The report also said China and Russia were some of the worst offenders in 2015.
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