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Naked truth: Opposition forces in Zimbabwe - Vol. 2
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)
April 01, 2007

Read Trail of Violence: Opposition forces in Zimbabwe - Vol. 1

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http://www.moha.gov.zw/violencereport2.pdf

1. Introduction

The Zimbabwe political transformation which finds its location in the 2000 land reform programme and the rise of the so-called pro-democratic forces, which are in fact fronts for western interests under the guise of democracy and human rights must be understood clearly by all fair-minded Zimbabweans.

• In our Volume 1 of the document Opposition forces in Zimbabwe, "A trail of violence", the Zimbabwe Republic Police mentioned a plethora of civic organisations that form the Zimbabwe Broad Alliance, which is the reincarnation of both the main and fringe allies of the Movement for Democratic Change.
• It is not a secret that the emergence of the MDC was a result of local civic organizations coming together to form a western sponsored political front against the Government being led by the liberation movement that ushered independence in the country in 1980.
• Recently, one of these civic organisations, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has shown discomfort with being associated with this alliance and has written to the Commissioner of Police complaining about the following statement, "All opposition forces in Zimbabwe and beyond our borders have been for a long time working either individually, separately or jointly in strategising for regime change in Zimbabwe. These forces include: "Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights"
• Following the defeat of the MDC in the landmark 2000 parliamentary elections and the 2002 Presidential elections, the frustration of foreign powers has manifested itself through supporting a broad spectrum of non governmental organizations and other bodies such as the NCA, ZCTU, WOZA, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Medical Doctors for Human Rights, ZINASU, all united to fight the government on several fronts especially in the wake of the land reform programmes.
• As a result of political activities by these players who term themselves pro-democracy forces, Zimbabwe has been slapped with sanctions that have ushered in the following challenges: -
  • Decline in economic performance;
  • Black marketeering, and
  • A highly polarized society as a result of bi-partisan political culture.
• Similarly, in recent months we have seen unprovoked attacks on police officers and civilians perpetrated by MDC. None of the so-called lawyers of human rights and medical doctors have even raised a finger to assist the victims, let alone to say a word of sympathy or condemnation. Instead, they have unashamedly stumbled over each other to assist the perpetrators of these heinous acts of terror.
• On their own word, members of the ZLHR are registered legal practitioners, who are officers of the courts of Zimbabwe as required by national laws, regional laws and international human rights treaties. We find it shocking and unbelievable that they have never raised their voice in condemnation of the perpetrators of violence against law enforcement agents and ordinary citizens who have been petrol bombed by hooligan gangs of the MDC.
• Democracy is not merely about the promotion of certain rights especially as decided by those who claim to be legitimate defenders of human rights but about the promotion of the rights of the whole community or the society regard being had to the universal dictates of law.
• We therefore find it baffling instead of championing the human rights of all citizens, they have only expressed concern when matters involved members of opposition groups in a manner which can be said to be in defence of perpetrators of violence. As a nation we have witnessed numerous abuses of innocent citizens such as rape of school children, attacks on police officers, gender violence targeting women, to mention but a few. Is it not folly that we have never seen the so-called lawyers for human rights also advocating for the aspect of the rights of these poor and vulnerable groups of our society.
• Below we catalogue cases in which we have witnessed human rights lawyers either identifying with the opposition in denouncing the government or as usual defending elements opposed to the state, even where those elements have committed heinous crimes necessitating their arrest and arraignment before the courts.

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