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Let's preach peace during the day & not abduct, murder at night
Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ)
May 24, 2008

Whilst the Multi-Party Peace Liaison proposal put forward by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) , Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), ZANU PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is one way to end the escalating violence if properly implemented , we challenge the authorities particularly the outgoing Minister of State Security, Didymus Mutasa and the director-general of the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO), Happyton Bonyongwe to assure the nation, particularly the distressed people in Mashonaland provinces that opposition and human rights activists will not continue to be abducted and murdered.

The Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ) is disturbed at the reports that the people involved in these abductions and disappearances are members of the security and intelligence services. CCDZ urges the authorities to take practical steps and disband the hit squad that has pounced on opposition activists mostly at night. If these continue, the police will not be able to control the situation because the abductions are done at night under the cover of darkness. We still challenge the authorities to fully investigate the circumstances leading to the abduction and subsquent murder of civic activists in the past few days. CCDZ also demands an authoritative repudiation of violence and prosecution of those implicated.

Most importantly, CCDZ demands to know the truth regarding the whereabouts of Shepherd Jani, the MDC provincial treasurer for Mashonaland East who was abducted at his home at Murewa Centre this week. The attempt to set up Multi-Party Peace Committees only makes sense if the Repressive State Apparatus, including the police, the military and CIOs take a firm stand and disband the infrastructure of violence. The war veterans and youth militia must also disband and be respectful of the sanctity of human life. Gross human rights abuses that are taking place with the support of the political leaders must be thoroughly investigated.

Government must show commitment to disband the so-called "bases" dotted throughout the country and prosecute the politicians running them. It is at these "bases" where pro-democracy activists are being flogged, gang raped and murdered. CCDZ challenges the ZEC to investigate and take immediate steps to have these "bases" in Mashonaland, Manicaland and Midlands provinces disbanded so that the people enjoy their freedoms. It is citizens' democratic right to take part in political affairs and support candidates or a political party of their choice. It is still responsible citizenship to elect a government that one thinks best serves his/her interests. We also understand democracy to mean giving the people an opportunity to elect a government of their choice without subjecting them to intimidation as what is happening in the countryside.

We welcome the Multi-Party Liaison Peace Committees but we urge that practical steps must be taken to restore people's confidence in the whole electoral process. ZEC must guarantee the safety of polling agents and observers who have been attacked and have been accused of working with the MDC. CCDZ also challenges the police to investigate and arrest the perpetrators of violence as opposed to the victims as we have seen in the past.

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