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Human rights defenders continue to be incarcerated despite formation of power-sharing government
Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ)
May 05, 2009

Today the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) director and human rights campaigner Ms Jestina Mukoko and other political detainees were thrown into jail despite their lawyers having asked to make further submissions in defence of the accused. Magistrate Catherine Chimwanda refused to hear further submissions from the defence attorneys as what had been agreed when the case was heard earlier. The manner in which the case involving Ms Mukoko and other MDC-T political prisoners was determined exposes the weaknesses of justice delivery system in Zimbabwe.

The jailing of Mukoko and others shows that the political terrain in Zimbabwe has not yet changed in any fundamental ways. Despite the MDC having joined the so-called inclusive government, "hard" power is still within the control of ZANU PF cronies. The role of the MDC leadership in the power-sharing government has been reduced to campaigning against the targeted sanctions imposed on ZANU PF and fundraising to settle the budget deficit that they inherited upon joining government.

As the Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (C.C.D.Z) we are inherently opposed to attempts by the government to access funding from the West before instituting democracy and human rights reforms.

To parties to the Global Political Agreement (GPA), we recommend the following:

1. Repeal all the repressive legislation and stop using the law to oppress citizens.
2. Resolve the outstanding appointments of Permanent Secretaries, Governors and ambassadors.
3. Reform institutions responsible for security and protection of people's rights such as the Attorney General's office.
4. Stop the incarceration of political and civic activists on trumped up charges of banditry.
5. Stop the ongoing farming disturbances in the countryside.

Our recommendations to the foreign embassies and governments:

1. To oppose any attempts by the so-called inclusive government to have the targeted sanctions removed and the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act repealed. There is no basis for this because human rights continue to be violated with impunity in Zimbabwe.

2. To channel funding towards specific government projects (e.g. dam/bridge construction, road/highway construction etc).These funds should continue to be managed by the funding institution to allow for transparency and accountability.

3. To continue to provide funding to critical areas such as health, social services, education and food security.

4. To continue to provide support to civic efforts towards democratization and protection of human rights.

Visit the CCDZ fact sheet

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