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Rein in rowdy ZANU PF supporters
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
July 27, 2011
The Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition notes with concern the escalation of cases of
violence and intimidation perpetrated against innocent civilians
by ZANU PF supporters and calls upon the inclusive
government through law enforcement agents to rein in the perpetrators
who are causing unnecessary tensions and political instability across
the country. The Coalition further calls upon the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC) to immediately intervene in Zimbabwe
and urge the power-sharing government to speed up democratic reforms
including security sector reforms.
In events reminiscent
of the 2010 disturbances of constitutional outreach meetings, ZANU
PF supporters violently disrupted public hearings on the Human
Rights Commission Bill in Chinhoyi, Masvingo, Mutare and Harare
demanding that the Commission should try cases of human rights abuses
which occurred post 2008. The demands by ZANU PF, who are the main
perpetrators of human rights violations since independence, are
evidently calculated at masking atrocities committed by the ZANU
PF government and its supporters. Judging from past history, if
the ZANU PF supporters are allowed to continue with such attacks,
the country will slide back to the
June 2008 period when more than 150 Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) supporters were murdered while thousands were displaced
in post election violence.
Of greater concern
however, is the continued police inaction exhibited despite continued
calls by civil society for security sector reforms including urging
police to operate in a non- partisan and professional manner. Over
the weekend, when rowdy ZANU PF supporters attacked
civilians and Members of Parliament during public hearings on the
Human Rights Commission Bill, the police failed to contain the situation
with Harare Police Spokesperson, Inspector James Sabau claiming
that they were unprepared for the riotous crowd. It is surprising
that when a peaceful demonstration is staged, riot police pounce
on protesters in their numbers yet when Parliamentarians and citizens
who are exercising their freedom of expression are attacked, the
police are 'ill- prepared'. The police have a constitutional
obligation to protect citizen's rights and interests and to
apprehend violators of the law yet they continue acting against
the law, choosing to 'protect' perpetrators of violence
instead.
The actions
by ZANU PF and failure by its leadership to condemn the violence
and call for the arrest of perpetrators goes against the letter
and spirit of the GPA
and the Livingstone SADC Troika Summit resolutions
which called for "an immediate end to politically motivated
violence".
In light of
the developments highlighted above, The Coalition demands the following;
- That the
power-sharing government publicly condemns and demands the halting
of all cases of political violence
- That the
power-sharing government rein in Police Commissioner Augustine
Chihuri for failing to protect citizens and arraigning of those
responsible for the rights abuses.
- Calls on
the ZANU PF leadership to dismantle the terror machinery built
over the past years which continue to wreck havoc, threatening
the little gains achieved by the Inclusive government in the past
2 years.
The Coalition
also calls upon SADC to;
- Immediately
intervene in Zimbabwe to avert imminent implosion and collapse
of the power-sharing government caused mainly by partisan securocrats
who are not interested in genuine democratic reform. The Coalition
calls on SADC Facilitator His Excellency President Jacob Zuma
of South Africa to remain steadfast in his push for a clear elections
roadmap with benchmarks, timelines and one which addresses the
problem of partisan police and CIO and the military involvement
in electoral and political processes.
Visit the Crisis
in Zimbabwe fact
sheet
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