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Political
violence report - June 2005 - Overview
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
September 02, 2005
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Overview
"Operation
Murambatsvina" (Operation Restore Order) continued in the month
of June leading to problems for civil society, which resulted in
fewer reports being compiled because the displaced people could
not access the services of human rights organizations. This accounts
for the few cases recorded in this report. NGO's had to restructure
their operations in order to provide humanitarian relief for the
affected populations during the operation which was code named "tsunami"
by most people due to its disastrous effects which could only be
compared to the tsunami floods. Ironically, the operation continued
in the same month that the world commemorated World Refugee Day
and the International Day against Torture, which are on 20 June
and 26 June respectively.
In Chitungwiza,
a male victim was allegedly tortured and left for dead by 5 soldiers
for calling "Operation Murambatsvina", a "tsunami".
The Human Rights Forum notes that soldiers do not customarily deal
with civilians and should allow police officers to deal with them
if there is in fact a case to answer. In the above instance, it
is reported that the soldiers refused to take the victim to the
police. Other reports involving "Operation Murambatsvina"
are that MDC supporters were victimised by ZANU-PF supporters on
the accusation that they caused the operation.1
Twenty members
of Women Of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were reportedly arrested on 18
June 2005 for holding a demonstration in Bulawayo in commemoration
of World Refugee Day, which is on 20 June and for demonstrating
against "Operation Murambatsvina". The Human Rights Forum
deplores the heavy-handed manner in which the demonstration was
quashed and urges state agents to respect the peoples' right to
freedom of expression.
The CIO allegedly
threatened a student activist and his family was about to be evicted
from their rural home in Goromonzi. In this case, the Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR) intervened, taking the matter to the courts,
where a court order was issued barring the CIO and ZANU-PF supporters
from harassing him or evicting his family from their rural home.
The victim reports however that the CIO is still threatening him.
He alleges that they are calling him and telling him that the country
is not run by court orders. These are disturbing reports in light
of the fact that the Government has been on record many times ignoring
court orders. The Human Rights Forum urges the Government to respect
judgments of the courts and demonstrate that the law applies to
every Zimbabwean.
Totals: 1
June-30 June 2005
Cumulative
totals: 1 January - 30 June 2005
The cumulative
graph should be read along with the table depicting the monthly
totals of violations from 1 January 2005 to 31 May 2005. The total
quantifiable number of victims reported in June 2005 is 38.
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Human Rights NGO Forum fact
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1. On the discussion
as to the possible causes of the operation, see the Report by the
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, "Order out of Chaos or Chaos
out of Order".
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