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Statement to the ACHPR on the Human Rights situation in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
November 28, 2005

We thank you for affording us this opportunity to address this Commission on the Human Rights situation in Zimbabwe. We congratulate the new commissioners on their election into office. We wish you well in the discharge of your duties.

We note with great concern that while there may have been a reduction in the level of politically motivated violence, the human rights situation in Zimbabwe remains a major cause for concern. There has been continued serious persecution of human rights defenders, media practitioners and perceived or real members of the opposition by both state and non state actors.

Recently, members of The National Constitutional Assembly, (a non governmental organization that advocates for constitutional reform), The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, and The Zimbabwe National Students Union have been, maliciously, unlawfully and wrongfully detained for engaging in peaceful demonstrations. While in detention, the victims were tortured, denied access to legal representation, and denied food. The detainees included people living with HIV and AIDS. Disturbingly, they were denied access to their life-saving medication. Mothers who were breast feeding innocent minor children ranging form six weeks to ten months were also unlawfully detained. On all occasions the courts have refused to place the detainees on remand. Madam Chair there can be no better confirmation that the arrest and detention was a deliberate attempt to silence dissenting voices.

The reports that have been received by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum from the victims of political violence indicate that the government of Zimbabwe is engaged in conduct inconsistent with both treaty and non-treaty based human rights norms.

Madam chair, the principle of interdependence, indivisibility and universality of human rights is now widely accepted. We request the Commission to specifically call the attention of the Government of Zimbabwe to its obligations under the African Charter, the ICCPR and ICESCR. The absolute right not to be tortured requires that the government of Zimbabwe take effective measures to reduce the incidences of torture, systematic and state sponsored violence in situations where it is used to persecute Human Rights Defenders.

We also urge the Commission to implore the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that its domestic legislation is consistent with minimum international standards. The Commission should also impress upon the government the need to immediately ratify and domesticate the Convention Against Torture.

We have furnished the Commissioners with an Audit which clearly indicates that no substantive measures have been taken by the government to implement the recommendations of the Fact-Finding Mission. We humbly request that the Commission urges the government of Zimbabwe to effect without delay these recommendations. Similarly, recommendations provided by the UN Special Envoy on Human Settlement Issues in the wake of the recent forced evictions in Zimbabwe have been ignored by the government.

Again, we would be encouraged if the Commission would request the government to address the concerns raised therein.

Visit the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum fact sheet

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