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UNDP
accused of going to bed with Mugabe regime over new rights commission
Lance Guma, SW
Radio Africa
September 22, 2006
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news220906/UNDP220906.htm
Civic society leaders in Zimbabwe are
angry with the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP) for what
they call its ‘going into bed with Zanu PF’ over the setting up
of the proposed Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC). UNDP and
Zanu PF officials, alongside a few fringe NGO’s, met in Kariba starting
Thursday for what was termed a consultative conference. Justice
Minister Patrick Chinamasa and acting Information Minister Paul
Mangwana were all lined up as keynote speakers.
Nixon Nyikadzino an activist with the
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition says the Mugabe regime is ‘pulling
the wool over the eyes of the UNDP’ and pretending to be a respecter
of human rights when events on the ground prove contrary. The majority
of civic groups in Zimbabwe have dismissed the proposal by government
to set up a rights body as a complete sham and distanced themselves
from the process. Nyikadzino told Newsreel only a few groups, most
notably the National
Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), were
attending the meeting.
Asked what was wrong with having the
commission Nyikadzino explained that legislation in Zimbabwe, particularly
the Public
Order and Security Act (POSA), Access
to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the
Broadcasting
Services Act, all made a mockery of establishing such a commission.
‘How can the commission work in such an environment where the legislation
is not in tandem with the constitution?’ he asked.
The former Vice Chancellor of the University
of Zimbabwe Professor Walter Kamba was listed as the facilitator
for the 4-day conference. NANGO spokesperson Fambai Ngirande told
journalists his organisation would take part in the meetings because
dialogue in their view was the only constructive way of resolving
the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Zimbabwe. Their position
has however created deep divisions in the NGO sector.
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