Back to Index

Political violence Report - August 2007 - Overview
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
October 08, 2007

Download this document
- Word 97 version (328KB)
- Acrobat PDF version (121KB)
If you do not have the free Acrobat reader on your computer, download it from the Adobe website by clicking here.

Overview

The SADC Heads of State and Government met in Lusaka, Zambia from 16 - 17 August, to discuss among other issues the deteriorating political and human rights situation in Zimbabwe. However on the eve of the SADC meeting, a 62 - member delegation of the Southern African Peoples' Solidarity Network (SAPSN) travelling to Lusaka from Harare, for the SADC Peoples' Summit was turned back by the Zambian immigration authorities at the Chirundu Border Post. The Zambian authorities then handed the Zimbabwean civil society activists over to the Zimbabwean police who detained and harassed 40 of the victims at Chirundu Police Post. This report will show that the political environment has largely been defined by acts of torture, intimidation and politically motivated violence against human rights defenders and other pressure groups seeking to express their views on the problems in Zimbabwe. For instance, 4 students from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) were tortured by the police for speaking out against the current government and what they perceive as mismanagement of the University by the authorities.

Violence and intimidation tactics continued to be deployed by the police against members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) in various parts of the country. In Bulawayo, 6 members of WOZA were allegedly taken by force from their various homes by the police in vehicles bearing South African number plates to a secluded area 40 km away from Bulawayo. The police reportedly questioned the victims on the whereabouts of the WOZA leaders who they were failing to locate. The traumatised women were only released the following day. In another incident involving WOZA members in Masvingo, the police unlawfully arrested and detained 18 of them. It is alleged that six of the women were heavily brutalised and tortured by the police.

Close to 30 members of the ZNA were at it again in August as they went around the high - density suburb of Dzivaresekwa in Harare beating up women and children vending various wares. In an unrelated incident, on 8 August more than 70 uniformed soldiers ran amok in Esigodini in Matabeleland South where they assaulted villagers and looted the village headman's shop. This was reportedly in retaliation to a scuffle involving army officers and the Esigodini villagers the previous week during a beer brawl.

In incidences that clearly confirm that the political environment is not yet safe or free in Zimbabwe for any democratic activities, a journalist who works for the Standard, an independent newspaper in Zimbabwe was abducted by suspected ZANU PF supporters in Gutu on allegations that he was on a spying mission for the US based radio station Studio 7. The said journalist had been in the area wanting to investigate reports that MDC supporters had been barred by CIO officers and ZANU PF supporters from attending the late MDC National Chairman, Isaac Matongo's memorial service.

Download full document 

Visit the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP