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Political violence Report - October 2007 - Overview
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
November 29, 2007

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Overview

October 2007 saw a marked increase in the number of human rights violations particularly on groups such as Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and students from higher and tertiary education institutions. This report documents a total of 254 cases of unlawful arrests and detention with a total of 216 members of WOZA being arrested in Harare and Bulawayo for protesting against state - sponsored violence as well as the shortage of basic goods and commodities on the formal market. Furthermore, 30 NCA members were assaulted for demonstrating against the provisions in Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No. 18.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (The Forum) supports the right of people to peacefully demonstrate or hold meetings protesting against certain aspects of governance in the country as long as the demonstrations or meetings do not turn violent, obstruct traffic, become a public nuisance or cause anything that will disturb peace and security in the country. The notion apparently held by some members of the ZRP that they should give opposition political parties, civil society organisations and the general public permission to hold a meeting is false at law. Groups who want to hold such meetings are only required to give notice to the police 4 days in advance of the meeting, not seek their permission as such.

The intimidation and harassment of students in higher and tertiary education institutions continued unabated with the latest violence occurring at the Masvingo Polytechnic. One of the arrested students, Stewart Munyanyi, was beaten on the ear with a baton stick by a police officer resulting in his suffering a damaged eardrum. The Forum calls on the state to investigate the increasing physical assaults on students by law enforcement agents. This is an alarming trend.

Two years after the infamous Operation Murambatsvina was unleashed by the GoZ on its own people, hordes of people continue to live in squalor and desperation despite the government's promises and efforts to provide more housing under Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle. In one of Harare's leafy suburbs, some victims of Operation Murambatsvina, who have failed to find alternate accommodation, had their illegal shacks and abodes razed to the ground by members of the ZRP in a bid to remove them from the area. The legality of the eviction by the police is not in contention but The Forum reiterates the requirement for the authorities to notify people in advance of intended evictions, to make more vigorous efforts to address the acute housing shortage in the country and to apply more humanity to the plight of homeless people.

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