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POSA
CSO's endorse amendment of POSA
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
February 22, 2010
Nine civil society
organisations on Monday 22 February 2010 endorsed a Private Member's
Bill
that seeks to amend the harsh provisions of the draconian Public
Order and Security Act (POSA).
The nine civic
society organisations namely the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
(ZLHR), the Zimbabwe
Human Rights NGO Forum, the Media
Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Zimbabwe), The
Women's Trust, the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the Zimbabwe Liberators Platform
(ZLP), Veritas and the Gays
and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) delivered their oral and written
submissions at a public hearing convened at Christian Jubilee Centre
in Milton Park.
The civil society
organisations were unanimous in backing the amendments suggested
by Mutare Central MP Hon. Innocent Gonese and criticised POSA for
curtailing citizens' freedoms.
Although in
her submissions ZLHR executive director Irene Petras welcomed the
proposed amendments to POSA she reiterated that her organisation
would be comfortable with totally repealing the draconian law and
other restrictive legislation such as the Criminal
Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The ZCTU, whose
leaders have been arrested on countless occasions for contravening
POSA said some provisions of the law have been seriously abused
to the extend of making Zimbabwe a police State.
Committee chairperson
and Glen View South Member of Parliament Hon. Paul Madzore said
his committee will seek to arrange another public hearing to gather
citizens' contributions to the proposed Bill because of the
poor turnout at the first meeting.
The committee
will on Tuesday 23 February 2010 and Wednesday 24 February 2010
hold public hearings in Gokwe and Lupane before wrapping up the
hearings in Gwanda and Dombotombo late this week.
Visit the ZLHR
fact
sheet
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