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Political activist granted peace order
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
August 05, 2010

Today, Thursday 5th, August 2010, Mutoko Resident Magistrate granted Elizabeth Kembo, a Mudzi Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) activist, a peace order against ZANU PF's Cosmos Penga-penga, Noah Hodzi and Hwature. Mutoko Resident Magistrate (Mr. Mukavhi) granted Ms Kembo an order to protect her from the trio who were in default. In terms of the order, the trio has been restrained from;

• verbally or physically abusing Ms Kembo or members of her family;
• Interfering with the sovereignty of the individual by any coercion or aggression that hinders the exercise of political freedom.
• Obstructing her from pursuing any contemplated civil suit against them (the Respondents)
• Interfering with Ms Kembo's peaceful existence within the community or hinder her access to social services.

It is apparent that the ZANU PF trio was acting with impunity. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum welcomes the court's decision and commends Magistrate Mukavhi for correctly interpreting and applying the law to protect the interests of Ms Kembo from such elements.

The brief circumstances of the case are that the respondents abducted Ms Kembo, an MDC supporter, from her home on the 8th of January 2010. They took her to Chimango School, formerly a ZANU PF base in 2008. At the base she was threatened and verbally abused by the respondents to compel her to cross the floor to ZANU PF. The threats continued until she reported this incident at Suskwe Police Base. Suskwe police referred her to Nyamapanda Police Station where she made another report. Despite the police initiating investigations in the matter, the harassment continued.

Furthermore on the 30th of May 2010, ZANU PF leadership in the area held a meeting whose objective was to identify and banish MDC supporters from Mudzi. Consequently Ms Kembo was prevented from accessing basic services such as shops, grinding mills and from associating with other villagers. The respondents also set fire to her home and she lost her entire possessions in the inferno. The respondents then issued an order to all villagers that they should not talk to her or visit her homestead. Kembo was now living in mortal fear because the Respondents had proved to be unrelenting in their pursuit and she strongly believed that if they were not reprimanded and directed in terms of the law, they were likely to attack her again.

Mr. Prosper Maguchu of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum's Public Interest Litigation Unit represented Ms Kembo.

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