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Demands submitted to the Ministry of Justice by victims of political violence
Heal Zimbabwe Trust
September 28, 2010

Following the Survivors Summit hosted by Heal Zimbabwe on 20 September 2010 for 250 representatives of political violence in Zimbabwe. The survivors came up with demands which were submitted to the Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation and the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs in the form of a petition for their attention and action. Heal Zimbabwe will make serious follow ups on the petition in a bid to ensure that cases of political violence in Zimbabwe are redressed.

Below are the demands;

We victims with permanent injuries, victims of rape, relatives of those who disappeared during the political violence, widows and widowers of political violence, and those who were unlawfully detained several times, now therefore call upon the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation to:

• Set up an independent, transparent and effective Truth and Reconciliation Commission with a clearly defined mandate to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate on human rights violations and torture issues that will deal with all cases of political violence.
  Enact legislation enabling for restitution to victims of political violence for property loss, loss of livelihood, destroyed shelter and lost lives.
• Acknowledge that the majority of violations that took place were criminal according to the Zimbabwean constitution and politics was used as an excuse to avoid prosecution and therefore there is need for reported cases of violence to be investigated and for justice to prevail.
• Ensure equality before the law and all suspected criminals of political violence should be prosecuted regardless of their perceived or real political affiliation.
  Facilitate for and provide proper medication facilities to those who were tortured during the political violence period.
• Provide psycho-social support to the victims as many are still traumatised.
• Declare those who disappeared dead and launch an independent investigation team that will investigate the circumstances leading to the disappearances and bring the perpetrators to book.
• Force the perpetrators to publicly apologise to the victims' family and reparate both the spouse and the parents of those who disappeared.
• Liaise with the Government to take full responsibility of the families of those who disappeared during the political violence period and provide for the sustenance and welfare of their relatives.
• Make sure those who raped people during the violence period are prosecuted and given lengthy sentences as some where infected with the deadly HIV/AIDS and some where left with unwanted babies.
• Come up with income generating projects for the survivors to boost their livelihoods as some lost their husbands and wives after the ordeal.
  Force the Government to facilitate burial of some of the political victims who did not receive decent burial during the violence period.
• Force the Government to pay for school fees for the deceased's children and provide those who lost their jobs during the era with employment opportunities.
• Force the Ministry of Justice to speed up political cases that are pending in courts so that justice prevails.
• Come up with laws that criminalize unwarranted detention of people, torture and abductions
• Force the police and the judicial to act impartially and professionally in the conduct of their duties
• Ensure that all perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes without amnesty to deter would be offenders.

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