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Torture awareness meeting in Gokwe South
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
October 13, 2010

ZimRights' Midlands office has penetrated a recently established farming community in Gokwe South, with the torture waareness campaigns.

In spite of professed ignorance of the organization in the area, 76 people turned up for the meeting which was held at Huchu shopping Centre. ZimRights had to break the ice by clearly introducing what the organization does and how it does it, before embarking into the torture discussion. The facilitator took this opportunity to give human rights education.
Participants expressed their appreciation of the organisation's discussion on torture as this was one of the many human rights violations that they have never had the chance to talk about. They added that many people were living in fear of reliving the 2008 violence in the elections that are expected next year.

In addition, they stated that they are tired of being manipulated by politicians for their selfish gains. Participants agreed that they are still suffering the trauma of 2008, but the political figures they were fighting for have disappeared. Some of the participants said they are still suffering from the torture experience that include beating of the soles, drowning simulations in addition to the emotional trauma.

Towards the end of the discussions, participants called for the development of infrastructure. They complained about challenges in transportation of their produce to the markets citing that the buyers are dictating the prices on their farming produce, equating the practice to torture since it traumatizes them day and night throughout the year.

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