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Torture awareness in Banket
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
November 15, 2010

In response to numerous reports of torture in the area, ZimRights held a torture awareness workshop in Banket.

This workshop sought to inform and educate the public on what torture is and its effects on individuals and communities. It also highlighted ways in which people can deal with torture, offering security to individuals and strengthening public response against torture.

The political environment in Banket is tense due to intolerance of political differences. In a recently reported case, two MDC affiliated councillors (Clr Chinanzwanvana and Clr Tembo) were evicted from a councillors' meeting in Murombedzi because they are not ZANU PF supporters. ZimRights was informed at the workshop that Local Government and Urban Development Minister, Ignatius Chombo reaffirmed his intolerance for political opposition by requesting all MDC Councillors in Zvimba to join ZANU PF or face the risk of being forced to resign.

During the meeting, most of the people confessed that the meaning and impact of torture is not alien to them since some of them have experienced it in one form or the other. During the course of the meeting, some participants opened up and shared their experiences with torture. The most common forms that were experienced by people in the community were severe beating and submersion, which in some instances resulted in death. Two of the experiences were from the MDC councillors who were kicked out, of the councillors' meeting.

The fact that victims of torture were able to open up and share their experiences is a significant step towards healing. ZimRights will continue to assist communities in nurturing a culture of peace and harmony through educating people of the respect for human rights; the different ways people are violating each other's rights such as through torture to extract information and the effects of violating these rights.

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