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Torture awareness in Magunje
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
January 24, 2011

In its ongoing efforts to raise awareness on torture, ZimRights conducted a public meeting in Mashonaland West, in Mukamba village near Magunje.

Although the group was discussing what torture is, how they van reduce it and people sharing their torture experiences, the people's need prompted the discussion to focus more on mechanisms to protect individuals against torture and specific actions that might reduce incidents of torture. With the now prevalent hype on possible elections, this was quite a debate as most people made reference to the previous elections.

Participants agreed that most torture incidents in the area are politically motivated, while state security agents are also guilty of using torture to 'discipline' or force information out of victims. Participants emphasised on the need to urgently address issues of torture from the past, arguing that people will suffer the same way they did in 2008 if nothing is done. At then end of the meeting participants resolved that ZimRights should facilitate a meeting between local political leaders in the community, to map out how best they can resolve their political differences amicably.

From the torture experiences shared during the meeting, ZimRights noted with great concern that many people went through traumatic experiences that still haunt them to date. One of the torture experiences shared was given by a woman whose husband was abducted during the 2008 election period by some ZANU PF thugs and to date she does not know where her husband is and whether or not he is still alive. ZimRights however referred some of these traumatized torture victims to Counseling Service Unit and is still working on how best to assist other torture victims who have lost their livelihoods.

The meeting was attended by one hundred and twenty people of whom seventy were men whilst fifty were women.

Torture is illegal and a serious violation of human rights. The effects are dire and some victims may not recover for the rest of their lives. This is a practice that the government of national unity must be vary of given the continued talk of elections this year. ZimRights urges government to rein in all those that have been accused of using torture, particularly those working in institutions such as the police, army and intelligence agency.

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