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ZimRights statement on Africa Day
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
May 24, 2011

As we mark the 48th anniversary on Africa Day, ZimRights joins the rest of Africa in celebrating Africa Day.

While we commemorate this day, it also comes as a sad reminder of the deteriorating human rights situation in some African countries including our very own Zimbabwe. Violence, arrests and interrogations of human rights activists, journalists and purported critics of the ZANU PF, abductions and killings, setting up of bases and elimination and intimidation has become the order of the day in many areas. Politicians continue to put their needs ahead of the people, crafting policies that only benefit the privileged few while the rest of the majority suffers in daunting poverty.

ZimRights is greatly disturbed by the continued persistence by some parties in the government to hold elections before a clear road map is laid out to avoid a recurrence of the 2008 pre and post election violence. It is time that politicians realise that as much as election may be important to them, they are even more important to the electorate hence the need to ensure that the environment allows for a free, fair and peaceful election. Rather an election be held when contestants are not ready than when the people themselves are not ready.

However, ZimRights also take this opportunity to celebrate our identity as Africans, our unique cultural wealth and diversity and global contribution such as Ubuntu. We celebrate the beauty of our continent and take pride in the fact that Africa is the cradle of humanity. The organisation calls upon all Africans, Zimbabwe in particular to remain steadfast in the quest for peace, development and stability in our continent.

Visit the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) fact sheet

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