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Zimbabwean NGOs refuse to address African Commission
MISA-Zimbabwe
May 21, 2007

Zimbabwean Non -Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with observer status at the African Commission for Human and Peoples' Rights' session underway in Accra, Ghana, have refused to address the Commission on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe citing security concerns arising from remarks made by the Minister of Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa.

At least five NGOs from Zimbabwe, among them the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Zimbabwe), Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa (SAHRIT) and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) were expected to deliver their statements on Saturday, 19 May 2007. Instead, the NGOs released a joint statement through the Civil Liberties of Nigeria in which they expressed strong concern over statements made by Minister Chinamasa.

In a live radio interview in Accra, Minister Chinamasa branded Zimbabwean civic society organisations as regime change activists and singled out MISA-Zimbabwe's Legal Officer Wilbert Mandinde as one such activist working for a British and American funded non-governmental organisation.

"The remarks by the Minister place accredited non-governmental organisations from Zimbabwe in a position where they cannot publicly, and without fear of retribution, address this Commission, as is their obligation in updating the Commission on the current situation prevailing in Zimbabwe," reads the joint statement.

"In light of these threats, we would want to urge the Honorable Commission to challenge the Government of Zimbabwe to demonstrate its sincerity in suggesting that the human rights violations in Zimbabwe are imaginary, not real, and exaggerated, by making an undertaking that they will not subject any of the participants to this forum to some form of harassment, intimidation or such other harm only on account of having participated legitimately and lawfully in the proceedings of this session. We request that this undertaking be made public.

"In the absence of such undertaking, we request that the African Commission, through its Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders should take all precautionary measures to ensure that all those who enjoy Observer Status and have participated in this Session will not be subjected to harassment, or attack on account of their participation, whether here in Ghana, or upon their return to Zimbabwe."

Presenting a statement on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe during the 41st Ordinary Session of the ACHPR, Chinamasa attacked NGOs from Zimbabwe as regime change activists. He told the Commission that problems in Zimbabwe were being caused by Western countries which had allegedly poured resources to political malcontents and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for purposes of destabilising the country.

Chinamasa also made the same allegations when he appeared on a Joy FM live radio interview on 18 May 2007. Reacting to an intervention by MISA-Zimbabwe's Legal Officer Wilbert Mandinde who said that the Zimbabwean government is persecuting journalists and has also refused to open the airwaves, Chinamasa retorted: "I want to attack Mandinde, I mean respond to what he has said. Mandinde is a regime change activist who works for a British and American funded organisation on the regime change agenda."

These developments come in the wake of calls by African NGOs for the Zimbabwean government to desist from the wanton arrests, harassment and torture of journalists.

The call was made in a resolution adopted at the end of a three-day Forum held in Accra from 12 - 14 May 2007 on the Participation of NGOs in the 41st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.

During the Forum, African NGOs expressed concern over the situation of journalists and freedom of expression activists in Africa especially in Zimbabwe, Eritrea, The Gambia, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Somalia and called upon these and various other African states to respect provisions of the African Charter, the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa and their various constitutions on the right to freedom of expression.

On Zimbabwe, the Forum also called upon the government to fully and thoroughly investigate all outstanding issues.

"We call upon the government of Zimbabwe to thoroughly investigate all outstanding issues including the bombings of the Daily News printing press and Offices of the Voice of the People Trust as well as the abduction and murder of freelance cameraperson Edward Chikomba," said the Forum.

The Forum said the government should urgently repeal laws which hinder the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA).

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