Panafrican News Agency

22 civil society leaders and human rights defenders charged with subversion to date: Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition

Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) says to date 22 civil society leaders and human rights defenders have been charged with subversion this year in what is fast becoming a deterioration of human rights.

CZC is a conglomeration of more than 80 civil society organisations in Zimbabwe.

“We are worried about the political situation in our country and with an escalation of human rights violations and the collapse of the economy and resultant social service nets resulting in the millions of citizens seeking refuge in neighbouring countries and beyond. Fresh cases of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions and abductions of unarmed civilians and civil society leaders are being reported,” CZC said in a statement on Monday.

“Multiple threats and intimidation by government officials against trade unions, civil society leaders and ordinary Zimbabweans are continuing unabated. To date, about 22 civil society leaders and human rights defenders and opposition leaders have been charged with subversion since the beginning of the year.”

In view of growing civil unrest over the declining economic and political space, government has been allegedly cracking down on opposition and civil society leaders.

This has irked western envoys who jointly released a statement condemning the crackdowns.

“In August alone, police arrested over 80 citizens in Bulawayo, Chitungwiza and Harare on allegations of committing public violence. In Harare, medical facilities have recorded more than 20 cases of people who were brutally assaulted by police including a journalist, Fani Mapfumo, who was covering a peaceful protest on the 16th of August 2019. The injured include women and children,” CZC said.

“The democratic space continues to shrink and Zimbabwe with the banning of demonstrations in all major towns signalling a state of emergency. The judiciary is now heavily compromised and is being systematically used to deny the people their fundamental rights as enshrined by Section 59 of the constitution and the expansive bill of rights in the Zimbabwean charter.”

CZC fears if the situation continues unchecked, there are greater chances of an escalation of social unrest and instability in Zimbabwe.

“This might result in regional instability as Zimbabweans seek food, shelter and refugee in neighbouring countries,” CZC said.

Part of the crackdowns has included reports of alleged abductions by suspected state agents of civil society leaders and opposition leaders.

“What is rather disturbing is that besides having international and regional legal instruments that prohibit enforced disappearances, Zimbabwe continues to record a spike in cases of enforced disappearances,” Heal Zimbabwe, a local human rights organization told PANA.

“What is rather worrisome is the lack of political will by the government to ratify key conventions that speak to issues relating to state obligations in as far as prevention of enforced disappearance of citizens is concerned.”

Conventions that Zimbabwe is yet to ratify include the United Nations Convention against Torture or Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CAT), the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons against Enforced Disappearances as well as the Rome Stature among others.

Information, Publicity & Broadcasting Services deputy minister Energy Mutodi has dismissed allegations of abductions as stage managed and has called the arrests constitutional.

"No matter how democratic our government can be, we can never guarantee that drunkards & prostitutes stop fighting," he tweeted on micro-blogging website, Twitter.

-0- PANA TZ/VAO 2Sept2019