“The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) is
concerned by the levels of interparty and intraparty violence witnessed
recently in the country,” said Zimrights report.
“Supporters of the ruling party Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) were embroiled in a bloody clash at Davies Hall in Bulawayo recently. A few days before, ruling Zanu-PF and opposition MDC-T supporters had clashed leaving three people hospitalised in another incident of violence in Epworth in Harare.
“ZimRights urges political parties to nip such violent tendencies in the bud as the country faces an election campaign season ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections.”
“Supporters of the ruling party Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) were embroiled in a bloody clash at Davies Hall in Bulawayo recently. A few days before, ruling Zanu-PF and opposition MDC-T supporters had clashed leaving three people hospitalised in another incident of violence in Epworth in Harare.
“ZimRights urges political parties to nip such violent tendencies in the bud as the country faces an election campaign season ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections.”
This is simply not good enough!
Vote buying and politically motivated violence are now an
integral part of Zimbabwe’s political culture. In 2008, when the country had
its worst cases of blatant vote rigging and wanton violence, SADC stepped in and
tasked the GNU comprising Zanu PF and the two MDC factions to implement a raft
of democratic reforms designed to dismantle the Zanu PF vote rigging machine
and deliver free and fair elections. Sadly, not even one reform was implemented
in five years. Not one! Worse still, Zimrights and none of all the other civic
organisations has ever said anything to condemn Zanu PF and MDC politicians for
their blatant betrayal of the nation, even now with the benefit of hind sight!
“Zero-tolerance to violence is crucial because as political
competition within and between parties rises towards the forthcoming general
elections in 2018 the likelihood is that tensions among political players will
also rise,” concluded Zimrights report.
How many more beating, rapes and political murders is it
going to take organisations like Zimrights before they all finally open their eyes
to the political reality and finally admit that the only way to end Zimbabwe’s
its culture of political violence is by implementing the democratic reforms.
Everything thing else is just a waste of time!
Contesting flawed elections is an act of madness; Zanu PF
are doing it because they are guaranteed no-regime-change. The opposition are
participating in the elections because they know Zanu PF will give away a few
gravy train seats as David Coltart has admitted.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a
coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the
elections,” explained Senator Coltart.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the
only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to
account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither
could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats
and giving the process credibility.”
Why have organisations like Zimrights not done the obvious
and honourable thing and calling for the boycott of the flawed elections until
reforms are implemented? After 37 years of the mindless violence one would
think someone would now be keen to end the culture of violence and not just to
chain out more and more reports of violence peppered with pious calls “nip such
violent tendencies in the bud”. I can just see the everyone in Shake-Shake
House, Zanu PF HQ, shaking in their boots and calling off their party thugs!
Zimbabwe is facing a serious economic meltdown that seen
unemployment soaring to 90% and has forced millions into a life of abject
poverty and heart breaking suffering and deaths. The economic situation is
socially and morally unsustainable.
We need meaningful economic recovery as a matter of life and
death and for that to happen we must have free, fair and credible elections.
Zimbabwe’s economic recovery is dependent on political change this is why all
stakeholders including civic organisation must join in demanding the
implementation of democratic reforms BEFORE the next elections. Zimbabwe cannot
afford another meaningless election that will do nothing to end the economic
crisis.
Political violence is now part of Zimbabwe culture; SADC recommended that we implement the democratic reforms designed to dismantle the Zanu PF vote rigging machine. They argued that MDC should not contest elections without implementing the reforms first.
ReplyDeleteZimrights have their solution; asking the parties "to nip violence in the bud". No doubt Zanu PF thugs are shaking in their boots with fear! Well done, Zimrights!!!!!!
Yesterday, three Zanu-PF youth members and six war veterans linked to the violent clashes appeared yesterday before magistrate Tinashe Tashaya facing various charges, ranging from malicious damage to property, assault, criminal insult to indecent assault.
ReplyDeleteWar veterans Cephas Ncube (59), Juliet Sibanda (55) and Luke Mpofu (64) were charged for assaulting provincial youth leader Makgohloa (34), accusing her of being sympathetic to Kasukuwere.
ACTING President Phelekezela Mphoko yesterday caused a storm after he reportedly barged into Bulawayo Central Police Station, and expressed anger over the arrest of several Zanu-PF activists in connection with the intra-party violence that occurred at the party's provincial offices at Davis Hall on Sunday.
In July last year, he reportedly descended on Avondale Police Station in Harare at night and ordered the release of top Zimbabwe National Road Administration officials, who had been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on graft allegations involving over $1 million.
Wait until Zimrights hears of all this, they will send the Zanu PF activists and VP Mphoko shaking in their boots with their “Nip the violence in the bud!” message! Who needs SADC and their advice of implementing democratic reforms; we have our own home grown Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation, ZIMRIGHTS, they will whip the Zanu PF ruling elite, party thugs, the Police, ZEC, everyone into line in no time! WATCH this space!
Go Zimrights, go!
There is a report of VP Mphoko storming a Police Station for arresting G40 activists who were involved in a melee with the Lacoste faction in Bulawayo. It is no secret that one of the things that has fuelled Zimbabwe’s culture of political violence is how Zanu PF has encouraged the violence and then protected those responsible from facing justices. Over 500 innocent people were murdered in the 2008 wanton violence of operation “Mavhotera papi!” (Whom did you vote for!). President Mugabe himself orchestrated the violence and led from the front.
ReplyDelete“What was accomplished by the bullet cannot be undone by the ballot!” He commanded!
I totally agree with you, demanding the full implementation of the democratic reform before holding another flawed election is the only “obvious and honourable thing” to do here. The very fact that such civic organisations like Zimrights are still talking of something nebulous and totally useless appeals for parties to “nib violence in the bud” only goes to underline why the nation is in a real mess.
We are cursed in not only having a corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF ruling party complete with its entourage of corrupt and incompetent opposition parties, we also have a toothless and totally ineffective civic society. At a time when the nation desperately need a civic society that will talk truth to power, our civic leaders are grovelling and undermining the very people they claim to represent with their misplaced piety.
In Zimbabwe it is common knowledge that there are Government Organised NGOs complete with Zanu PF operatives dictating every decision. The big question is; is there even one any truly independent NGO still left in the country?
The country sliding into the abyss and all Zimrights can suggest is “Nip violence in the bud!” How nauseatingly stupid is that!