ZPP accuse Zanu PF of political rights violations

The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) has accused the ruling Zanu PF for violation of people's political rights during its provincial restructuring exercise throughout its ten province and the incidents of disappearance of Itai Dzamara, and farm invasions in Matabeleland regions.

In its detailed monthly report ZPP indicated that its report covers recorded incidents of civil and political rights violations from the ten provinces of Zimbabwe for the month of March 2015.

"The report also highlights the food situation in the provinces and focuses on how food and other aid continue to be used as a political tool," reads the ZPP report.

The organization said this come six weeks since pro-democracy activist Dzamara was abducted from a barbershop in Glen View by unidentified people. It indicated that the abduction deprived Dzamara of all his rights and can be viewed as a strategy to spread terror within the society.

"Dzamara had been staging peaceful sit ins with some of his colleagues in Africa Unity Square as a way of communicating dissatisfaction with the country's leadership," reads the report. "The insecurity generated by his disappearance is not limited to his close relatives, but also affects the nation as a whole. ZPP remains deeply concerned with the abduction and disappearance of Dzamara. As an organization whose Director and two staff members were abducted under similar circumstances in 2008, ZPP is fully aware of the anguish experienced by his family. His family alternates between hope and despair, wondering and waiting."

The organization said the disappearance of Dzamara could be viewed as a systematic attack directed at pro-democracy activists and qualifies as a crime against humanity. The act has been described by Vice President (VP) Emmerson Mnangagwa as ‘barbaric' but most people have been concerned about the seemingly half-hearted attention the issue is being given.

ZPP reiterated its calls for the Ministers of Home Affairs, State Security and Commissioner General of police and Central Intelligence Organisation Director General to comply with the High Court Order of March 13, 2015 directing them to search for Dzamara and report progress to the court every two weeks until his whereabouts are determined.

"A landmark victory for the villagers in Matobo who resisted the Maleme Ranch take-over by a

Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) operative Rodney Mashingaidze from a white farmer was

recorded in March," reads the report. "The villagers claimed that Maleme Ranch was their only source of livelihood as they benefitted from the farming and poultry projects initiated by the white farmer Peter Cunningham. There was jubilation at Maleme Ranch when VP Phelekezela Mphoko announced that the government had reversed the allocation of the ranch."

The organisation said however, despite the victory the villagers are still apprehensive and remain suspicious that some politicians were plotting to use other tactics to get the farm and destroy their livelihoods.

"The restructuring process within Zanu PF and the factionalism have continued to spur conflict within

the party. In March Zanu PF restructured its cell and branch structures across the country and this

process was fraught with factional fights and intimidation," reads the report. "The process is meant to strengthen the party ahead of the 2018 elections. Due to poor attendance at some restructuring meetings, party activists resorted to forcing people to attend and in some incidents forced individuals to take up party positions at cell level. Zanu PF factional fights continued unabated in some provinces. The

MDC-T was also not spared in intra party conflicts. Inter party violence between Zanu PF and MDC-T

however saw some MDC-T youths being hospitalised after suffering injuries in the scuffles."

The organisation said the distribution of farming inputs and food handouts still remains highly politicised.

"The politicisation is mostly done by those who compile the lists, who in most cases are Zanu PF activists," reads the report. "According to Section 77 (b) of the constitution; every person has the right to- sufficient food. Every person refers to all citizens regardless of political or other affiliation. If subsidised food or food handouts or other aid like the Presidential Agricultural Input

for every person are availed to communities distribution to every person."