Govt of Zimbabwe must end culture of enforced disappearances

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has challenged the government of Robert Mugabe to end the culture of enforced citiozens disappearances.

The organisation made the remarks as the nation joined the world in celebrating the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, which fell on Sunday, August 30, 2015, Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) calls for the government of Zimbabwe to end the abhorrent practise of enforced disappearances.

"The practise of enforced disappearances in Zimbabwe has traceably targeted government critics and human rights activists," said ZimRights.

"In particular, we reiterate our call for the immediate release of abducted journalist-cum-human rights activist, Itai Dzamara, who was abducted by five suspected state security agents on March 9, 2015. Dzamara has been missing for more than 170 days now. Some of the disappeared activists, include Paul Chizuze and Patrick Nabanyama, who have been missing for several years."
ZimRights said the government of Zimbabwe accepted in one of the 177 recommendations by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council under the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in March 2012 to ratify international treaties.

Thus the government must ratify the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

"The government of Zimbabwe must also clearly outlaw this primitive practise in statutes," ZimRights said.

"This is also in line with what UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon this year urged Members States to do."

United Nations boss Ban Ki-Moon said,"On this International Day, I urge all Member States to ratify or accede to the Convention without delay, and I call on the States parties to the Convention to implement it,"  adding: "It is time for an end to all enforced disappearances."

"The practise of enforced disappearances has been rife in Zimbabwe, and linked to political conflict where state functionaries have been identified as perpetrators of the abhorrent and primitive practise against perceived political opponents," ZimRights indicated.

"In previous publicly known cases, survivors have been tortured and treated in an inhuman, and degrading way. ZimRights will continue to speak out against the culture of enforced disappearances in the country and for the general progressive improvement of the national human rights culture."