The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has dragged the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) and its First Secretary, Robert Mugabe, as well as Secretary for the Women's League, Grace Mugabe to the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) for rights violations.

ZANU PF and the two Mugabes have been responsible for a series of violations of fundamental human rights set out in the Chapter 4 of the Zimbabwe Constitution. Chapter 4 sets out the fundamental rights and bounds the state, its agencies and every person including juristic persons to respect, protect and uphold.

Since November 2015, ARTUZ has been documenting a series of cases where section 58 and Section 81(h) has been violated by ZANU PF leadership with Robert Mugabe and Grace Mugabe being the chief culprits in thee violations.

Section 58 provides for Freedom of assembly and association and he specific violations targeting rural teachers especially ARTUZ members have been in respect of section 58 (2) which provides that 'no person may be compelled to belong to an association or to attend a meeting or gathering.

Teachers in rural areas have been forced time and time again to contribute cash and groceries to ZANU PF rallies and gatherings especially those which were addressed by their First Secretary, Robert Mugabe and Women's league Secretary, Grace Mugabe.

Examples cited in the dossier submitted to ZHRC include the coercing of teachers from different parts of the country to pay for ZANU PF rallies especially those addressed by Robert Mugabe and Grace Mugabe. The following table provides a
summary:
Table 1: Selected affected schools and teachers affected

Table 1: Selected affected schools and teachers affected

Date	Province	School	Estimated Number of Teachers affected	Perpetrator
12/02/16	Mashonaland Central	Kanyemba Secondary school	32	Grace Mugabe, ZANU PF Women's Assembly Secretary
17/02/16	Manicaland	St Johns Primary School	40	Grace Mugabe, ZANU PF Women's Assembly Secretary
23/02/17	Bulawayo	All schools	2 000	Robert Mugabe, ZANU PF First Secretary
23/02/17	Matabeleland South	Matobo and Mzingwane Districts	7 00	Robert Mugabe, ZANU PF First Secretary
27/06/17	Masvingo	All Rural Schools	40 000	Robert Mugabe, ZANU PF First Secretary

In respect of Section 81(h) the Mugabe duo and their party has been responsible for violating the rights of children. Section 81(h) provides that no child 'may be compelled to take part in any political activities.'

ZANUPF is in the habit of busing school children to rallies and forcing the closure of schools. As evidence, ARTUZ presented picture showing school children at ZANU PF rallies.

The following table provides a summary of cases recorded by ARTUZ:

Table 2: Selected schools where violations targeting children have occurred

Date	Provinces	School (s)	Estimated number of children affected	Perpetrator
12/02/16	Mashonaland Central	Kanyemba Secondary School	1 000	Grace Mugabe, ZANU PF Women's Assembly Secretary
17/02/16	Manicaland	St Johns Primary School	1 200	Grace Mugabe, ZANU PF Women's Assembly Secretary
23/02/17	Bulawayo	All public schools	28 000	Robert Mugabe, ZANU PF First Secretary
23/02/17	Matabeleland South	Schools in Matobo and Mzingwane Districts	18 000	Robert Mugabe, ZANU PF First Secretary

 
The union went further and asked the ZHRC to undertake an investigation into the issue and produce a report on the allegations of violations.