2015 BEAM allocation is evidence of Human Rights Marginalisation

The evidence released by the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services Honourable Engineer Matangaidze in Parliament on the 30th of November 2016 regarding the 2015 BEAM allocations per province is a clear sign of planned structural regional human rights violations designed to perpetuated and exacerbate social genocide and black on black apartheid in Zimbabwe and is a clear violation of Constitutional Rights and human rights as enshrined in international law.

According to the Parliamentary Hansard Volume 43 Number 18, Bulawayo had 222 BEAM recipients and a total spending of $18 996; Matabeleland North had 487 and a total spending of $42 537 and Matabeleland South had 540 with a total spending of $47 229. Harare had 851 recipients spending $78 836; Mashonaland Central had 1 190 spending $106 458; Mashonaland West had 1 357 spending $129 998; Manicaland had 1 440 spending $129 864; Mashonaland East had 1 572 recipients spending $139 660; Masvingo had 1 632 spending $147 116 and Midlands had 1 632 recipients spending $146 533.

This allocation matrix is in total violation of the national development principles especially section 13 subsection (1)(d) of the Constitution. It is also contrary to Section 18 of the Constitution on fair regional representation especially subsection (2) which says "the state and all institutions and agencies of the state and government at every level must take practical measures to ensure that all local communities have equitable access to resources to promote their development"

It is also clear that the BEAM allocations violate Section 56 of the Constitution on Equality and non-discrimination. Section 56 sub-section (4) of the Constitution says a person is treated in a discriminatory manner if " they are subjected directly or indirectly to a condition, restriction or disability to which other people are not subjected, or other people are accorded directly or indirectly a privilege or advantage which they are not accorded."

The unjustness of the 2015 BEAM allocations also comes against a time when government statistical reports have proved that Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South are one of the provinces with the highest school dropout rates in the country due to issues that include failure to pay school fees, long distances to school and climate change issues.

We therefore call on the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services to ensure fairness and equity in the allocation and distribution of national resources. We also call on the Ministry to desist from unjust and unfair discriminatory practises and adopt an equity and justice in the allocation of services in the country.

Statement By:
The General Secretary
Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights
Mr Benedict Sibasa
Email: mihroffice@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matabelelandinstituteforhumanrights/
Blog: matabelelandinstituteforhumanrights.wordpress.com