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Mthwakazi Republic Party petitions ICC, UN over rights abuses in Zimbabwe
13 Sep 2024 at 16:08hrs | Views
The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has called on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to intervene in what it describes as a crackdown on its members and pro-democracy activists in Zimbabwe.
The MRP also sent petitions to several regional and international leaders and organizations, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union, the African Commission of Human and People's Rights, Minority Rights Group International, International Crisis Group, and Amnesty International, highlighting similar concerns.
In a petition to the OHCHR dated August 29, MRP leader Mqondisi Moyo detailed ongoing harassment and intimidation targeting the party and its supporters.
"Recent threats made on August 21, 2024, by Zanu-PF's Munyaradzi Machacha, head of the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, to 'crush' the MRP and Mthwakazi people for advocating the establishment of national borders separating the Mthwakazi Republic from Zimbabwe are deeply troubling," the petition stated.
The MRP claims its members are facing constant harassment, threatening phone calls, surveillance, and even physical assault. According to the petition, peaceful protests and assemblies are being brutally suppressed, leading to injuries, deaths, and displacements. The party also accused government officials of promoting hate speech and vitriol against both the MRP and Ndebele people, fostering a culture of hostility.
The petition also highlighted what the MRP described as institutionalized economic marginalization of the Matabeleland region, urging international attention.
A key demand in the petition is for an internationally-led investigation into the Gukurahundi massacres, dismissing the State-led process initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who sanctioned local chiefs to lead public hearings into the 1980s killings in Matabeleland.
"We call for the establishment of an internationally-led truth commission to investigate the Gukurahundi Genocide (1983-1987) and ongoing human rights abuses. There must be prosecution and punishment of perpetrators, including high-ranking officials and security forces, along with reparations and compensation for victims and their families," the MRP's petition said.
The party further appealed for international arbitration in resolving the situation, advocating for dialogue instead of violence. "We need a neutral institution to invite the Zimbabwean government to the negotiating table. We prefer dialogue, not violence," MRP stated.
According to Moyo, the ICC Registry has acknowledged receipt of the petition, while responses from other institutions are still pending.
The MRP also sent petitions to several regional and international leaders and organizations, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union, the African Commission of Human and People's Rights, Minority Rights Group International, International Crisis Group, and Amnesty International, highlighting similar concerns.
In a petition to the OHCHR dated August 29, MRP leader Mqondisi Moyo detailed ongoing harassment and intimidation targeting the party and its supporters.
"Recent threats made on August 21, 2024, by Zanu-PF's Munyaradzi Machacha, head of the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, to 'crush' the MRP and Mthwakazi people for advocating the establishment of national borders separating the Mthwakazi Republic from Zimbabwe are deeply troubling," the petition stated.
The MRP claims its members are facing constant harassment, threatening phone calls, surveillance, and even physical assault. According to the petition, peaceful protests and assemblies are being brutally suppressed, leading to injuries, deaths, and displacements. The party also accused government officials of promoting hate speech and vitriol against both the MRP and Ndebele people, fostering a culture of hostility.
The petition also highlighted what the MRP described as institutionalized economic marginalization of the Matabeleland region, urging international attention.
A key demand in the petition is for an internationally-led investigation into the Gukurahundi massacres, dismissing the State-led process initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who sanctioned local chiefs to lead public hearings into the 1980s killings in Matabeleland.
"We call for the establishment of an internationally-led truth commission to investigate the Gukurahundi Genocide (1983-1987) and ongoing human rights abuses. There must be prosecution and punishment of perpetrators, including high-ranking officials and security forces, along with reparations and compensation for victims and their families," the MRP's petition said.
The party further appealed for international arbitration in resolving the situation, advocating for dialogue instead of violence. "We need a neutral institution to invite the Zimbabwean government to the negotiating table. We prefer dialogue, not violence," MRP stated.
According to Moyo, the ICC Registry has acknowledged receipt of the petition, while responses from other institutions are still pending.
Source - southern eye
