Heal Zimbabwe engages conflicting parties in various places

Heal Zimbabwe Trust has said as part of responding to cases of human rights violations, through its resident human rights monitors embraced the importance of local solutions to address cases of human rights violations.

"In Insiza North ward 16, where Village head Winani Dube was forcing community members to submit registration slips, an Early warning and response committee established by Heal Zimbabwe has since embarked on raising awareness on the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) process and demystifying myths and falsehoods around the process. Added to this, the committee has facilitated for affected people to report the matter to the police and the case has since been reported at Filabusi police station," said the trust.

"Heal Zimbabwe also runs a 24hr situation room that documents, responds and make timely referrals to incidences of human rights violations. Through the situation room the organisation offers a 24hr rapid response service. One of the objectives of the situation room is to also offer peaceful mediation to conflicts that ferment conflicts in local communities. In Buhera South for example, Heal Zimbabwe managed to mediate in a case of assault between two brothers (Daniel Makura and Aleck Jiswa) who had a misunderstanding over their political affiliation and assaulted each other. Heal Zimbabwe has since engaged the two to organise collaborative neutral platforms in their area in a bid to build peace and tolerance."

Heal Zimbabwe said it has also engaged Village heads implicated in perpetrating human rights violations and highlighted that it is a criminal offence to collect registration slips.

"In Mt Darwin East, Heal Zimbabwe facilitated for people who were denied food aid to report their case at Karanda Base camp police station. The implicated Village head Bright Mafundirwa was summoned to the police station and cautioned. The police also instructed him to give food aid to those whom he had struck off the beneficiary list," he said.

"In Buhera South ward 29, Heal Zimbabwe again facilitated for Daniel Makura to report an assault case at Birchenough Bridge police station. Makura was assaulted by a Zanu PF member Aleck Njiswa on 27 February 2018. He was assaulted for supporting opposition party, MDC-T. The case appeared before Chimanimani Magistrate court on 6 March 2018 and Aleck Njiswa was found guilty and sentenced to 6 weeks of community service."

The trust said Njiswa has since started community service at Bhegedhe secondary school.

"Added to this, as part of its target advocacy initiative, Heal Zimbabwe has also engaged the perpetrators and cautioned them on the need to uphold fundamental human rights such as the right to register and vote freely," said the trust.