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Mnangagwa slammed for human rights abuses
14 Jan 2024 at 20:21hrs | Views
A human rights organization has strongly criticized the government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for its failure to investigate alleged abuses committed by Zanu PF supporters and security forces against opposition figures.
The global rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), recently published its World report, accusing the government of engaging in human rights abuses that restricted democratic spaces before, during, and after general elections.
"The environment of threats, intimidation, repression, and violence against political opponents significantly undermined the electoral climate. The government's neglect to probe and prosecute abuses primarily carried out by supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party and state security forces entrenched a culture of impunity, particularly leading up to the August 23 elections," stated the report.
Numerous reports of abuse emerged last year, with Zanu PF supporters implicated. In August, a member of the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC), Tinashe Chitsunge, was fatally attacked while campaigning for the opposition, sparking widespread condemnation from the opposition and civil society organizations, which called for the arrest of the perpetrators.
Following the disputed general elections of 2023, the government was accused by opposition members of conducting systematic abductions. HRW's report further condemned the government for suppressing dissenting voices through the arrest and detention of activists.
"Authorities in Zimbabwe continued to misuse the law against government critics, denying those detained the presumption of innocence, the right to bail, and access to a fair trial. On May 17, six University of Zimbabwe students were arrested for staging a peaceful protest in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. The protesters demanded an end to the persecution of opposition politicians, including the release of opposition politician Job Sikhala. The students faced charges of 'criminal nuisance and disorderly conduct' and were released on bail after spending two months in detention," detailed the report.
The global rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), recently published its World report, accusing the government of engaging in human rights abuses that restricted democratic spaces before, during, and after general elections.
"The environment of threats, intimidation, repression, and violence against political opponents significantly undermined the electoral climate. The government's neglect to probe and prosecute abuses primarily carried out by supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party and state security forces entrenched a culture of impunity, particularly leading up to the August 23 elections," stated the report.
Numerous reports of abuse emerged last year, with Zanu PF supporters implicated. In August, a member of the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC), Tinashe Chitsunge, was fatally attacked while campaigning for the opposition, sparking widespread condemnation from the opposition and civil society organizations, which called for the arrest of the perpetrators.
Following the disputed general elections of 2023, the government was accused by opposition members of conducting systematic abductions. HRW's report further condemned the government for suppressing dissenting voices through the arrest and detention of activists.
"Authorities in Zimbabwe continued to misuse the law against government critics, denying those detained the presumption of innocence, the right to bail, and access to a fair trial. On May 17, six University of Zimbabwe students were arrested for staging a peaceful protest in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. The protesters demanded an end to the persecution of opposition politicians, including the release of opposition politician Job Sikhala. The students faced charges of 'criminal nuisance and disorderly conduct' and were released on bail after spending two months in detention," detailed the report.
Source - newzimbabwe
