Mnangagwa regime told to end State sponsored abductions

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government has been urged to end State-sponsored abductions, arbitrary arrests, detentions, and torture of opposition activists and human rights defenders.

This call comes as Zimbabweans reflect on the unresolved disappearances of figures such as journalist-turned-activist Itai Dzamara, Tonderai Ndira, Tapfumaneyi Masaya, and Patrick Nabanyama, who were allegedly abducted by State security agents and either never found or discovered dead.

In a statement marking the 2024 International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT) condemned Mnangagwa's regime as ruthless. The organization honored the victims of enforced disappearances and survivors of State-sponsored abductions, arbitrary detention, and torture, many of whom have not received justice. HZT also recognized the families and human rights defenders who have faced harassment for demanding justice.

The statement highlighted the ongoing pretrial detention of four abduction victims, Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, Samuel Gwenzi, and Vusumuzi Moyo, who are facing politically motivated charges after being abducted, held incommunicado, and tortured.

HZT criticized the government's failure to comply with a 2015 High Court order to intensify efforts to locate Itai Dzamara and provide regular updates, viewing it as part of a broader culture of impunity. Instead of justice, victims of enforced disappearances have been vilified and, in many cases, charged with politically motivated offenses.

Zimbabwe has been slow to ratify the United Nations International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, which HZT sees as no coincidence given the country's record on human rights. The organization stressed the need for thorough investigations into State-sponsored abductions and called on the government to comply with court orders and ratify the international convention.

HZT also demanded that Mnangagwa establish an Independent Complaints Commission to address human rights violations by State security agents, including the police, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), and the army, and to strengthen the country's human rights protection mechanisms.

Reaffirming its commitment to seeking justice, HZT expressed its ongoing support for victims of enforced disappearances and their families in their pursuit of a just Zimbabwe where human dignity, freedoms, and life are respected.

The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed annually on August 30, was established by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of enforced disappearances and honor the victims and their families.