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Lawmakers urged to act on International Day for the rights of truth on gross human rights violations
25 Mar 2016 at 05:49hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has urged law makers in the country to act on the issue of international day for the right to the truth concerning gross human rights violations and for dignity of victims.
ZLHR said the United Nations (UN) chose March 24 of each year as the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims to recognise and honour the memory of victims of human rights violations, to promote the importance of the right to truth and justice, and to pay tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to the struggle for fostering a culture of human rights around the world.
"People have the right to know the truth about gross human rights violations and serious violations of human rights law," said Kumbirai Mafunda the ZLHR communications officer.
"An international observance that dates back to 2010, this day obliges governments to protect and guarantee human rights, to carry out effective investigations and to guarantee effective remedies and reparations to victims of human rights excesses."
ZLHR said in Zimbabwe, this International Day is being marked at a time when many families are agonising over the pervasive tragedy of enforced disappearances and the failure by Zimbabwean authorities to investigate, establish the whereabouts and update family members on progress regarding the missing persons.
"These include Patrick Nabanyama, Paul Chizuze and Itai Dzamara. ZLHR remains deeply concerned that probe reports submitted by the Zimbabwe Republic Police as far as investigating the disappearance of Dzamara as ordered by the High Court in March 2015 show very little progress, if any at all," Mafunda said.
"We condemn the lack of progress made in investigating the human rights violations highlighted by the abduction and enforced disappearance of Dzamara, Chizuze and Nabanyana and in punishing those responsible. Those responsible for disappearing these citizens have committed a heinous crime under international law. It is traumatising that since the disappearance of Nabanyama in 2000, Chizuze in 2012 and Dzamara in 2015, the government and all the powerful State security organs cannot or will not account for their whereabouts."
He said the disappearance of these citizens signifies a flagrant violation of the most basic rights to life and liberty, the right to a family, to a community, to a decent work and many more.
"Perpetrators of abductions and enforced disappearances must understand that abduction and holding people incommunicado is an outdated, inhumane, and ultimately ineffective practice that ruins the lives of innocent people," he said.
"ZLHR is also disturbed by reports published in the local media about the failure by legislators to constitute a quorum in Parliament by filibustering and walking out each time debate on the issue of disappearances is raised in Parliament, thus stalling debate on a motion on the disappearance of Dzamara."
Mafunda said such action is deplorable and is tantamount to dereliction of duty on behalf of the people they claim to represent.
"As a country still traumatised by a history of forced disappearances dating back from the Gukurahundi atrocities which remain unresolved 36 years after attainment of independence, legislators owe it to the public to seriously consider and debate enforced disappearances, condemn such an archaic practice which can affect anyone, and take action to alleviate the suffering of the families and other concerned citizens," he said.
"To this end, ZLHR hopes that lawmakers, regardless of political allegiance, will do their utmost to reduce unnecessary filibustering. ZLHR calls upon the State to ensure that all persons under its jurisdiction are protected from enforced disappearances and other such violations."
He said as an organisation committed to fostering a culture of human rights in Zimbabwe, ZLHR will continue confronting perpetrators of enforced disappearances and torture through litigation to contribute to ending this barbaric practice and the impunity it fuels.
"As a member state to the UN, ZLHR calls on the government to take tangible measures to ensure that: the truth about the whereabouts of Nabanyama, Chizuze and Dzamara is established and revealed as a matter of urgency; those responsible for these serious human rights violations are held accountable; those disappeared and their families are afforded their own right to truth - the full reasons for their abduction, the exact identities of their abductors, and any relevant details that will enable them and members of their families to make informed decisions about their remedies," he said.
"It ratifies, domesticates and implements provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances and the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Protocol to ensure full accountability of perpetrators and redress and rehabilitation to victims."
ZLHR said the United Nations (UN) chose March 24 of each year as the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims to recognise and honour the memory of victims of human rights violations, to promote the importance of the right to truth and justice, and to pay tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to the struggle for fostering a culture of human rights around the world.
"People have the right to know the truth about gross human rights violations and serious violations of human rights law," said Kumbirai Mafunda the ZLHR communications officer.
"An international observance that dates back to 2010, this day obliges governments to protect and guarantee human rights, to carry out effective investigations and to guarantee effective remedies and reparations to victims of human rights excesses."
ZLHR said in Zimbabwe, this International Day is being marked at a time when many families are agonising over the pervasive tragedy of enforced disappearances and the failure by Zimbabwean authorities to investigate, establish the whereabouts and update family members on progress regarding the missing persons.
"These include Patrick Nabanyama, Paul Chizuze and Itai Dzamara. ZLHR remains deeply concerned that probe reports submitted by the Zimbabwe Republic Police as far as investigating the disappearance of Dzamara as ordered by the High Court in March 2015 show very little progress, if any at all," Mafunda said.
"We condemn the lack of progress made in investigating the human rights violations highlighted by the abduction and enforced disappearance of Dzamara, Chizuze and Nabanyana and in punishing those responsible. Those responsible for disappearing these citizens have committed a heinous crime under international law. It is traumatising that since the disappearance of Nabanyama in 2000, Chizuze in 2012 and Dzamara in 2015, the government and all the powerful State security organs cannot or will not account for their whereabouts."
He said the disappearance of these citizens signifies a flagrant violation of the most basic rights to life and liberty, the right to a family, to a community, to a decent work and many more.
"ZLHR is also disturbed by reports published in the local media about the failure by legislators to constitute a quorum in Parliament by filibustering and walking out each time debate on the issue of disappearances is raised in Parliament, thus stalling debate on a motion on the disappearance of Dzamara."
Mafunda said such action is deplorable and is tantamount to dereliction of duty on behalf of the people they claim to represent.
"As a country still traumatised by a history of forced disappearances dating back from the Gukurahundi atrocities which remain unresolved 36 years after attainment of independence, legislators owe it to the public to seriously consider and debate enforced disappearances, condemn such an archaic practice which can affect anyone, and take action to alleviate the suffering of the families and other concerned citizens," he said.
"To this end, ZLHR hopes that lawmakers, regardless of political allegiance, will do their utmost to reduce unnecessary filibustering. ZLHR calls upon the State to ensure that all persons under its jurisdiction are protected from enforced disappearances and other such violations."
He said as an organisation committed to fostering a culture of human rights in Zimbabwe, ZLHR will continue confronting perpetrators of enforced disappearances and torture through litigation to contribute to ending this barbaric practice and the impunity it fuels.
"As a member state to the UN, ZLHR calls on the government to take tangible measures to ensure that: the truth about the whereabouts of Nabanyama, Chizuze and Dzamara is established and revealed as a matter of urgency; those responsible for these serious human rights violations are held accountable; those disappeared and their families are afforded their own right to truth - the full reasons for their abduction, the exact identities of their abductors, and any relevant details that will enable them and members of their families to make informed decisions about their remedies," he said.
"It ratifies, domesticates and implements provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances and the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Protocol to ensure full accountability of perpetrators and redress and rehabilitation to victims."
Source - Byo24News
