Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

ROHR Liverpool Demonstration. Saturday 20th March from 2 – 5 pm. Venue: Church Street (Outside Primark) Liverpool City Centre. For details please contact: Desire Chimuka 07917733711, Anywhere Mungoyo 07939913688, Trywell Migeri 07956083758. Future demonstrations all on Saturdays: 3^rd and 17^th April, 8^th and 22^nd May. Same venue and time. 

ROHR Oxford Launch meeting. Saturday 20^th March from 2 to 6 pm. Venue: Newroad Baptist Church, Bonn Square,OX1 1LQ,Oxford. ROHR Founder members and Rohr UK Executive present so people come along and let's share the ideas on our human rights issues about us as a people. There is no parking at the church. People can use the Westgate Parkade which is opposite the church but at bit expensive on a Sat for 3 - 5 hrs about £5 - £7. Contact: Wisher Mandava 07552813803, Lucia Takawira 07760315739, Lindiwe Maposa 07837788807, C Gomani 07960103752 or P Mapfumo 07915926323 / 07932216070.

ROHR South East London general meeting. Saturday 20^th March from 6 – 8 pm after the Vigil. Venue: The Strand Continental Hotel, 143 The Strand, London WC2R 1JA. Contact: Courage Chiromo 07894586005, W Rupere 07799702750 or Priscilla Chitsinde 07804696328.

ROHR Thurrock & Basildon launch meeting, Saturday 27^th March from 1.30 6 pm. Venue: Grays Parish Hall, Church Hall, West Street, RM17 6LL, Grays. Contact: Tobokwa Malikongwa 07533660621, Billy Machekano 07765459538,  Paradzai Mapfumo 07932216070 / 07915926323

ROHR Zimbabwe News Alert 13 March 2010

A magistrate who has refused to be named for fear of further victimization has been seriously threatened and put under immense pressure by a top ZANU Pf official who wants to sway the course of justice delivery in favor of five ZANU Pf party supporters.

ROHR Zimbabwe is reliably informed that the magistrate was phoned before delivering a judgment yesterday and threatened by an indignant top wig ZANU Pf, and governor of Mashonaland central, Dinha who ordered him to oblige with an order to award bail to Wellington Chitehwe known as comrade John, Anyway Mavhangira, Jonah Nyakudya, Magaso and another 5^th accomplice.

The five were last year charged with theft and causing malicious damage to property when they vandalized the house and stole property belonging to the MDC deputy chairman for Mashonaland central, Tongai Jack during the reign of sponsored terror in last year’s bloody organized election violence of June 2008.

Against the odds, the defiant brave magistrate defied the threats and dismissed the appeal for the application. Conversely, the judgment has inconceivable angered the governor’s scheme to illicitly forge a release for criminals and in the process reward wrong doing and undermining efforts of seeing a just society that respects the rule of law.

Promotion of the culture of impunity eats up the moral fabric and smacks in the face of peace building initiatives aimed at restoring sanity in the country at a time when Zimbabwe is grappling to locate her feet from a painful legacy of violence. 

ROHR Zimbabwe will not tire to name and shame all those who are found on the wrong side of the law,  abusing their authority and power to satisfy their personal interest at whim albeit at the cost of the rights of down trodden innocent men, women and children. The culture of impunity cannot core exist with efforts to establish genuine peace and respect for human rights.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

From ROHR Zimbabwe Information Department

Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe (ROHR) and Victims Action Committee (VAC), noting the prevailing perpetual upheaval poised at derailing not only the democratic transition, but also the existence of stability in the country, shall be unpacking a series of peace building initiatives at grassroots level with the chief aim of promoting tolerance and core existence among polarized communities.

Being aware of the likelihood of the country holding elections in the near future, it is concerning to note that the environment is still lacking on democratic pre- conditions that can guarantee a free and fair election in which people can freely express themselves without fear of persecution.

Through undertaking peace building initiatives, we therefore pledge to work towards transforming the behavior, attitude and mindset of the traumatized electorate from the negative perception that elections are associated with anarchy, violence, torture, loss of property, murder, harassment, intimidation, pillage and above all rule of man.

The coalition government has an uphill task in pushing the drivers of democracy to win public confidence in contrast to the existing perennial media battles characterized by hate speech, manipulation and self serving propaganda.

It is regrettable that a year after the formation of the coalition government which broke the gridlock between the warring political parties and stirred hope of a better future among Zimbabweans, the status quo is now degenerating into a widening rift of political mistrust propelled by narrow misleading political elite ideologies that are cascading down to people on the ground causing panic, fear and unrest.

We note with concern the sprouting divisions splitting the coalition government, the intransigent forces that hover over the nation casting a dark shadow ahead of the envisaged historic constitutional making and the national healing process. We further note that the deadlock between the negotiators of the Global Political Agreement is a further cause of concern threatening the spirit of unity that is pertinent to driving the country forward.

It has come to our attention, that the intractable behavior of the security forces, particularly the police, is an act of sabotage that snuffs out all the efforts of achieving a just, rational, discriminatory free society that respects the rule of law, embraces a culture of human rights and  diversity and guarantees equality before the law.

We strongly condemn the recent victimization of the labor union workers from GAPWUZ who have been forced to forsake their duties fleeing threats by the police; the outbreak of political violence in Epworth; the allegations of illicit deals and corruption surrounding the mining of diamonds in Chiadzwa.

As organizations indebted to a wide constituency of victims who bore the brunt of political violence across the country, we believe that the government, through its arm, the organ on National Healing, is dragging its feet in timely responding to the various needs of the voiceless victims of political violence who are still smarting from the scourge of immense suffering.

Understanding the untold suffering that the majority of Zimbabweans endured during the unprecedented level of organized political violence which engulfed the nation during the March-June elections of 2008, leaving a multitude of victims, we hold that such a sad chapter of our history should never be allowed to take place again. We strongly condemn any political activities that are bent on dividing the nation and opening the gates of turmoil.

Appreciating the ultimate goal of National Healing, we challenge the government to scale up efforts in implementing short term interventions which target the immediate redress of the plight of the worst affected victims on issues to do with livelihoods capacity building, psycho-social support, medical assistance, economic empowerment and bolstering security and protection from the state.

From the mandate bestowed upon us by our members, as a matter of principle we advocate for a National Healing process that is victim centered, community based and gender sensitive built on values of national truth telling, transitional justice, transparency, free society, respect for equality, freedom of expression and exclusivity. Provision of restorative and retributive justice is an integral part of a credible, fair and responsive National Healing Process.

Perpetrators who ordered gross crimes against humanity like sponsored murder, torture and rape should not only be disallowed to lead the process, but should be prosecuted as a demonstration of seriousness on the part of the government’s non tolerance of violence and impunity. However, for the healing process to be holistic it needs the full active participation of both victims and perpetrators. National mechanisms should be put in place for perpetrators to voluntarily come forward and confess their partaking and acknowledgment of wrong doing.

ROHR Zimbabwe and VAC are grassroots based victim oriented organizations working towards the empowerment and improvement of standards of living among victims of political violence through community mobilization, capacity building and active responses to human rights challenges.

Jointly the two organizations have a database of more than 50 000 victims of political violence dating back to the post independence era.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

After spending a month incarcerated at Masvingo remand prison on alleged charges of immigration transgression, Gahaodus will finally get a feel of freedom after a rescue intervention by the South African Embassy in Harare.

ROHR Zimbabwe can reliably confirm that the South African High Commissioner in Zimbabwe has today confirmed that one of the two detainees held at Masvingo remand prison is indeed a South African citizen and the embassy will soon facilitate his eventual release to South Africa after the finalization of handover papers. The plight of the two detainees was unearthed by ROHR Zimbabwe following a tip off which led to agitating efforts for their release.

Despite the fact that the Zimbabwean constitution states that a person is supposed to be presented before a judge within reasonable time of not more than 48 hours after arrest, the future remains gloomy for Marco Paulo Santos Oliveira (18) who was arrested together with Gahaodus. His hopes of ending the horrific incarceration have hit a stumbling block as South African officials could not identify him as a citizen of South Africa in order for him to qualify for assistance from the Embassy. He is now confronted by a solitary stay in a foreign prison without the slightest hope of when the light of freedom will shine upon him.

Marcos only available option is to pay US $1000 to the Zimbabwe immigration office or risk staying in prison at the mercy of the Zimbabwean government. Marco and Gahaodus were arrested on the 2^nd of February this year by Zimbabwean law enforcement officials for crossing over to Zimbabwe without legal travelling documents but the two deny any involvement in illegal activities.

ROHR Zimbabwe is appealing to the rest of the world for anyone on information which can be useful to identify Marco Paulo Santos's country of origin to contact ROHR Zimbabwe through email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For Peace, Justice and Freedom