Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

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Latest News from ROHR in Zimbabwe

ROHR Members under siege from Zanu PF militia and state agents

Sun, 21 Dec 08 19:42 administrator
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About 40 ROHR members in Bindura have fled their homes to mountains and surrounding areas following attacks and arrests by state agents and Zanu PF militia. ROHR field officer Ms Gladys Karonga spoke from the mountains where she is in hiding, that Zanu PF militia and state agencies had descended on Trojan mine and Chipadze arresting and beating several ROHR members. The arrested are being accused of having staged a demonstration on the 1ST of December against President Mugabe without police authority. Vice president Joyce Mujuru who attended the function instead is said to have complained about the demonstration accusing ROHR organisers of failing to respect her and the occasion.The demonstration which attracted more than 350 residents from the small town of Bindura collided with the International Aids Day commemorations which were held in Bindura with several government officials in town as residents took to the streets.

 Of the arrested Norbert Dhokotera, Zuze Zuze and Amili Ndawalaya were remanded in custody to the 27th of December. Tongai Jack of Ward 11 in Bindura had his house destroyed by marauding Zanu PF youth militia. Others who fled to surrounding towns claim they were being followed by unknown people. Some of the members have approached ROHR head office in Harare in search of food and temporary shelter until the situation calms.

 Several members are in hiding and have not had decent shelter, food and health since they cannot visit their homes in fear of being arrested or beaten. "The situation is similar to events leading to the 27th of June runoff where several activists were either killed abducted or arrested by state agents and Zanu PF. This automatically triggers a humanitarian crisis in an already difficult economy. We have only managed to send 100 kgs of mealie meal, 10 litres of cooking oil and some kapenta for one day meal because of our limited resources; we are also providing food to the arrested while we had to refer some of our members to other humanitarian organisations for assistance.  "We would like to appeal to well wishers to assist us with resources to rescue our members" said ROHR Chief Executive Officer Mr T. Gandanga.

Currently more than 22 civil and opposition activists have been abducted including Jestina Mukoko, Gandhi Mudzingwa and MDC chief security officer Chris Dlamini not yet found three weeks after they were abducted.
 

ROHR Zimbabwe demonstrates in Mashonaland Central, Bindura...

Tue, 02 Dec 08 20:36 Information Department Zimbabwe
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As the economic sting forces millions of Zimbabweans to rely on food aid
More than 350 Bindura ROHR members and residents took to the street today (01 December 2008) in a protest organised by ROHR Zimbabwe. The protest is part of a ROHR Zimbabwe's multilayered campaign for Democracy and Justice.
The protests are calling for a quick resolution to the political impasse and the creation of a transitional government that should be able to quickly deal with the worsening humanitarian crisis caused by a total breakdown of the socio-economic fabric of the country. The evidence of this can be seen by the over 800 deaths caused by Cholera and closure of public hospitals, widespread hunger and poverty and the increase of the population that is relies with food aid over the past few months. According to United Nations statistics 4.9 million people are in need of food aid and project the number to increase to 5.1 million in January 2009.


The protesters marched from the CBD of Bindura along the main street. It ended at Chipadze bus terminus, where the presence of police forced people to disperse.  The experience of arrests by police, beatings and possible abductions by Central Intelligence Organisation agents and Zanu PF operatives which have become Zanu PF's chief strategy of dealing with dissent and peaceful protests have affected the people's ability to protest freely.
 
ROHR Zimbabwe calls upon all Zimbabweans and other civic organisations to join in protests to register anger for the unresolved political, socio-economic multi-layered crises in Zimbabwe. No words can describe the high level of poverty and hunger that has cuffed the citizenry due to the political vacuum created by the highly elusive all-inclusive Government of National Unity comprising Zanu PF and the two MDC formations.
 

Bulawayo Demonstration

Sun, 23 Nov 08 00:00 Information Department Zimbabwe
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The “Demand for Justice and Democracy Campaign” demonstration scheduled for Friday 21 November 2008 in Bulawayo was subdued by heavy presence of police, army and CIO’s in the city. The demonstration collided with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) graduation ceremony which Robert Mugabe attended. The heavy presence of the uniformed forces and CIO’s made it impossible to demonstrate but ROHR members managed to distribute fliers to the people in the streets. Members of the public however appeared unfazed by this hostile presence as they openly reached out for the informative material and approvingly shouted, ‘victory is for the people’. 
The demonstration is a continuation of the Demand for Democracy and Justice Campaign whose primary aim is to see Zimbabwe hold fresh elections for a new government and a leader of their choice within two years. The campaign also seeks to push for the prosecution of perpetrators of political violence, post March 29 election and before as well as those who are looting the countries’ resources.  
Whilst Zanu PF continues to arrogantly but desperately cling to national security forces i.e. Home affairs, Defence, CIO etc which are its conduits for orchestrating violence against the ordinary citizens, the Zimbabwean crisis is now at desperate and dangerous level. In most towns people are succumbing to Cholera every day, hunger and starvation is nationwide and major hospitals are closed.  Schools and Universities are either closed or failing to open. On the other hand the collapsed economy continues to cause severe suffering on the ordinary Zimbabweans. People can no longer access their cash in banks, can’t afford their daily meals.
 ROHR Zimbabwe views the above crisis as a direct consequence of Zanu PF’s failure to govern since independence and the subsequent subversion of people’s democratic right to choose a leader of their own on the 29th of March. This nonsense must be stopped and every Zimbabwean, churches progressive political parties, civic society and the international community must take action to stop this madness.
The Demand for justice and democracy campaign will continue to unpack a series of protests until the people of Zimbabwe are finally allowed the opportunity to exercise their right to vote for a government of their choice in a free, fair and peaceful environment, whose outcome will be undisputed.
 
Information Department
Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe
P.O Box 8719
Harare
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Tel: +263 4 744593
Mobiles: +263 912 426638, +263 912 713410

 

ROHR Zimbabwe Demonstration in Gweru

Tue, 04 Nov 08 00:13 administrator
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ROHR Zimbabwe Demonstration in GweruROHR Zimbabwe has once again mobilised citizens in Gweru to demonstrate against the current political, economic and social impasse besieging the nation of Zimbabwe and to call for a quick resolution of the status quo to one that guarantees democracy, justice, food, health education for all.

At about 1200hrs more than 200 people participated in the protest march held in Gweru today. They were holding placards and distributing flyers to the public. Some passers-by joined in the protests, despite the dangers associated with street demonstrations in Zimbabwe, which have been illegalised by the controversial Public Order and Security Act (POSA), a piece of legislation introduced by the Government to curtail freedom of association and expression.

Last Updated ( Tue, 04 Nov 08 00:38 ) Read more...
 

Moses and Memory found seriously injured

Sat, 01 Nov 08 11:35 administrator
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Moses Shorai Mutasa (30) and Memory Chashayele (26) who were abducted on Monday 27 October 2008 for participating in a peaceful protest organised by ROHR Zimbabwe have been found. They are shaken and in deep pain caused by the extremely brutal assault they endured in the hands on their abductors. They were abducted by Zanu PF youths believed to be under the command of Elliot Manyika, the national Zanu PF commissar.

Memory escaped at 1400hrs the same day from the Zanu PF building. She said the thugs were threatening to kill her because they feared she would go around telling people that Zanu PF beats up people. She was rescued by a sympathetic member of the Central Intelligence Organisation who sneaked her of the building. ROHR Zimbabwe rushed her to the hospital on wednesday when her return was registered with the office.

Moses spent the whole night in the torture chambers, known as the ‘dark rooms’ inside the Zanu PF headquarters only to be released Tuesday at 0900hrs. He was snatched away against his will from the public at Net One building, a few meters away from Harare International conference centre (HICC), the venue of the SADC troika meeting aimed at brokering a solution to the current political impasse. He said 12 Zanu PF thugs in a unidentified white truck , pounced on him and drove off at full speed together with three other activists whom he could not identify. They beat him up all the way to the Zanu PF headquarters. They stomped all over Moses’s body while he lay flat in the truck.They shouted insults and accused him of engaging in protests which they claim were meant to embarrass president Robert Mugabe. X-ray results show that he suffered six fractured ribs.

3 people of the many people who were beaten by the Zimbabwe Republic Police for participating in Monday demonstrations were still in hospital as of 30 October.

ROHR Zimbabwe is greatly perturbed by the barbaric behaviour of police and the apparent display of ignorance on the part of Zanu PF, who have failed to convince to the world and people of Zimbabwe in particular that they are committed to a Government of National Unity with opposition. Meanwhile, the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans continue to deteriorate and plunge deeper into deep catchment of economic plagues. People are dying daily of hunger, poverty, cholera and other diseases while the political players in Zimbabwe and the SADC region seem to want to take their time.
Last Updated ( Thu, 20 Nov 08 05:14 )
 
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