Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Home ROHR News ROHR in Zimbabwe
Latest News from ROHR in Zimbabwe

ROHR Zimbabwe News Alert 16 April: Report on fact finding visit to Muzarabani

Sun, 18 Apr 10 21:42 administrator
E-mail PDF

Politically motivated discrimination rife in Muzarabani constituency

At the height of the worst indescribable discrimination driven by political malice, greed, corruption and outright inhuman cruelty, more than 25 community members from Muzarabani have been promptly barred from attending various church groups because they are supporters of the MDC. The order to bar the suspended villagers comes after threats of harm which were relayed to pastors and church leaders of church groups which include Faith Apostoilc Church, Hambakuku, Mugodhi and Zion.

The controversial decision was passed at a meeting that was convened by the self confessed ardent supporter of ZANU Pf Chief Kasekete on the 2nd March this year at Hoya business centre.

ROHR Zimbabwe undertook a sight visit to access the situation in Charunda village and we can reliably confirm from an informed position, that a Pentacostal Holiness Church in Charunda village was razed down to ashes, burnt logs and lumps of bricks in an act of arson by a staunch ZANU Pf supporter, Paradzai Chabayanzara who is believed to have set the church on fire because it was being attended by members of the MDC to the dislike of ZANU Pf sections in the same village.

One of the suspended villagers barred from attending church, MDC youth organizing secretary for Muzarabani South Misheck Sango said that it was also resolved that bibles should not be read in any of the churches. He bemoaned the decision to suspend them from attending church as most of their community members were church goers and peace loving.

Some of the acts of discrimination which were reported to ROHR Zimbabwe as being instigated by Chief Kasekete against supporters of the MDC include barring participation in social activities like soccer tournaments and influencing of donors to choose beneficiaries on partisan lines. Speaking to ROHR Zimbabwe, Sango said they were forced to forego a lifetime opportunity to be beneficiaries from a program of construction of Blair toilets that was carried out by World Vision in 2009.

The losing councilor for MDC Charunda village said there are more than twenty families who are not registered in any herdsmen’s records books because they are being discriminated against as punishment for being MDC supporters.

ROHR Zimbabwe views these acts of discrimination as deliberate malicious moves targeted at disempowering innocent people from their social rights in the community at the whim of overzealous partisan sections of the society acting on narrow partisan authority. We hold that discrimination constitutes serious violation of fundamental human rights and that human rights are not privileges or gifts bestowed on people at the pleasure of any local leaders, politicians or whoever is commanding a higher authority in public affairs.

We therefore challenge chief Kasekete in his personal capacity to desist from corrupt activities that violate the rights of his villagers through discrimination and execute his servient duties as an independent officer to uphold the equality for all regardless of political affiliation. We want to remind chief Kasekete that non discrimination is a cross cutting principle under international human rights law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights  (1948) under chapter 1 clearly states that, ‘’ all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

Check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/sets/72157623759903273/ for photos of the burnt church, demolished house and property.

Last Updated ( Sun, 18 Apr 10 22:05 )
 

ROHR Zimbabwe News Alert :Two villagers detained over the Muzarabani disturbances

Thu, 08 Apr 10 12:36 administrator
E-mail PDF

Virginia Charunda daughter to herdsman of Charunda village together with Mai Chirozva a member of ZANU Pf party were on Friday 2nd April taken in for interrogation over the disturbances that saw more than 50 people fleeing their homes to escape threats of terror in Muzarabani.

Suspicions surrounding their detention among the community members are that they informed the MDC party supporters of the imminent danger that awaited them following a meeting that was held by ZANU Pf supporters on the 26th March at Hoya business centre in which resolutions were passed for youths to be hired from Chivenga village to punish MDC supporters.

Information made available to ROHR Zimbabwe by the MDC district chairman for Muzarabani Freddie Motonhodze is that the whereabouts and status of the detainees is still gloomy and yet to be ascertained by the community members after they were mysteriously taken by the police in the company of sergeant Kapeta, member of CIO Yahwe and assistant inspector for Muzarabani, Majojo on unspecified charges.

On Sunday 4th April Centenary police station intervened to coordinate the safe return of the fear stricken families of Charunda village who had been forced to become internally displaced persons from imminent threats of violence.

ROHR Zimbabwe notes with grave concern that the cancerous culture of impunity continues to flourish and yet the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has the capacity and competency to amicably resolve conflict and quell outbreaks of violence peacefully if they choose to be professional and desist from enforcing the rule of law at the whim of certain political parties.

We note with grave concern that, Paradzai Chabayanzara  is still walking free despite the collective efforts made by the community to apprehend him and hand him over to the police after he was caught committing a crime that constitutes to serious damage to property when he burnt down a church and a house belonging to an MDC member.

We encourage the ministry of home affairs to shun against the unethical conduct of condoning impunity as this in turn has corrosive effect of eroding the dignity and respect of the police force in the eyes of intransigent forces who strive in anarchy.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

 

 

Statement from ROHR Zimbabwe on the outbreaks of violence

Fri, 02 Apr 10 13:42 administrator
E-mail PDF
ROHR Zimbabwe condemns in the strongest terms the rekindled acts of violence and intimidation campaigns that are resurfacing in some parts of the country targeted at innocent vulnerable community members. It is regrettable that violence brings untold suffering mostly to women and children, against their wishes and aspirations.

We call upon the principals to the Global Political Agreement to be responsible and accountable for the actions of the different political parties they are representing in the negotiations. Cognizant of the fact that at the top level the principals are negotiating in peace and comfort, we do not condone a situation whereby their constituencies at the community level are up in arms against each other.

The widespread indescribable internal displacements of March- June 2008 election violence represent a sad chapter of our legacy, the largest man made catastrophe and fierce proportions of crimes against humanity. It is our collective responsibility as a nation that, the sad chapter should never be revisited even in the worst of times when we have differences as a people.

We reiterate that the ministry of home affairs has a pertinent role to play in guiding the nation from a legacy of violence and cancerous impunity into a post conflict non discriminatory society that is build upon values of liberty, fairness, and respect for humanity, justice, freedom, transparency, accountability and trust.

The biggest threat to the writing of a people’s constitution and achieving sustainable national healing is the thriving self serving culture of impunity that blinds our country from visionary leadership. It is disgusting that whilst people are still smarting from the wounds from the past orgy of election violence, they are now being subjected to fresh wounds by the same system, infrastructure and mechanism that were responsible for promoting widespread organized and sponsored violence.

We submit as a matter of principle in the best interest of the people at large that the infrastructure of violence, intimidation and torture should be disbanded forthwith by all responsible parties as a gesture of goodwill towards rebuilding our beloved country. Violence begets more violence and a country cannot be built on a doctrine or culture of fear.

We challenge the guarantor of the talks, SADC and the chair President Zuma to guarantee first and foremost the peace and security of the people who should be the ultimate beneficiaries of the outcome of the prolonged talks in the midst of the progress that is being avidly reported against reports of fresh rounds of politically motivated violence.

ROHR Zimbabwe remains indebted to the meritorious cause of fighting for the rights and redress of the welfare of the neglected and trampled victims of politically violence.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom
Last Updated ( Fri, 02 Apr 10 13:52 )
 

ROHR Zimbabwe News Alert 01 April: More reports of internal displacements

Fri, 02 Apr 10 13:40 administrator
E-mail PDF

ROHR Zimbabwe received another sad report from its partner organization Victims Action Committee (VAC) on seven families that were forced to flee their homes yesterday around 0800 hours following a threat of violence made by Ishmael Jeni at a prayer meeting held at Zhanda village of Chishapa area in Shamva.

Information made available to VAC by one of the displaced victims, Mrs.Honzeri is that Jeni threatened to descend on them with a group of ZANU Pf youths at night to destroy their houses to drive them from the village for being supporters of the MDC. Among the displaced group are seven men, seven women, ten children under the age of twelve and two teenagers.

The families faced a similar fate during the round of violence in March 2008 and now they are squatting in the nearby bushes with no access to food, water and shelter.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

Last Updated ( Fri, 02 Apr 10 13:47 )
 

ROHR Zimbabwe News Alert 31 March: Terror breaks out in Muzarabani, 16 families flee their homes last night.

Wed, 31 Mar 10 19:15 administrator
E-mail PDF
16 families from Hoya ward 17 in Charunda village of Chief Kasekete in Muzarabani yesterday fled their homes at night to seek refuge at St Albert business centre to avert organized terror from a group of more than 200 ZANU Pf youths hired from Chiwenga ward.

Earlier this weekend, in an insidious criminal act of impunity that has left the village paralyzed, Paradzai Chabayanzara and a group of unidentified ZANU Pf youths are reported to have burnt down the Charunda village AFM church and Kafuramutowa's house member of the MDC. Speaking to ROHR Zimbabwe, the district chairman for Muzarabani, Freddie Matonhodze said the church was burnt because the ZANU Pf supporters are alleging that it's a church for the MDC people.

Reliable information made available to ROHR Zimbabwe this morning by Matonhodze, is that 55 members from Charunda village; man, women and children including the herd-man aged 70 had to walk for more than 84 kilometers during the night and are now destitute following an arrangement that was made by the ZANU Pf district chairman to hire youths from a neighboring village to come and assault all members of the MDC.

The unraveling terror incident is linked to the sprouting rekindled reports of violence and intimidation campaigns targeted at MDC supporters ahead of the constitutional outreach program. "They don't want people from the MDC speaking about the constitution; they are claiming that only the chief and the herdsmen are authorized to speak on behalf of the people" said Matonhodze.

Commenting on the plight of the stranded 16 families who are in dire need of food, water and shelter, Matonhodze said he was not impressed by the behavior shown by ZANU Pf supporters in the inclusive government." ZANU Pf is not in the inclusive government because of the will of the people but as a result of negotiations. They want to impose their shameful constitutional position on the people by force forgetting that the majority spoke resoundingly on March 29."

He also criticized the partisan behavior exhibited by Chief Changara Kasekete for promoting a discriminatory society bent on disempowering community members on grounds of political affiliation.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom
 
More Articles...


Page 4 of 20

Donate

We are growing in strength and are making a difference in Zimbabwe. This requires money and any assistance you could offer to help our cause and the people of Zimbabwe would be greatly appreciated. You can either make a deposit into the UK Bank Account: Account Name: ROHR Zimbabwe, Account Number: 20204870, Bank: Barclays, Finsbury Park Branch, Sort Code: 20-46-60. Or you can donate using Paypal via the link below. Thank you.

Paypal Donate Button