Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

From ROHR Zimbabwe Information Department

The second anniversary of the coalition government coincides with this year’s commemorations of the UN International Day of peace. The legacy of the coalition government among other things was the call for humanity to breathe the air of peace from the degenerating crisis that had claimed innocent lives, caused deep seated suffering, loss of property and wide scale abuse of human rights by the Mugabe led government and political party during the reign of terror poll in 2008.

In blunt terms, the purpose of the coalition government was to bring transformation to the national community from a painful legacy of violence and a multi man made crisis to a free, peaceful society built on the values of freedom, respect for human rights, economic prosperity, tolerance, accountability, transparency, good governance, respect for the rule of law and free media. The signed Global Political Agreement provides the basis upon which the coalition government should be monitored and evaluated on the specific things that the three principals Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara agreed to undertake and implement for the betterment of the ordinary Zimbabwean ravaged by endless catastrophes.

Before looking at whether the coalition government is serving its purpose or living up to expectations, it is pertinent to interrogate what led to the conceiving of this uncultured beast with no DNA or identity and whose interests it was inevitably going to appease. Interestingly, far from being a product of the people as a credible election would have been, the coalition government is a political boardroom negotiation to end fighting that was being driven by power struggles. The idea of the majority of Zimbabweans being the major stakeholders wielding negotiating power was lost at the negotiation table and the outcome of the negotiations was a delicate case of negotiators willing to or not to perform according to what they wrote on paper.

Who then was the ultimate winner of the coalition government? Credited with bringing some form of peace, economic resuscitation, service delivery and peace meal reforms, the coalition government should be held accountable to what it set out to do and also with where the future of Zimbabwe is going.

ROHR Zimbabwe notes with growing concern that although a pause button was put to the large scale man made crises; the institutional, legal and structural reforms prevailing, fall short of the acceptable conditions to guarantee sustainable peace and observance of human rights for all. With the ongoing constitutional outreach going on, an insight has exposed the frailty of the reforms in curbing all forms of organized violence and managing conflict before it degenerates into destructive forces.

From reports of violence, intimidation, internal displacements from around the country, there is no doubt that the factors that led to the 2008 orgy of violence are still predominantly at play and in full swing. Regrettably, the infrastructure, systems and structures for organized violence, torture and intimidation have not been disbanded in the communities.

The tragedy is that the security forces and law enforcement agents have not been equipped or transformed to guarantee the security of all persons regardless of political affiliation. To make matters worse, allegations of lack of independence on the bench are still surfacing, casting serious doubts on the deliverance of justice and upholding of the rule of law.

Lack of legal and institutional reform has proved beyond doubt that the country is still lacking in capacity to deal with justice issues springing back to the post independence era not to mention the recent fresh wounds from 2008. The issue of national healing therefore is still a delicate one. The GPA deliberately omitted the issue of justice and consequently, the national healing exercise has been seriously undermined by lack of political will and impunity.

The undoing and the way forward from the coalition government herein lies in the same Pandora’s box. Lack of credibility and mandate from the people has made this government immune to responding to the people’s needs and aspirations. With or without the endorsement of the people the determination and sustenance to remain in power is hinged to other irrevocable power sources.

It is unfortunate that there has been lack of political will among the principals in facilitating the full implementation of the agreements in the signed Global Political Agreement, two years after formation.

Party politics has also taken centre stage, overshadowing the very core things that the coalition government was meant to achieve in providing a transition platform to facilitate the holding of a free, fair and credible election in which the electorate can choose their leaders without coercion. The constitution process is heavily compromised and one does not need to wait until the end to know that it will produce a sham. The process is tainted with allegations of intimidation, coercion, denial of freedom of speech, expression and assembly.

Frankly speaking the means justifies the end and there should serious worry on the resources that are going down a bottomless pit to fund a hijacked political suicide.

ROHR Zimbabwe acknowledges that the observance and sustenance of peace is a deliberate lifetime individual, group and societal responsibility not an occasional or window dressing event. We note with ever-growing concern that in the absence of reforms to secure the observance of human rights, balance of power and upholding of the rule of law, the issue of peace will always be hanging in doubt.

We are also worried by the security of all persons before the law regardless of political affiliation. The lack of consistence by the security forces and arms of state in guaranteeing state security undermines the existence of peace.

In and outside government and state, the process of peace begins with the individual, to the family and rest with the nation as a collective.

We therefore challenge the coalition government to assume responsibility and fulfill all the provisions of the GPA as the minimum conditions to establishing peace structures and mechanisms to ensure that peace building is a lifetime inevitable responsibility.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

Zimbabwe Youth Network (ZIYON), made up of 25 youth organizations, on Tuesday 7^th of September at Quill Club in Harare launched a Sports for Peace Campaign initiative attended by various stakeholders. Presentations were made by the Executive vice chairperson of ZIYON, a member from of the youth organization representing Pace Setters Youth Network, also from the arm of the ministry of education director general from Sports and Recreation Commission, Mr Nhemachena.

This launch of Sports of Peace  comes barely a week after a leading consortium of organizations headed by Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe (ROHR) launched a campaign to promote peace, tolerance, cohesion and national healing under the theme “You and I can make peace happen.’’

Sports for peace campaign aims to distribute sports equipment to designated sports centres, institutions of higher learning, schools, youth centres and orphanages across the county’s ten provinces mostly in marginalized communities .Distributions will be carried out through ZIYON’s alliance of youth organizations. The beneficiaries of the initiative are the youths themselves. Addressing the gathering, the ZIYON spokesperson said his organization had secured 120 sets of sporting equipment for volley ball, basket ball and table tennis ready to be donated to the respective beneficiaries.

Spokesperson Michael Mabwe said, ‘’our project is acknowledging that there is a struggle that has to be fought in Zimbabwe. We are fighting a pro peace, pro freedom and pro youth participation battle because we are being left out in different processes. We are in this battle to create peaceful societies because in the absence of peace our future hangs in the balance.”

He also said that it is critical to understand the role of the youths in politics.” Youths are just needed by politicians close to election time in the field and not in the offices for violent reasons.’’The campaign is premised in encouraging youths to be independent critical thinkers empowered to assume owned up activities devoid of manipulation from politicians.

“As youths we must establish ourselves as independent and objective thinkers who can use sports and other art forms as a medium to communicate pro peace gospel” said Mabwe.

Reflecting on the just ended World cup in South Africa won by the Spanish team earning them their maiden title, the vice chairperson Miss Vongai Munesti elaborated how powerful a tool sport is in fostering peaceful engagement and cutting across the various barricades that seek to divide. She highlighted that although the Spanish team was entirely made up of arch rivals in the Spanish League Barcelona and Real Madrid, the players from the two divides managed to blend well for a national cause and won the most glorious prize in the history of world sport.

Mr Nhemachena applauded the initiative and encouraged ZIYON to exploit partnerships to improve on implementation and the follow up management of the donated equipment. He said there is room to partner with the commission on similar initiatives they were running like the Community Sports Development Programme.

The Sports for Peace Campaign coincides with the African Union’s declaration of 2010 as the year of peace and security. The declaration places huge responsibility on the youth as the critical drivers of peace in their respective communities.

For photos of the event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/sets/72157624934706616/

For Peace, Justice and Freedom