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Our heroes, our legacy!

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 18:52 administrator

From ROHR Zimbabwe Information Department

Every nation on earth has emerged from conflict, war, oppression or a past legacy of injustice against its people or exploitation of its resources at one point in time. The historical unfolding of developments and effort to undo injustice in quest for freedom inevitably has given birth to the discourse of national historical ethos. At the heart of every country’s rare achievements are the drivers or champions who chose to step out of the comfort zone, deny themselves for a cause whose reward was insurmountable at a personal level. The quest for peace and equality among the human family is one of the finest achievements to inspire recognition.

Thirty years after overpowering the oppressive colonialist regime of the British rule under Ian Smith, Zimbabweans from all walks of life honor the legacy of the liberation war heroes and heroines who rose against the tide, exchanged sweat and blood to lay a foundation upon which Zimbabwe was birthed. A scrutiny of those who sacrificed their lives reveals that above all they were united and driven by the desire to see Zimbabweans freed from oppression.

We are all indebted to these gallant sons and daughters through their sacrificial blood and sweat – who chartered the struggle for attainment of self rule, equal distribution of resources, land being the prime heritage, realization of human rights and people’s freedoms.

As a nation we should find a common place of unity in the priceless achievement that was scored by the patriotic liberation legends particularly during this troubled time of transition under the coalition government. It is regrettable that the three principles in the GPA have failed to establish a common place that outweighs their differences to cement a strong practical tangible doctrine of unity. We have two paradoxical camps of two extremes. Sadly because of the hostility between the two, Zimbabweans are divided along partisan lines. The mistrust, tension and hostility existing between the MDC and ZANU Pf is a life time bomb that can ignite every time a cigarette is lit. The worst highlight was that of 2008 in which the bloody elections turned into a green-eyed monster scoffing the meat it feeds on.

Sweat and blood of the gallant sons which brought about freedom from discrimination and inequality is now being wasted in vain as was feared by Dr Edison Zvobgo. 'We need to constantly check if we are still heading north as our compass had always instructed, if we check our compass and it indicates that we are now heading south, we would have betrayed the blood and souls split during the war. The blood of the sons and daughters would have spilt in vain.’ Instead of furthering the work of the liberation struggle two camps have emerged. One purports to be ignorant of the historical past and the other realizing the blunder of the latter purports to guard the historical achievements. Proverbially two generations at war with each other instead of working together.

The sad truth of the apathy of our generation is that some individuals and their political parties, out of lack of understanding historical national discourse, have not only voluntarily been relegated from ownership of the liberation struggle but have been given the identity of the former oppressors. This acceptance of grandiose propagandist lies has given leverage for the perpetuation of a generational lie that has distorted the significance of our liberation war legacy. Alas heinous crimes against humanity have been carried out in the name of defending war gains and defending the cliché of sovereignty.

Sadly in the guise of guarding the gains of the hard won liberation struggle, what was achieved has been fiercely reversed to unimaginable proportions worse by those who even claim to have done more than others. Freedom of expression, assembly and association has been withdrawn at the behest of protecting the stranglehold of power for one regime. The right to chose leaders has been hugely contested and rendered insurmountable in the face of growing violence, intimidation and political persecution.

Cognizant of the rights that become accessible after the war of liberation, it is regrettable that a case of new wine in old bottles has become the prevailing case of the day. The justification making rounds for the persecution of people of the same nationality whether true or false do not warrant the violation of rights of innocent man, women and children who get caught up in the jinx of great power politics. Politics or no politics, human rights are universal, inalienable and non conditional.

ROHR Zimbabwe joins the entire nation in celebrating the legacy of our liberation war heroes. We acknowledge that our endeavors in campaigning for people’s real freedoms and a culture of human rights would not be possible without the sacrifice of those who were at the forefront to overpower the colonial regime. We continue to draw inspiration from the dedication, patriotrism, consistence, selfless commitment, unyielding belief and clarity of purpose that defined the status of our long gone heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle.

The post independence generation has a role to play in not only preserving the gains but also in continuing with the noble fight of seeing Zimbabweans set free from oppressive systems of governance. Our heroes and heroines fought for generational sovereignty, the universal individual right for the Zimbabwean child to vote without persecution. As in the vision and drive of the late icon, General Josiah Magama Tongogara, “Our demand is just and legitimate. We demand a free and fair election where international observers will oversee." (1978).

Understanding that the fight for a democratic society is a long protracted struggle, we encourage Zimbabweans from all works of life to honor the new generation heroes. Some have paid the debt of fighting s good fight with their lives and others continue to be birth as they achieve extraordinary feats for our beloved country Zimbabwe.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

ROHR Zimbabwes statement on the disturbances surrounding constitution outreach process

Sunday, 01 August 2010 10:15 administrator

The historic outreach constitution consultation process began across the country’s provinces a few weeks ago. It marks the first crucial first step of gathering people’s inputs on the various thematic areas set by the COPAC team towards the shaping of the supreme law in the land. What makes the entire process special is the fact that it’s the first time that the people of Zimbabwe have been accorded a chance to write a home grown constitution since attaining independence in 1980. After attaining independence the country adopted the unsatisfactory Lancaster house constitution which has been further doctored a record nineteen times to curtail peoples freedoms as the price to strengthen the strangle hold on power for the more than three decades old regime of ZANU.

It is with great regret that ROHR Zimbabwe has learnt that the constitution outreach process has been met with severe disturbances threatening the credibility of the outcome of the process. Reports of systematic intimidation campaigns, organized violence and life threats are the order of the day. Innocent families have fallen victim to the terror campaigns amidst recorded reports of people who have fled their homes after receiving threats of violence. Reliable information and reports received by ROHR Zimbabwe point to the fact that party supporters of the ZANU PF party and their youth militia have hijacked the process to coerce people to endorse their narrow partisan stance culminated in the form of the infamous Kariba draft constitution.

What is more perplexing is the disgusting revelation that even the state agents and uniformed forces are implicated in the disturbances. Their underground dealings have given birth to systematic hugely sponsored campaigns to sway the peoples free will. Operations such as Tisu tintaura We are the ones mandated to speak and operation Vhara muromo Close your mouth have been deliberately hatched with the sole aim of scattering the progress of the COPAC exercise by barring certain sections of the society from exercising their legitimate rights because of their political affiliation.

ROHR Zimbabwe notes with growing agitation the spiraling reports of violence and intimidation surrounding the outreach constitution process. We reiterate that the unfolding evidence strongly vindicates the existence of the infrastructure, system and mechanisms of violence responsible for the 2008 terror campaign which claimed more than 200 innocent lives.

We further note that despite the coming into existence of the coalition government to promote unity, it is of concern that every national event which translates into people in putting their views ends up in a serious catastrophe violating the rights of the very people who are supposed to be the ultimate beneficiaries. We hold that the making of the constitution is an interest cross cutting agenda that should benefit all Zimbabweans and future generation to come regardless of political affiliation.

We do not condone the violation of people’s right to freedom of expression, assembly and association. It is no secret that the current constitution is undemocratic. Draconian legislation like POSA and AIPPA have resulted in a hugely defective constitution bent towards maintaining an oppressive system in power at the expense of the people. It is therefore only acceptable that people should be denied their rights to speak freely against a past legacy of authoritarianism by defining a new law that is in conformity with international human rights law governing the rights of the human family as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

ROHR Zimbabwe is against the manipulation of national events by political parties especially for sinister outcomes infringing on peoples rights as exhibited in the current disturbances besieging the COPAC exercise. Not to mention that it sends discarded signals to the international community during this time of transformation towards an ideal democratic society.

We strongly denounce the mindset of propaganda by some political parties of trying to hoodwink the entire nation holding people at ransom by masquerading as the sole liberator of the people from colonial rule. Placed in the right context, the liberation struggle was a lifetime achievement which united all Zimbabweans from different political divides. The selfless sweat and sacrificial blood of the sons and daughters who gallantly responded to national duty at the appropriate time ensured the extraordinary momentous feat of destiny. For too state institutions particularly the security forces and the media have been illicitly politicized and monopolized along partisan lines.

The coalition government stands reminded that human rights are not selective gifts bestowed upon the people at the pleasure of politicians or governments but that they are God given, universal, indivisible and inherited upon birth for the human family.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

Everyone has a right to state protection and equality before the law

Friday, 23 July 2010 20:59 administrator

A member of the MDC party was ambushed and assaulted during the first week of July 2010 by a mob of ZANU PF youth militia in Muzarabani.

Mr. Kagura was heavily assaulted by a gang of more than eleven men armed with logs. He sustained life threatening head injuries, twisted wrist joints and limbs. Kagura told ROHR Zimbabwe that he only managed to flee when he fired a gun shot from his firearm forcing the marauding mob to disperse.

The MDC activist, had visited Keba Madya,a member of the ZANU PF party at his home to inquire about a debt owed to him. Madya is said to have insisted on getting witnesses from his political party members since he was under pressure from his party structures for allegedly mixing with pro MDC people.

After spending the entire night in the bush wounded, Kagura was arrested by Muzarabani police. He spent five days and nights in police custody. Despite the fact that he had lost so much blood from a gushing wound on the head, he was denied medical attention by the police.

Kagura told ROHR Zimbabwe that his attempts to demand treatment ended in him being told that his was a special case and that they needed to get permission from their superiors on how he should be treated.

Kagura is agitated by the police behavior which he described as discriminating against those deemed enemies of certain political parties. He further claims that the judiciary procedure presided by judge Chakanyuka was fast-tracked to a predetermined outcome in favor of the aggressors. The judge did not bother to check for a medical report to establish the nature of the injuries sustained by Kagura. Ironically the assailants were vindicated for their act and the victim was slapped with a harsher penalty of imprisonment.

As ROHR Zimbabwe we remain concerned by the role being played by some members of the police force and judiciary in failing to execute their duties professionally to maintain objectivity, fairness, transparency and independence. It is regrettable that institutions of the state remain unreformed and biased at the backdrop of the critical time of transformation to a democratic society. The Global Political Agreement stresses that there should be equal treatment of all people regardless of political affiliation. It is incumbent upon the law enforcement agents to uphold the provisions of the GPA to ensure that human rights are not violated at the whim of political extremism.

Articles 9 and 10 of the Universal declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that ‘no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile” ‘’everyone charged with a crime is entitled equally to fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.”

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

Security forces should come to the party

Friday, 23 July 2010 20:56 administrator

From ROHR Zimbabwe Information Department

Events preceding the formation of the coalition government between the three principals to the GPA have seen a relentless continued stranglehold of influence on the security forces by one political party arguably at the expense of national interest. Despite the fact that the coalition government was negotiated in the spirit of inclusivity that has not been the case characterizing the order of the day. Each party is caught up in a dog eat dog survival of the fittest encounter.

The security forces and the judiciary are the key components on which the success of the transition agenda weighs. Independence of the two arms of the state has been a subject of contests as ZANU Pf continues to signal its intent of not entertaining any overtures of laying off their control of the uniformed forces: the army, the police, state intelligence, ministries of defence, home affairs and communications at the centre of rampant accusations of undermining of the rule of law by these institutions. Unmistakable the resolve by ZANU to pursue a ravenous unrepentant stance means they have put their cards splashed on the deck – their partisan interest to defend the regime supersedes national interest.

Over the years ZANU has built an ideology unfortunately an entire oppressive system of resistance against change. Broadened into a root structure system, it has grown into a powerful demonic force and one dare not underestimate its impact. A system that is designed to foil any attempt against its values, culture and time span and that is against the winds of change. The secret of undoing this demonic force lies in replacing the very mindset that it represents with the one that should replace it rather than ultimately getting wrapped up in addressing its impact.

Having been subjected to a violent system that it fought to overthrow, it assumed the same mechanism then and throughout its life span everything then has to do with militancy, violence, monopoly, resistance, selfishness, aggression, authoritarian. The mindset has refused renewal and slowly become redundant.

ZANU understands that without the control of security forces, the core partners to the coalition government are toothless bull dogs. Despite any efforts to push for democratic reforms and account for the past legacy of corruption and violence, it’s met with the system and structures.

The politicization of national events further divides the nation with the backdrop of the much needed unity of purpose to stir the country on a path of a stabilized transformation mode. Persistent contravention of the GPA by the dominant forces in the coalition government is a clear revelation of sheer lack of political will towards the wave of democratization in the transition. For too long ZANU Pf has hidden behind the adage of coercively posing as the sole liberator and legitimate patron of the Zimbabwean people to whom people remain indebted, through the manipulation of the media and the police in political campaigns.

The issue of transitional justice was deliberately down-played by the GPA at the height of moves to protect dominant parties implicated in gross post independence human rights abuses. It is unequivocal that attempts on blanket amnesty on the past wrongs will not bring sustainable peace evidenced by the spiraling impunity which has become institutionalized to haunt and terrorize innocent citizens.

For the people of Zimbabwe, the transition will be cynical process with a pre-determined outcome dashing the hopes of many who placed hope of a new dawn from this historic political dispensation. The lack of equality of all citizens before the law remains a cause of concern. Allegations of selective application of the law are still besieging the coalition government. Human rights defenders, students, lawyers, journalist, political activists and all those deemed critical of the government continue to be harassed with impunity, arbitrarily arrested and subjected to degrading inhuman treatment in deliberate efforts to snuff any attempts on demands for transparency and accountability.

Dogged by the identity crisis of what is the dominant force among the three political parties to the GPA, the coalition government has been operating way below capacity due to the division of priorities, efforts, commitment and energies towards national developments. The constitution making process and the national healing exercises are two key indicators to measure the success of the ongoing efforts of the coalition government. Regrettably enough, national events have been heavily politicized. Predictably and shocking as it may be, the security forces are alleged to be part of the sabotaging efforts with reports that uniformed forces were reported to be deployed to intimidate people from participating freely in the ongoing constitutional outreach.

Organized state sponsored intimidation fed from political intolerance is still widespread in politically charged communities around the country.

Emerging from a decade of conflict and a painful legacy of violence, the coalition government should place the respect of human rights, people’s freedom and justice at the centre of developmental issues at all times.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

Zimbabweans yearn for leadership to stir national healing

Monday, 12 July 2010 21:19 Tichanzii Gandanga

This article is by Tichanzii Gandanga, ROHR Secretary General who survived a brutal attempted murder in the run up to the June 2008 elections.

Under the Global Political Agreement (GPA) article 7, the coalition government agreed to promote equality, national healing, cohesion and unity through ensuring equal treatment, creation of an environment of tolerance and respect among Zimbabweans. This was to ensure that all citizens are treated with dignity and decency irrespective of age, gender, race, and ethnicity, place of origin or political affiliation.

Two years down the line, national healing and reconciliation remains but an article, a piece of paper. Two years after, it is difficult to reconcile the mandate bestowed upon the organ of national healing and the actual unfolding events in most communities particularly in the rural areas.

The roadmap to the carrying out of a credible and effective national healing process has remained in oblivion since the coming into existence of the coalition government despite the agreement between the parties that they shall stir, ‘’the setting up of a mechanism to properly advise on what measures might be necessary and practicable to achieve national healing.’’

Unfortunately, the events that have shaped the vital issues to do with national healing, integration and cohesion during the life span of the coalition government have equated to a ship that is in the middle of nowhere, driven by tides with no captain. The stewards to the ministry have been suffering from hysterical amnesia and they have not reached a point of clarity in what is expected from them in delivering products to the nation.

The most characteristic role that they have played is relegating themselves to public relations officers deployed by the principals to manage the general public and watering down the demanding voices of victims of political violence calling for restorative and retributive justice and readdress.

Instead of serving the general populace, the organ has been devoted to serving the principals of the coalition government who are their bosses – where their bread is buttered. No wonder that people in the grassroots are frustrated by the organ. Those who bear the brunt of scars from the reign of anarchy of the bloody elections of 2008 have no kind words on how the taxpayer’s money is being spent on the comfort of ministers of the organ.

Being part of the government, the organ has not done anything to inspire public recognition towards campaigning on behalf of the electorate in vital issues like acknowledging the many victims of political violence born out of the 2008 elections. Millions of innocent people have been either forcibly turned into Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) or driven outside the borders due to the harsh economic and political terrain over the last decade.

The coalition government is in denial. Any information about evidence incriminating perpetrators of violence and human rights crimes is treated with the most severe secrecy to the measure of being state secrets. The classification of information to bar the public from access has stifled the debate around a credible transparent national healing, built upon accounting for the past wrongs through transitional justice and truth telling. Even the arms of the state and government like the judiciary and law enforcement have been coerced and are complicit in concealing information incriminating people.

Our environment continues to be sour, plugged by highly charged political tension and mistrust splitting communities along partisan lines attributable to the lack of renewal of institutions and most important state structures. All this is happening with the backdrop of the organ and the coalition government failing to create a conducive environment for tolerance and national healing. The organ has been a bystander to the accusations of a partisan police force that has been slammed for undermining efforts to bring perpetrators of past wrongs to justice. Worse still, impunity is still rampant and persistent.

In the absence of a clear action plan to stir the nation towards a process of healing, it is perplexing to note that one of the ministers to the organ has publicly announced that the healing process should be completed before the next elections. Healing is a deliberate effort that will take sincere commitment not window dressing and will need resources, purpose and political will. Attempts by those who committed heinous crimes against humanity, to slip under the carpet what happened in the past, has exposed their lack of intent to account for the past knowing well that their hands are stained by blood of innocent souls. Predictably they have resorted to playing a defensive role to hide the skeletons in their closets.

The most antagonizing reality is not only the treacherous act of covering up for what is known publicly to have been done by known individuals, groups of people, institutions but the relentless attempt to feed the circle of violence and anarchy. The infrastructure of intimidation, violence and torture is still intact and oiled up to be unleashed for selfish ends that benefit small elite.

The crisis of visionary leadership besieging the organ of national healing needs to be resolved as a pre-requisite for the body to start posting measurable results to justify its existence. A clear mandate should be shared by the principals to the ministry and it has to sink in that they are accountable to the electorate.

The people of Zimbabwe are progressive and willing to play their role and to actively participate in working towards national healing, peace building supported by credible structures and supportive mechanisms. They yearn for a leadership broader than political affiliation, ethnicity, and individual interest – to embrace the demands of the entire nation. Prevailing politics of our day shames our conscience – national events like the ongoing consultation outreach under the constitution making process have been heavily politicized by hungry power grabbing leaders who are too blinkered to see beyond the horizon. Politics of manipulation will not stand the test of time. The news that the CIO is involved in manipulating the views of the people should be investigated!

We strongly condemn the act of persistent man made manufacture of calamities resulting in more casualties piling on the suspended cases of victims of political violence and other human rights abuses that are awaiting justice.

For Peace, Justice and Freedom

Last Updated on Monday, 12 July 2010 21:26

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