Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

13 June 2009

Dear friends 

This news feed is a report back to all ROHR Zimbabwe members in United Kingdom who support us, and to all our stakeholders and colleagues who have an interest in the work we do. 

This week on Wednesday, ROHR Zimbabwe ran a workshop in Mutare.

We are constantly overwhelmed by the support people give us in the communities. They accept our vision and mission and people are beginning to realize that human rights are an integral part our lives and ours to claim, promote, protect and defend.

Delegates came from far and wide in the districts of Manicaland – from areas such as Nyanga, Katerere, Kazozo, Avilla and even Ruwangwe where ROHR Zimbabwe donated goods to orphans in 2008.  

Debates were triggered by presentations made by ROHR Zimbabwe National Chairman Ray Muzenda, invited guests from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA). The major topics covered were that of national healing and reconciliations, constitution and the general human rights situation in the country. 

The most salient feature about this meeting is the general consensus that now is not the time to talk about national reconciliation. People are keen to see justice prevailing over a blanket amnesty through the Government ‘Forgive and Forget’ campaign. The human rights situation is still untenable and the Government still needs to take concrete steps to settle that area. 

Yourssincerely
EdgarChikuvire

REPORT OF THE ROHR ZIMBABWE WORKSHOP HELD IN MUTARE – 10 JUNE 2009 

On Wednesday 10 June 2009 ROHR Zimbabwe held a leadership development workshop in Mutare. Delegates were drawn from the eight districts of Manicaland.  

This year, ROHR Zimbabwe has run 4 workshops in Mashonaland Central, Matebeleland, Midlands and Manicaland. The workshops are an opportunity for the organization to strengthen its structures of human rights leaders within communities to influence local initiatives for effective advocacy and defense of people’s rights and freedoms.  

The platforms are also, and more importantly, used as an opportunity for the organization to consult the people on current national issues and also to find out their opinions and views.  

The meeting which was facilitated by ROHR National Chairman, also drew participation from colleagues in other organizations such as Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), National Constitutional Assembly, Mutare residents associations and supporters of the three political parties (ZANU PF, MDC – T and MDC – M) 

What the people said: 

On Constitution (GPA Article VI)
·         The constitution is a social contract between the leaders and the led. The led tell the leaders that we do not all desire to rule – can you do it on our behalf but do it well. Therefore the constitution is an opportunity for the led to decide exactly how the leaders should lead the people.
·         The process of making the Zimbabwe constitution will also determine the quality and content of the constitution. The content of the new constitution should reflect the aspirations of the people and more importantly rescue Zimbabwe from the paradigm that brought it down to its knees in the past decade.
·         People said the constitution making phase must not be used as misdirection by politicians who might see it as an opportunity to shift people’s attention from the politically motivated crimes committed after the 29 March elections.       

On Promotion of Equality, National healing, Cohesion and Unity (GPA article VII)
The people said they learnt of the Inclusive Government’s intention to persuade people to forgive each and forget the effects of the 2008 political violence as a prerequisite for national unity and development. 

However, some participants were vowing to revenge what happened to them none the less. 

Some people said that it would be difficult for people to forget while known perpetrators were still walking scot free with their lives. An example was given of Joseph Chinotimba the vice chairman of a war veterans association, who they alleged killed many people in Buhera where he contested as a Zanu PF candidate and lost. They allege that Chinotimba tied the dead bodies to the trailer of his truck in public display, threatening people with the same fate if they refused to support ZANU PF.  

The MDC was warned not to rush to the media and the communities with forgive and forget message because the people still do not trust ZANU PF. They see ZANU PF turning back and reactivating its crack down on the people.  Will MDC be able to face the same people telling them that they lied? 

Here are some of the highlights of what people said on the issue of National healing and reconciliation:
·         This is not the right time to call for national healing and reconciliation because the violence is still happening within communities.
·         There is no guarantee that politicians have reformed and people live in constant fear that the violence campaign can easily begin since the ZANU PF’s infrastructure of violence is still intact. Commanders of the army, who were known as ward co-ordinators are still in the camps that were used to unleash terror in the communities in 2008.
·         People feel that Article VII of the GPA conveniently avoided the use of the word Justice. There should be justice and if possible compensation before the Government starts talking about National unity.
·         Women in the conference pointed out that there is not money that will be able to compensate the damage (psychological and physical) done to rape victims.    

Delegates at the workshop spoke hard against the government led national healing and reconciliation process which they said was a clear sign of lack of proper commitment to heal the nation and move forward.  It was clearly spelt out that the nation is not ripe for national healing; many spoke against the government’s involvement in the process saying that this could negatively affect people’s participation. Participants said that a credible process can only be led by independent persons free of government’s interference like the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  

People present also encouraged the government and civil society to find common ground and work together in the constitutional reform process which they said was the only missing link for free and fair elections. Most of the delegates said that a people driven constitution comes from a people driven process. The government cannot decide how it shall govern the people since it is the right of citizens to define how they shall be governed by writing a constitution for themselves. 

The workshop attendants reiterated the need for peace alleging that violence was still widespread in rural areas.  Recent cases of political violence were reported where purported MDC supporters had their houses burnt down in Chipinge and Nyanga in May 2009. 

For photos of the workshop, check; http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. 

From ROHR in Zimbabwe

Today we decided to bring you something different from our usual email briefs.  

Firstly we built our newsfeed today upon the foundation by laid ROHR Zimbabwe’s countrywide leadership development workshops and consultations being done currently. Secondly we invite your feedback on thoughts relayed in the transcript below.  

On 15 May 2009, ROHR Zimbabwe carried a workshop in Gweru which was attended by our members and representatives of other organizations from Midlands. On the deliberations made, people gave their opinions on the burning topics of today such as the constitutional process, national healing and reconciliation, truth and justice and reparations, and the general human rights situation prevailing under the inclusive government.    

One contribution by a Gweru City father, Mr Willie Muringani was of particular interest to us because his speech touched on the issue of truth, justice and compensation which is central to us and also to a majority of victims of last year’s inter - elections violence in a way that is different from the mainstream arguments we have heard today.  

Therefore we decided to share the short speech with you today.  Please write to us and tell us what you think about Mr Muringani’s thoughts on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

Edgar  Chikuvire
Information and Communications Director
Address:           5 Normandy Road, Alexandra Park, Harare
Tel:                   +263(4)744593, +263(4)2911641
Mob:                 +263912 426638
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Transcript of  Willie Muringani’s speech, a participant at ROHR Zimbabwe workshop in Gweru
We are discussing and referring all our point far back there, we are talking about history, isn’t it?  We are talking about Gukurahundi? We also talked about what happened in Midlands? Murambatsvina? And perhaps we talked of something that is there about what happened in June? Isn’t it.  

Zvinhu zvakaoma (Things are tough)  Is this the correct time to talk ladies and gentlemen, to talk about national reconciliation, truth and justice and compensation? Now! is it correct? Do we trust the government? Do we trust the police?  - We don’t trust these people isn’t it? 

I think earlier on somebody said we got a window and we should prioritise the things that we have at stake. We need to use the window that we have, to correct the situation which is there.  How do we correct the situation?  

If we manage to write the constitution of this country and also make sure that the people who are going to use that constitution do not break it, are honest people then we go ahead ,then we can look at national healing, then we look at reconciliation. How can you look at reconciliation now when people are being brutalised at farms? now! Unozviita sei izvozvo? ( how do you do that?). People have just been arrested recently?  

Handiti Muchadehama asungwa, (Rights lawyer Muchadehama has been arrested), Jestina and others are being recalled to Chikurubi prison isn’t it? So you can actually see what is happening, we are right on the road. The inclusive government cannot do it? they cannot do it! They are having at the moment sticky cases that they cannot come out of.  

I’m appealing to ROHR that meetings of this nature should be taken out in the rural areas, where there are a lot of people there who need to be opened up. Isu muno (us here) in the urban areas sometimes we read papers isn’t it? We open u a little bit isn’t it?  

Like the other gentleman who indicated that panopuhwa chibage zvonzi chibage chakanzi chinozouya kuna nhingi (when maize is being given it is distributed selectively to predetermined people), you know you can’t tackle that one. If we are able to open up, what is in the rural areas and tell those people and try to educate, those people need education. 

I think you people you are well aware last time before the 29 March elections, a lot of things changed. maconstituencies akachinja (constituencies were changed) because there was a point that more people were in the rural areas, manga musingazvioni here? (Were you not aware of that?), most of the people in the rural areas were being targeted so that they could put the same people in power and continue to frustrate and stamp on the people. 

No, no I think nguva yekuti tiregererane aisati yasvika (The time for us to forgive each other hasn’t come yet) [audience applause] because we know who killed who killed who [applause] Ndinoziva nhasi akaponda nhingi akaponda munin’ina wangu ndinomuziva, (I know today the person(s) who murdered my young brother) at the moment and nothing has been done . . hapana chakaitwa (Nothing has been done). 

So, you can’t talk about that one, we need to foster through timboona kuti constitution ingaitwa here. (wait and see If the constitution can be done)

Videos of these workshops are available upon request. Feel free to contact the ROHR Zimbabwe information department for copies. For photos of Willie and other participants at the workshops see http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/