Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

In an extraordinary government gazette Robert Mugabe declared that 24-26 July will be a period for all Zimbabweans at home and abroad to 'renounce and report all forms of political violence, in an effort to ‘restore peace and stability in the country.'

Therefore the days have been declared National Peace days for renouncing political violence and promoting national healing. At a glance the idea seems to be noble and peculiar, but subjected to further scrutiny the context of the call ebbs all the confidence we had in the sincerity of both the office and the person of President Robert Mugabe.

Firstly for peace to prevail in any given nation, the state should be totally transformed into a safe house for every individual. The powers of the state to carry extra-legal mandates such as militia and para-militia activities against its people should end. The state should lead its citizenry and fulfill its duties under the spotlight of sacrosanct values, ideas and legal instruments that ensures that the bill of rights is elevated to a supreme position that becomes the campus of how the populace and the state interact.

This...

We are aware of the indaba that took place at the rainbow towers where the three political party leaders, president Mugabe, prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai and deputy prime minister Arthur Mutambara addressed the nation celebrating Zimbabwe’s ‘new found peace and unity’ As ROHR Zimbabwe we disagree Government’s objective which is to urge people to forgive and forget the previous human rights crimes while trotting away from the real need for truth, justice and compensation for victims. This is obviously ZANU PF’s idea because it protects them from prosecution and the need to be accountable to what their crimes.

We believe that peace is likely to remain elusive as long as the status quo described below continues.

Violence against MDC supporters continues.

Threats of violence issued by war veterans and ZANU PF thugs against civil society organizations that disagree with the use of Kariba draft as the basis for constitutional reform in Zimbabwe.

Continued armament and mobilization of militia and youths in rural areas.

A tribute to the victims of political violence

They know there is more to life than just breathing,

A heartbeat signifying a flow of blood and rage

Recalling a moment when the sun stood still

and the world came shattering at their doorsteps

To those whose houses were torched

and saw the roaring flames touch the pitch black sky,

whose livestock was plundered while they watched,

watched their daughters and wives being raped by menacing looking men in party regalia,

regalia they dreaded,Their husbands and fathers were harmed,

feeling their backs endure the iron whips and chains

as they grimaced in pain,pain they hoped that someday,

somewhere an even greater force more powerful than them all

will mete out the sweet rod of justice,

justice and truth that will put their minds and souls to rest

But then the greater force that came in the form of a union of three politicians, seems to...

The most colorful display of the constitutional discord was witnessed on Monday 13 July when delegates at the “All stakeholders” conference saw the petal of confusion, deception and violence cascading down to the center stage, effectively blowing the runway light bulbs when the constitutional plane was just about to land. The level of disorganization and the consequential impression emanating from the just landed indaba fails to justify the commitment and faith placed by relevant stakeholders in the parliamentary led constitutional initiative.  

ROHR Zimbabwe is a huge supporter of people driven and democratic processes and therefore stands opposed to the current process led by the parliament. Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which gave birth to the parliamentary steered constitutional process makes a mockery of the constitutional reform process in Zimbabwe as it relegates civil society to an observer role with little influence while awarding the primary political parties ample room and opportunity to manipulate the document for political gain. It preclude other political players from participating and reduces civil society to mere spectators with an insignificant muscle to manoeuvre meaningfully.

Albeit predictable, the disruption of the Indaba by hired ZANU PF thugs is a...