SOUTH AFRICA/ZIMBABWE/FILE: Zimbabwean civil rights groups say human rights violations are at crisis level

Record ID: 455055

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA/ZIMBABWE/FILE: Zimbabwean civil rights groups say human rights violations are at crisis level
  • Date: 24th March 2011
  • Summary: HARARE, ZIMBABWE (FILE - MARCH 2007) (REUTERS) TSVANGIRAI WITH SWOLLEN EYE AND PARTIALLY SHAVEN HEAD WALKING OUT OF COURT WITH OTHER ACTIVISTS AFTER BEING ARRESTED AND DETAINED BY POLICE
  • Embargoed: 8th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA2OR7HX9DKD6KEHP1CDLZOC4Q5
  • Story Text: Zimbabwean civil society groups on Wednesday (March 23) said it will be impossible to hold free and fair elections in Zimbabwe as political violence reminiscent of the 2007 riots could flare up again.
    Human Rights Watch and Zimbabwe Human Rights Association officials speaking to the media in Johannesburg, South Africa said police had cracked down on opposition supporters.
    The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalitions says 46 activists were arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Robert Mugabe. They said the civilians were denied lawyers and food and were subjected to poor living conditions while in police custody.
    "The current political environment in our field is not conducive to the holding of free and fair elections and the Global Political Agreement (GPA) is no longer existent as far as we're concerned because the other party in the inclusive government have decided to go back to its old ways, its old ways of lawlessness, its old ways of human right violations, its old ways of violating the fundamental civil and the political leadership of Zimbabwe I think," said Pedzisai Ruhanaya, a representative of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.
    Tensions have been rising in the Southern African country over political differences between Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF. These include ZANU-PF's drive to nationalise the country's mines, a move the MDC has urged caution on as the long-battered economy shows some signs of recovery.
    Tsvangirai said the police had banned a rally he planned to address on Saturday, saying they feared clashes with ZANU-PF supporters planning to hold a meeting nearby on the same day. Police have in the last month stopped dozens of meetings organised by MDC supporters as the party restructures ahead of a five-year congress in May.
    Human Rights Watch has made calls to the South African government, the SADC community and the United Nations to intervene in the Zimbabwe crisis.
    "There needs to be preparation by the South African government, by the SADC community that things are going drastically wrong once again in Zimbabwe and they are actually going to get worse unless they take decisive action to do something about it, it's all well and good to try and mediate the crisis in Libya and Côte d'Ivoire but they cannot afford to ignore the crisis which is right at their door step," said an advocate of Human Rights Watch, Tiseka Kasambala.
    Tsvangirai and Mugabe were forced into a coalition two years ago after a disputed poll in 2008, which led to mass violence, a flood of refugees into South Africa and a deeper economic crisis in the resource-rich and fertile country.
    The slow pace of pledged democratic reforms is another a source of friction as the security forces remain staunch Mugabe loyalists, and this has led to violent clashes between supporters of the two parties.
    Tsvangirai has warned leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc that the political violence that gripped the country in the past could flare again.
    Zimbabwe is meant to hold elections this year.
    "If he violates human rights, if he attacks his own citizens and claims victory in an election that is won through illicit means, his government will not be acceptable," added Ruhanaya.
    The opposition has requested a divorce from the ruling ZANU-PF following a violation of the Global Political Agreement which was signed by the two parties in September, 2008.
    In 2007, Tsvingirai was severely assaulted in detention and had to be taken to hospital for treatment following his arrest over a banned prayer rally.
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