ROHR Zimbabwe: June 2020

Friday, 26 June 2020

26^th June 2020

RESTORATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (ROHR) ZIMBABWE COMMEMORATES THE INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE - 26TH JUNE 2020

Today, 26^th June 2020 marks 33 years since the United Nations Convention Against Torture came into force in 1987 and 23 years since the day was marked for commemoration by the United Nations General Assembly in 1997.

Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating this very important day on the human rights calendar.

Torture is often associated with physical action but it is sometimes psychological.

We note with concern that incidents of state sponsored and state sanctioned abductions and torture are on the rise in Zimbabwe with the latest being only a few days ago and ongoing. This is in flagrant disregard for section 53 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which, absolutely, guarantees freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

We take this opportunity to urge the Head of State in Zimbabwe to stop state sponsored or sanctioned abductions for political expedience and to urge the government of Zimbabwe to investigate all cases of abductions and torture that have occurred since independence and to bring the perpetrators to book regardless of their political affiliation.

We also urge the government of Zimbabwe to start upholding and respecting all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African (Banjul) Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

We also urge the government of Zimbabwe to demonstrate the political will to stop abductions and torture by ratifying the United Nations Convention Against Torture.

We urge the citizens and residents of Zimbabwe to join us and the Zimbabwe human rights community in our continued fight for human rights in Zimbabwe and to guard their rights jealously in their daily endeavours.

Human rights are everyone’s rights.

Inserted by: –

Information & Publicity Department

Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe

Saturday, 20 June 2020

SPIKE IN PERSERCUTION OF FEMALE ACTIVISTS IN ZIMBABWE – A HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS OF WORRYING PROPORTIONS

20^th June 2020

By Estery Dhliwayo

In the aftermath of the shooting dead of seven unarmed civilian demonstrators by the Zimbabwe Republic Police officers in the week commencing Monday 14th January 2019 at least 11 women reported having been raped by soldiers and suspected ZANU-PF Militia during this period.

Fairly recent examples of persecution of female activists by the Zimbabwean state agencies include the abduction of Samantha Kureya (Gonyeti) who was abducted on Wednesday 21 August 2019.

Only 2 months ago we were outraged by the arrest and torture of two Bulawayo sisters by one of Zimbabwe’s state agencies, ZRP. Nokuthula and Ntombizodwa Mpofu were singled out from a long queue of desperate shoppers wanting to buy basic supplies during an ill planned lockdown due to the Covid-19 situation on 16^th April 2020 in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo.

Their real “crime”, it seems, was to speak isiNdebele, their mother language.

A few weeks later, the MDC Alliance trio of female activists, Joana Mamombe (MP), Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were abducted on Wednesday 13^th May 2020, in Harare by another of Zimbabwe’s state agencies, this time the notorious Central Intelligence Organization (CIO). They were subjected to horrible torture which included shoving guns down one’s private parts and being made to drink human excrement. To add salt to injury, so to speak, the Zimbabwean authorities have rushed to deny the abductions and, instead, have preferred criminal charges against the trio. They are being charged with faking the abduction. Just how one would injure themselves the way they were injured is beyond imagination.

Now we hear of the arrest on Friday 19^th June 2020 of yet another two activists, 21 year old Namatai Kwekweza and 23 year old Vongai Zimudzi. Their crime was to have asked why the despotic Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa was keen to amend the Zimbabwean constitution and was putting up a facade of a citizens constitution amendment consultation exercise, knowing very well that the restrictions placed by the Covid-19 induced lockdown would not allow many citizens to participate in the consultation exercise.

It seems the regime has now decided to focus on the female section of the Zimbabwean society to unleash a wave of persecution.

Despite having started his term of office in November 2017, albeit on the back of a coup, with the promise of a “new dispensation” where the state would respect citizens’ rights and freedoms, Emmerson Mnangagwa is turning out to be worse than his predecessor, Robert Mugabe.

Until we, Zimbabwean citizens, learn to stand up and fight the regime when one of us is being persecuted, the situation will never change and we will perish one by one.

This is now time to say “enough is enough” and take the bull by the horns.

As Namatai Kwekweza said on 19^th August 2019, “To every Zimbabwean, when fellow citizens are harassed, abducted and beaten up, SPEAK UP and SPEAK LOUDLY before the baboon eating your neighbour’s field comes to your field too. What we are experiencing in Zimbabwe is now a human rights crisis. Fight to defend human rights.

About the author;-

Estery Dhliwayo is a human rights activist and a member of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on dhlessie@yahoo.co.uk

Friday, 19 June 2020

“COVIDGATE” – EMMERSON MNANGAGWA’S NEW LOW

19^th June 2020

By Nontokozo Malaba Ncube

If there is one thing that is undeniable about the Zimbabwean situation, it is that corruption ranks high up among what has brought Zimbabwe to the sorry state it is in today.

The list of recorded scandals orchestrated by ZANU-PF bigwigs, Emmerson Mnangagwa included is very long starting from Willowgate way back in the 1980s. The full list of the scandals is a long story - one for another day.

However the latest scandal, "Covidgate", is so daring and heartless it leaves me with no faith in humanity. This is because it takes place at a time when Zimbabwe and the rest of the world is grappling with a pandemic (Covid-19) that is threatening to wipe out the human race from the face of the earth.

Indications are that the chief architects of Covidgate are none other than the first family, the Mnangagwas, who employ cronies to form shelf companies to supply government with products at inflated prices thereby siphoning the fiscus.

Another part of it is the outright theft of donated material (remember the PPE donated by the Chinese government) and then selling it to government at inflated price as well as to the private sector and the public instead of making it available for free as originally intended by the well meaning donors.

Instead of mobilizing resources to manage the Covid-19 scourge, the Mnangagwas connived with one Delish Nguwaya who went on to register a company, Drax, in a number of international jurisdictions, for the purpose of “supplying” Covid-19 related medical supplies to the Zimbabwean government at inflated prices.

The company was then awarded a contract without going through normal government tender procedures and within a record two weeks of registration in Hungary, Drax was paid a USD 2 million deposit in two tranches by the Zimbabwean government.

It took the investigative skills of one local journalist, Hopewell Chingono to uncover and publicise the scandal.

To save face, the contract has since been cancelled and one Delish Nguwaya has since been arrested and charged but of course we all know that he is just a front for one or all of the Mnangagwas and that he will eventually be left to go scot free courtesy of the "catch and release" style that has become the hallmark of Mnangagwa's approach to fighting corruption in Zimbabwe.

Had Covidgate happened in any other part of the progressive world, the unprocedural manner in which Drax was awarded the contract would have seen a number of heads rolling in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health and the Presidency.

But alas, this is Zimbabwe where corruption has set root and is so well established it now passes for the norm.

No prize for guessing who seats at the top of the corruption hierarchy.

For want of a better phrase, this is a new low for Emmerson Mnangagwa. What a shame.

About the author;-

Nontokozo Malaba Ncube is a human rights activist and a member of Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe’s UK Chapter. She is also a member of the opposition MDC Alliance party. She is based in the United Kingdom and can be contacted by email on nmncube44408@gmail.com

Sunday, 14 June 2020

We can’t breathe – ZANU-PF knees on our necks

14^th June 2020

By Nontokozo Malaba Ncube

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA on 25 May 2020 torched an unprecedented wave of all manner of demonstrations and vigils across the globe. This is rightly so considering that this was motivated by racial prejudice which can be traced back to the 400 year era of slavery.

This got me thinking about our own situation in Zimbabwe. The only difference being that the prejudice experienced in Zimbabwe is by a ruling black elite upon poverty stricken and a hapless black citizenry.

In the George Floyd episode, I witnessed many Zimbabweans taking part in demonstrations in the different parts of the world where they now live. I wish Zimbabweans across the globe could have the same kind of consciousness and will to act when it comes to the atrocities being committed by the Zimbabwean government upon the citizens of Zimbabwe.

These range from state sponsored or state sanctioned murder, abductions, torture, rape, displacements and other forms of persecution, both physical and psychological. Not to mention Gukurahundi, a genocide perpetrated in the 80’s on the people of Matabeleland and Midlands when the current President, ED Mnangagwa was Minister of State for National Security (responsible for the dreaded Central Intelligence Organization - CIO). He was in this cabinet portfolio from 1980 to 1988.

The sad thing is that women in Zimbabwe tend to bear the brunt when it comes to most of the atrocities. Their wares are confisticated when they try to vend as a way of fending for their families. State agencies like the Police and the Army often use rape as a political tool against women and they have nowhere to report. Someone are tortured randomly and sometimes on tribal grounds for minor offences. The likes of the two Bulawayo sisters come to mind.

With regards to abductions, the case of Samantha Kureya (Gonyeti) who was abducted on Wednesday 21 August 2019 and more recently, the case of the MDC A trio of Joana Mamombe (MP), Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova who were abducted on Wednesday 13^th May 2020 are recent cases in point.

And yet we have remained silent, as if nothing amiss is happening. I am calling upon all human rights activists, members of the opposition and civil society in general to join hands and start taking action now and in future when an incident of state sponsored or state sanction atrocities occurs.

Otherwise – we can’t breathe.

About the author;-

Tuesday, 9 June 2020

ROHR Zimbabwe North Branch Committee Teleconference Meeting 3 April Report

On Friday 3 April 2020 evening, the North Branch Committee held a committee teleconference meeting to organize the branch meeting. The meeting was chaired by Farai Nhakaniso. Minutes taken by Karen Nhakaniso.

Register of Attendance

Farai Nhakansio

Petronella Mahachi

Karen Nhakaniso

Apologies

None received

1. Minutes from March

- minutes were confirmed

- thank you to Petronella for writing minutes on behalf of secretary - Chair tried to get all members to confirm attendance for today's call.

2. Next Meeting

- Suggestion of doing a conference call so branch carries on to function

- the choice of platform will depend on number of people that can join the call on a app or over the phone

- It can host 15-20 people

- There is a phone number that Petronella can set up. But this may hinder those without minutes to join.

- Can also look at Zoom as it can host video conferencing

- Zoom has got no call charges and can be used over wifi or data.

- Video will allow for members to he more involved

Resolution:

- Agreed that will use Zoom and Chair will send link two days before and make it password protected so its limited to the branch and those invited.

- meeting to be the 18th so people can do Easter Saturday.

- Time is 2pm till 3pm

3. Conference Call Minutes

- These minutes should be forwarded to MrKarimanzira so he can post online - Need trail that meetings taking place.

4. Agenda for 18th April

- Agenda will be for the last meeting

Register of Attendance

Farai Nhakansio

Petronella Mahachi

Karen Nhakaniso

Apologies

None received

1. Minutes from March

- minutes were confirmed

- thank you to Petronella for writing minutes on behalf of secretary - Chair tried to get all members to confirm attendance for today's call.

2. Next Meeting

- Suggestion of doing a conference call so branch carries on to function

- the choice of platform will depend on number of people that can join the call on a app or over the phone

- It can host 15-20 people

- There is a phone number that Petronella can set up. But this may hinder those without minutes to join.

- Can also look at Zoom as it can host video conferencing

- Zoom has got no call charges and can be used over wifi or data.

- Video will allow for members to he more involved

Resolution:

- Agreed that will use Zoom and Chair will send link two days before and make it password protected so its limited to the branch and those invited.

- meeting to be the 18th so people can do Easter Saturday.

- Time is 2pm till 3pm

3. Conference Call Minutes

- These minutes should be forwarded to MrKarimanzira so he can post online - Need trail that meetings taking place.

4. Agenda for 18th April

- Agenda will be for the last meeting

5. AOB

- let's make sure that we ensure people are aware that meeting is on

- reiterate that it's good to send apologies for absence from meetings.

ROHR Zimbabwe North Branch Committee Teleconference Meeting 10 March Report

On Tuesday 10 March 2020 evening, the North Branch Committee held a committee teleconference meeting to organize the branch meeting. The meeting was chaired by Farai Nhakaniso. Minutes taken by Petronella Mahachi.

Register of Attendance

Farai Nhakaniso

Petronella Mahachi

Pauline Makuwire

Apologies

• No apologies received

Confirmation of Venue

• Our venue in Ecclestone is available for our next meeting scheduled for 14 March 2020 Social media

• Chairman asked if everyone was ok with social media

• Pauline was happy to have her name mentioned on the blog but requested not to be tagged on Facebook because she uses it for work.

• Petronella requested not to he tagged on Facebook or have her contact details included but is happy to be mentioned on the blog.

• It was suggested we seek people's permission before posting on social media.

• It was suggested we have consent forms.

• It was suggested we put a yes/no consent on register. Agenda for March North Branch Meeting

• Welcome, register, apologies, previous meetings' minutes, update on Zim issues, ROHR Zim constitution, 1 representative is required from our branch, Fundraising.

Fundraising

• Manchester branch already has a bank account currently being used by the Executive as a National treasury.

• Discussed fundraising ideas

• Funday with bouncy castle,

• Summer barbecue & football selling meat and drinks.

• It was suggested we try and collaborate with other groups eg. Manchester has a Zimbabwean Soccer team.

• Pauline said when she was previously part of Rohr Coventry they did a fashion show which was a success.

AOB

• Committee members should be consistent between conference calls and attendance to meetings.

Meeting closed at 8:40pm