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Political
violence report: February 2007 - Overview
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
April 30, 2007
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Overview
February 2007 can be aptly dubbed the "month of demonstrations".
In this month, many civil society organizations staged demonstrations
at different levels. The NCA
and WOZA
held more than 2 demonstrations each, while students, the MDC and
teachers, under the auspices of PTUZ,
also held demonstrations. In exercising the right to freedom of expression,
association and assembly, civil society organizations were met with
brute force and repression by the state. Reports indicated that widows
and elderly women in St Mary’s were brutally assaulted after demonstrating
against high rentals and high water bills. The MDC also demonstrated
against the Presidential elections being scheduled for 2010 rather
than the original 2008. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum continues
to implore the government of Zimbabwe to respect the right of Zimbabweans
to assemble, associate and express themselves freely as enshrined
in the Constitution and international human rights instruments to
which Zimbabwe is a party. The Forum refers the state to article 19
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protects
the rights of individuals to free expression and article 20 (1), which
protects the rights of individuals to assemble and associate freely
in a peaceful manner. These rights are also protected under the African
Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights - articles 9 , 10 and 11
respectively. The Zimbabwe government is obliged to abide by international
human rights instruments to which it is party.
The MDC attempted
to hold a rally on 18 February 2007 at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfields
but the would- be participants were met with repression and brute
force before it could even take off. People were allegedly assaulted
for trying to attend the rally and others who were close to the
venue of the rally and had absolutely nothing to do with it were
also brutally assaulted . Earlier in the month the police had imposed
a ban on all "political gatherings". This was an unfortunate
development since the opposition MDC was campaigning for the 2008
Presidential elections. This is contrary to the rights of people
to participate in the governance of their own country as espoused
in article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
In what seemed
to be retaliation for oppression and repression, some suspected
MDC supporters were alleged to have assaulted police officers at
Ximex Mall in Harare. Further to that, Municipal police officers
were reportedly assaulted by vendors when they tried to take away
the goods the vendors were selling. The Human Rights Forum deplores
violence from whatever quarter and implores Zimbabweans to express
their discontent in a peaceful manner.
Totals: 1
February – 28 February 2007
Cumulative
Totals: 1 January – 28 February 2007
The graph should
be read along with the table depicting the monthly totals of violations
for February 2007. The total quantifiable number of victims reported
in February 2007 is 362.
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