It documents the experiences of their members over the last few years as they were arrested, assaulted, humiliated and tortured at the hands of state agents, particularly the police. Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa attended the event, along with representatives from civil organisations and diplomats. He said some moments were very emotional as victims narrated their experiences.
20.3.2008
9:09
WOZA Launches Report on State Sponsored Violence Against Members
Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) launched a report in Harare on Wednesday titled The effects of fighting Repression with Love.
Muchemwa said the report included the total numbers of reported incidents that involved branches of the police. According to these figures, there were 949 death threats made to WOZA members by the police since the group was founded, 832 incidents of assaults, 1,262 humiliating and degrading experiences, 647 reports of physical torture and 732 reports of mental torture.
Muchemwa said the victims became very emotional when they spoke of the humiliation they suffered at the hands of the police who often forced them to remove their underwear. He said it was a very difficult experience for them to describe in front of strangers at the launch. According to the report there were 267 incidents when the police forced women to do this.
The report covered incidents affecting WOZA members from 20 to over 40 years of age. Some were victimised while they were carrying babies on their backs. 48% of those victimised by police were married, 23% were single and 25% were widows.
Muchemwa said WOZA members who narrated painful stories said they felt even more determined to continue with their cause. WOZA officials also vowed that the group would remain peaceful, non-partisan and continue to fight for the rights of all Zimbabweans.
.
Police Block CHRA’s Meet the Candidates Series’
Police in Harare have stopped the Combined Harare Residents Association from holding public meetings with the contesting election candidates in the capital.
Mfundo Mlilo, spokesman for CHRA, told us Wednesday that the officer commanding Southerton police district had banned 16 of their planned meet the candidate public meetings’ in all low and high-density suburbs south of the capital.
The Association has thus been incapacitated and unlawfully prevented from affording residents a platform to meet their potential leaders and engage them on manifestos. The refusal to grant clearances is a direct assault to democracy and the association’s right to freedom of assembly, freedom of association and expression,’ Mlilo said.
According to CHRA, police alleged they intended to use the platforms to motivate residents to be violent should the opposition lose the elections. They also allege that they do not have sufficient manpower for political rallies and civic programs. Instead police urged CHRA to motivate its members to attend party political platforms, if they want to listen to manifestoes.
But Mlilo maintained CHRA was a non-partisan association and would therefore want to engage contesting candidates on their manifestos, in neutral platforms.
The refusal by the police to grant clearance is thus an assault to our civic duty to enhance resident’s participations in matters of local governance. It is abuse of power by the police bent on creating chaos in the elections and subverting the will of the people,’ added Mlilo.
CHRA is worried the new delimitations have created a lot of uncertainty and that the Zimbabwe Election Commission has not done enough voter education. It wanted to use the banned meetings to educate residents on how to vote and to address questions on ward boundaries.
The association said it was aware of the political allegiance of the police, who were fearful of residents platforms enabling them to meet candidates from all political parties.
……………..
Government Fails to Pay teachers Promised Salary Increases.
The cash strapped government has failed to honour Mugabe’s election promise, two weeks ago, to pay hefty salary increases to striking teachers. When teachers were paid on Tuesday, they were shocked to receive only their old salaries.
Teachers who had been on strike since February had called off their industrial action after Mugabe’s announcement that he had authorised a massive pay hike.
Reports from Harare said the President of the pro-government Zimbabwe Teachers Association, Tendai Chikowore, confirmed teachers had not received the salary increases as promised.
Raymond Majongwe, secretary general of the more militant Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said teachers who got paid Tuesday were shocked to discover that government had paid old salaries instead of the promised windfall.
The PTUZ leader said after urgent consultations they had been told that the Public Service Commission (PSC), which employs all civil servants, was making frantic efforts to make sure that the new salaries are paid before the end of the month.
PSC chairman Mariyawanda Nzuwa admitted that the government could not pay the new salaries this week, attributing the problem to administrative challenges’.
Sources have said Mugabe, under pressure to pacify civil servants ahead of crucial elections on March 29, agreed to their demands for huge salary increases even though his government does not have the money.……………..
Mugabe Changes Law to Allow Policemen into Polling Booths.
An electoral amendment, passed by Robert Mugabe on Monday, sparked renewed fears that Zanu PF is determined to rig the March 29 election. State radio announced Tuesday that Mugabe amended electoral laws to allow policemen into polling stations to assist’ illiterate people to vote. The opposition immediately slammed the amendment saying it violated agreements reached at the SADC brokered talks. Policemen were barred from being within 100 metres of a polling station because it was felt they would intimidate voters. Mugabe has however disregarded those concerns and declared that section 59 of the Electoral Act has been amended to allow two electoral officers and a police officer on duty to assist semi- literate voters.’
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has meanwhile also announced that teachers for the first time will not be used as polling officers during the election. ZEC Chairman George Chiweshe says they will be using selected individuals from several local and public bodies. The move drew criticism from teachers unions who charged that the move suggests the commission has something to hide and wants to carefully control the voting process. The move is particularly worrying given estimates by the independent Zimbabwe Election Support Network that voters in Harare and Chitungwiza might have to be processed in just 9 seconds each, if the number of registered people per ward is calculated against the number of polling stations.
Many analysts are predicting chaos on election day with some of the concerns centering on possible water and electricity cuts. Mugabe tried to allay any such fears by promising the use of 5000 portable generators as back up. Doubts however remain over the sincerity of any such pledge, given that election day chaos in the urban centres would benefit Zanu PF who do not expect to pick up significant votes there. The rural areas remain Mugabe’s priority and his regime is likely to allocate more back- up generators there than in the urban centres.
Meanwhile the Zimbabwe Standard newspaper reports that Mugabe had a frosty’ meeting with Solomon Mujuru over the retired general’s reported links with party rebel Simba Makoni. Mujuru, who called for the meeting, is said to have been eager to distance himself from the Makoni project only for Mugabe to say, Okay, I have heard you. Is that all?’ The paper says the meeting ended abruptly and Mugabe’s presentation of the meeting to the state media suggested he remained sceptical of Mujuru’s allegiance. Talking about Mujuru’s denial Mugabe said, that’s what he told me.’
……………..
Human Rights Watch Report says Zimbabwe Elections Flawed
The internationally respected Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on Wednesday that summarised incidents of intimidation and torture on the ground in Zimbabwe, and strongly criticised the government for its conduct in the pre-election period. The group found that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was not adequately prepared to run the elections. The findings were compiled into a 59-page report titled, All Over Again: Human Rights Abuses and Flawed Electoral Conditions in Zimbabwe’s Coming General Elections.
Tiseke Kasambala from HRW said the report was based on research that she personally conducted during her visits to Zimbabwe in September 2007, February 2008 and March 2008. All 10 provinces were covered during the visits.
She spoke to at least 100 individuals, including ordinary Zimbabweans, human rights activists, ruling party and opposition supporters, human rights lawyers, civil society groups, diplomats and medical personnel.
Kasambala observed that although the number of incidents of intimidation and torture were significantly lower compared to the last parliamentary election, there is still widespread violence against opposition members and officials. She documented the beatings of teachers and civil society activists, detailing one in the Bikita West area of Masvingo where a teacher was assaulted by ruling party supporters simply for encouraging people to go and vote.
Kasambala also documented the beatings and torture of activists from the Restoration of Human Rights group in January. She concluded that state security agents were also the perpetrators of violence against the opposition and civil activists.
ZEC officials that were conducting the registration of voters early in the process were found to be lacking materials and transport, and this affected their work. The economic crisis, characterized by hyperinflation and shortages of basic commodities, is also contributing to a flawed process.
Asked whether there was any chance the poll could be free and fair, Kasambala cited a long list of problematic areas that she said preclude the possibility of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe. Among them were the widespread intimidation of the opposition, restrictions on freedom of association and assembly, limits to media freedom and the widespread manipulation of food and farming equipment to gain political advantage. She also criticised biased media coverage and numerous incidences of state security violence against human rights activists and perceived opposition supporters. Regarding the country’s electoral procedures, she pointed to what she described as a chaotic and easily abused voter registration process, disenfranchisement of voters and an unprepared, under-resourced Electoral Commission, as well as very poor voter education processes.
Kasambala said the report would be sent to the government of Zimbabwe and distributed to international election observers. She said HRW had already met with the head of the South Africa delegation to the SADC observer mission, and detailed the issues that they should be looking at while they are on the ground.
……………..
On the programme Road to Democracy Tererai talks to Gordon Moyo from Bulawayo Agenda about their Meet The Candidates programme that is bringing ordinary citizens together with candidates running for positions in their constituencies. Moyo said the events have so far been packed and ordinary citizens have relished the opportunity to grill the candidates on issues affecting their lives. Our legal correspondent Gugulethu Moyo also speaks to Jessie Majome, who is running for parliament in the Tsvangirai MDC. Majome said the police are acting in a partisan manner as always and the Zimbabwe Election Commission appears to have no authority to make decisions………………
Reporters Forum analyses Hakata interview
Former ZIANA journalist Michelle Hakata spent 3 weeks travelling around Zimbabwe. This week on Reporters’ Forum Lance Guma speaks to Hakata and asks her about that trip and her own assessment of the electoral environment in the country. In the second part of the programme Lance is joined by political analyst Digby Culverwell (son of the late national hero Joseph Culverwell) and journalist Brilliant Pongo who both help analyse Hakata’s observations………………
On Wednesday’s Callback
Ezra speaks to Themba who is urging people to go and vote in order to bring about change in our country. He says that even if Mugabe rigs these elections he believes he will not last in power because the people will rise up against him. Then Mandisa speaks to Washington Times correspondent Geoff Hill who gives his take on the current situation on the ground, where he says even those who have always been fervent ZANU-PF followers have lost faith in Mugabe. He also gives his predictions on the outcome of the elections.
……………..
In Cathy Buckle’s Letter from Zimbabwe she writes about the trauma that all Zimbabweans have endured, including those in country and those who have left, and how we all have one thing in common, and that is that now, after nine years of struggle, we have all had enough.