Amnesty calls for justice for thousands of victims of political violence

 

The Amnesty International report, Zimbabwe – Time for Accountability, details that at least 180 people have been murdered and more than 9,000 tortured since the general election in March, by people loyal to the ruling regime. The report goes on to examine the impact of the post-election violence on the victims and makes recommendations to all parties participating in the current political talks on how to break the cycle of impunity that has plagued the country for decades.

 

The report warns that with the rainy season coming, tens of thousands of Zimbabwean farmers who were victims of the recent wave of state-sponsored human rights violations are facing another failed agricultural season. Most of the victims of political violence from rural areas were farmers who were managing to feed their families. But according to the report, often their arms and legs were broken during beatings and torture and they are unable to till their lands for the upcoming farming season – leaving them dependent on food aid, possibly for the rest of their lives.

 

The report details the experience of Lyn, an 86-year-old farmer, who was supporting her family with food grown in her fields before the flare up of politically motivated violence. She was assaulted in July for not attending ZANU-PF meetings and her back was injured and her arm broken after she was assaulted by war veterans. She told Amnesty International: “I am now disabled. I can’t work in the field. I want to be compensated for the injuries. I want (my attackers) to be brought to justice.”

 

The report also comes in the wake of the United Nations agricultural assessment that almost half the population will face starvation in January, as a result of the combined economic, political and humanitarian crises that has devastated the country. People’s basic human rights to proper medical care and food are daily being violated as the fight to survive continues in plain view of fighting politicians.

 

Amnesty explains in its latest report that no one has been held accountable for the gross human rights violations that have occurred, despite the fact that the attackers are identifiable and often well known figures. The culture of impunity so clearly evident in Zimbabwe has also raised concerns with Human Rights organisations across the Southern African region, that the situation sets a bad precedent for the rest of Africa.

 

The vast majority of victims interviewed by Amnesty said that they could name their attackers – the majority of which were in the security forces, war veterans or local ZANU PF activists. The fact that perpetrators did not even attempt to conceal their identities clearly illustrates the level of confidence they had that they would never be held to account for their crimes, under the protection of the Robert Mugabe regime.

 

The recent power-sharing deal contains no clause relating to amnesty for the perpetrators of political violence which means, in theory, that their future prosecution would be possible. But there are concerns that such a move could further jeopardise the future of a power sharing government in Zimbabwe, as senior members of the military and police loyal to Mugabe, who could have prominent positions in the new government, are said to have orchestrated the violence.

 

Despite this, Amnesty International says the power-sharing deal has created a rare moment of opportunity for the Zimbabwean authorities to tackle the long standing legacy of impunity for human rights violations and build a culture of accountability.

 SWRadio Africa