Analysts say the violence characterizing the chaotic process to come up with the supreme law of the land is unfortunate and, if unabated, could mark the beginning of a bloody trail to the next election. In 2000 and 2002, the country witnessed the bloodiest elections in post-independent Zimbabwe and all sane people concurred that such inhumane behaviour should never be tolerated again.
But alas, the disturbing tendency manifested itself again during the 2006 Senate elections and the 2008 harmonised polls, in which about 300 people are estimated to have been murdered while a further 11 000 were displaced. University of Zimbabwe academic and political scientist, Joseph Kurebwa, said it was unfortunate that the last decade had seen an increase in the wave of violence as politicians sought to achieve their desired results.
The violent nature of political processes in this country signifies the high stakes which the political parties would be competing for. The cases of violence being reported during the outreach programme could be seen as the beginning of a wave of violence as we move to elections next year. We should understand that the constitution-making process is a campaign in itself because the different parties want things in their favour, but the way they want to achieve these goals is regrettable.
Kurebwa said the violence was a test as to whether the security services would maintain law and order in a professional manner. So far it is a test they have failed dismally. The police have been quick to quash any claims and reports of violence during the outreach programme, despite credible evidence from the civil society monitoring the exercise. Several human rights watchdogs have released reports chronicling incidents of violence in Mashonaland Central, Midlands, Masvingo, Manicaland and Matabeleland provinces.
Three civil society members shadowing the outreach process were recently allegedly assaulted by Zanu (PF) agent provocateurs, sustaining varying degrees of injuries. The monitors were deployed by the Zimbabwe Peace Project, the Zimbabwe Election Support Net-work and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, which have dispatched a total of 420 independent monitors.
In separate reports, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) reported violence in Mudzi District in Mashonaland East where four huts allegedly belonging to suspected Movement for Democratic Change supporters were torched adding that in Manicaland Province, two monitors, Tapera Mavherevhedze and Godfrey Nyarota and driver, Cornelius Chengu were arrested and charged under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Political commentator Alois Masepe said the violence was forseeable because the political processes in the country were led by people with entrenched positions. He said the clashes being witnessed during the outreach programme were just a tip of the ice-berg concerning what is to follow. Masepe said President Robert Mugabes statement that elections would be conducted with or without a new constitution spoke volumes about his lack of commitment to a violence-free election considering that the old supreme document was being manipulated to protect the interests of an elite few.
We are in a process that will hopefully decimate the current constitution and it is logical that we are seeing this violence, because these changes will threaten the future of politicians who were benefiting from the old constitution. We made a big mistake in allowing the main political gladiators to drive this process, because what is happening now is that they do everything in their power, including violence, to ensure the constitution will continue to protect their wishes especially during an election, Masepe said.
Amnesty Internationals Africa director, Erwin van der Borght, said the violence and intimidation currently going on countrywide undermined the process to come up with a people-driven constitution. “This intimidation and harassment of activists undermines Zimbabwe’s efforts to form a new constitution with public consultation and it is also a worrying reminder of the organised violence that took place in 2008,” said Van der Borght. – Article first published on Reporting Transitional Zimbabwe website, www.zimintransition.com A MISA-Zimbabwe initiative. Reproduced with permission.
Post published in: Politics