The escalation of violence leaves a lot to desire as it reflects high political intolerance and the extent to which freedom of association has been disregarded under certain circumstances.
On Tuesday 10 November 2015, a group of ZANU-PF youths in Highfield West high density suburb were involved in an intra-party fight due to some differences regarding party restructuring processes. This followed skirmishes that had started on Monday 9 November in the same area.
Another incident of inter-party violence also occurred on Tuesday 10 November in Mbare where MDC-T youths were attacked by ZANU-PF supporters resulting in 3 people sustaining serious injuries. The inter party clashes took place after scores of MDC T youths attended a court hearing at Mbare magistrate’s court in solidarity with their fellow supporters who had been arrested on allegations of holding an illegal gathering in Hopley farm on Sunday the 8th of November.
In view of this background, Heal Zimbabwe Trust is greatly concerned about this new wave of violence emanating from the main political parties in Zimbabwe. The situation reflects a gloomy picture of what to expect during the impending 2018 election period. Heal Zimbabwe Trust is encouraging communities and political party leaders to openly castigate political violence and take punitive measures against instigators and perpetrators of violence. The police should also take action to combat violence without prejudice.
It is vital for all parties and concerned state authorities to respect human dignity because “…Peace begins with you; peace begins with me; Peace begins with us all…â€
Post published in: Human Rights