HARARE Militant supporters of President Robert Mugabe have set up torture camps in some parts of Zimbabwe and stepped up a......campaign to intimidate villagers to back the controversial Kariba draft constitution as the basis of a new governance charter for Zimbabwe, a human rights group has said.
The ZimRights said armed militia have set up camps in parts of Mashonaland West, Midlands and Manicland provinces.
It said the re-emergency of torture bases was a threat to the stop-start efforts to write a new constitution and to the national healing programme meant to promote reconciliation among Zimbabweans after years of political violence and strife.
ZimRights, which monitors rights violations in the country, said at the weekend: There have been reports of torture bases that have been set up in Nyanga, Gokwe, Chegutu and Makoni.
They are said to be manned by armed personnel and youth militia. Some villagers have been threatened and intimidated if they denounce the Kariba draft as the reference document in the constitution making process.
The Kariba draft secretly authored in 2007 by Mugabes Zanu (PF) and the two former opposition MDC formations of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara largely leaves untouched immense powers that Mugabe continues to enjoy even after formation of a power-sharing government with his former foes.
Zanu (PF), which controls enough parliamentary seats to block passage of a new constitution, has previously said it will not support any draft constitution that is not based on the Kariba document.
The proposed new constitution is part of a September 2008 power-sharing deal between Zimbabwes main political parties that gave birth to the countrys coalition government February 2009.
But the credibility of the constitutional reform exercise has been tainted by reports of alleged intimidation by Zimbabwe army soldiers and Zanu (PF) supporters who want force villagers to support the Kariba draft as the foundation of a new constitution.
Zimbabweans hope a new constitution will guarantee human rights, strengthen the role of Parliament and curtail the president’s powers, as well as guaranteeing civil, political and media freedoms.
The new constitution will replace the current Lancaster House Constitution written in 1979 before independence from Britain. The charter has been amended 19 times since independence in 1980. Critics say the majority of the amendments have been to further entrench Mugabe and Zanu (PF)s hold on power.
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