Abuses common' in Mugabe's Zimbabwe
A human rights report that Zimbabwe succeeded in suppressing at this week's African Union (AU) summit vividly supports, longstanding criticisms of President Robert Mugabe's flagrant abuse of power.
The AU refused to release and discuss the report on a technicality, buckling to Zimbabwe's protests that it was not given the opportunity to respond to the allegations contained in the report.
Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge has since promised his government will respond to the report, compiled by the AU's African Commission on Human and People's Rights, " within days".
But an executive summary of the report, discussed by AU foreign ministers, and obtained by Business Day yesterday, details the Zimbabwean government's role in the land seizures, torture, arbitrary arrests, repressive legislation, political in tolerance and assaults on the media as well as on the judiciary.
"Zimbabwe needs help to withdraw from the precipice," says the report's summary, the first hard-hitting document on Zimbabwe by the AU.
"The country is in need of mediators and reconcilers who are dedicated to promoting dialogue and better understanding."
The summary says that while the land question needed to be addressed, it must be done in an orderly and legal manner.
The c ommission visited Zimbabwe and compiled the report in 2002, at the height of the land invasions and the political intolerance which had been brought about by the elections.
"There was enough evidence placed before the mission to suggest that, at the very least during the period under review, human rights violations occurred in Zimbabwe.
"The mission was presented with testimony from witnesses who were victims of torture while in police custody.
"There was evidence that arbitrary arrests took place," the summary says.
It said it was alarmed by the arrest of journalists and especially by the arrest of the president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe.
While there have been allegations by the opposition about human rights violations by ruling Zanu (PF) activists, the report said it was not able to find definitively that this was an orchestrated policy.
Nevertheless, the report concluded, "the mission is prepared and able to rule that the government cannot wash its hands from responsibility for all these happenings".
- Business Day
A human rights report that Zimbabwe succeeded in suppressing at this week's African Union (AU) summit vividly supports, longstanding criticisms of President Robert Mugabe's flagrant abuse of power.
The AU refused to release and discuss the report on a technicality, buckling to Zimbabwe's protests that it was not given the opportunity to respond to the allegations contained in the report.
Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge has since promised his government will respond to the report, compiled by the AU's African Commission on Human and People's Rights, " within days".
But an executive summary of the report, discussed by AU foreign ministers, and obtained by Business Day yesterday, details the Zimbabwean government's role in the land seizures, torture, arbitrary arrests, repressive legislation, political in tolerance and assaults on the media as well as on the judiciary.
"Zimbabwe needs help to withdraw from the precipice," says the report's summary, the first hard-hitting document on Zimbabwe by the AU.
"The country is in need of mediators and reconcilers who are dedicated to promoting dialogue and better understanding."
The summary says that while the land question needed to be addressed, it must be done in an orderly and legal manner.
The c ommission visited Zimbabwe and compiled the report in 2002, at the height of the land invasions and the political intolerance which had been brought about by the elections.
"There was enough evidence placed before the mission to suggest that, at the very least during the period under review, human rights violations occurred in Zimbabwe.
"The mission was presented with testimony from witnesses who were victims of torture while in police custody.
"There was evidence that arbitrary arrests took place," the summary says.
It said it was alarmed by the arrest of journalists and especially by the arrest of the president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe.
While there have been allegations by the opposition about human rights violations by ruling Zanu (PF) activists, the report said it was not able to find definitively that this was an orchestrated policy.
Nevertheless, the report concluded, "the mission is prepared and able to rule that the government cannot wash its hands from responsibility for all these happenings".
- Business Day
publicado por MP às 15:37
