The Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe has condemned the assault of some senior citizens “by ZANU PF supporters in Murehwa.” In a statement seen by Pindula News, the organisation urged ZANU-PF and the government of Zimbabwe to stop sponsoring and condoning political violence for political expedience. Reads the statement:
RESTORATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (ROHR) ZIMBABWE STATEMENT ON THE ASSAULT AND BRUTALISING OF SENIOR CITIZENS BY ZANU-PF SUPPORTERS IN MUREHWA
ROHR Zimbabwe condemns with utmost disdain the recent brutalizing of senior citizens, Mr and Mrs Seremani, Mr and Mrs Dongo, Ms Beauty Chikoti, Ms Chipo Mutizwa and Ms Nyaradzai Chitauro by ZANU-PF members in Ward 4, Murehwa North Constituency as evidenced by a video circulating on social media platforms.
We call upon ZANU-PF and the government of Zimbabwe to stop sponsoring and condoning political violence for political expedience.
In terms of section 44 of The Constitution of Zimbabwe, the State and every person must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights and freedoms set out in Chapter 4 of the said Constitution.
These include the right to human dignity (Section 51), freedom of assembly and association (section 58) as well as political rights (section 67).
The African (Banjul) Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights also guarantee such rights and freedoms.
The State should uphold the rule of law and protect its citizens.
The fact that there have been no arrests despite overwhelming video evidence, names and pictures of the perpetrators who happen to be well-known ZANU-PF members shows that there is neither will nor appetite on the part of the State to bring the culprits to book. This deliberately creates a culture of impunity and is despicable by any standards.
We call upon the President of ZANU-PF and Zimbabwe, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa to change his treacherous ways and to lead his Government to start to respect the rights of the citizens of Zimbabwe, uphold the rule of law and restore human rights in Zimbabwe.
We also call upon the SADC and AU to condemn ZANU-PF, the ruling party of Zimbabwe’s brazen waywardness and call the Zimbabwean government to order with regards to its apparent sponsorship and condoning of political violence by not bringing to book any of the culprits of these crimes over the years despite them being known.
We also call upon the UN, EU, US, UK and the international community at large to add their voices in the condemnation of ZANU-PF and Government of Zimbabwe for being the architects of brazen brutalization and general persecution of citizens who hold opposing views to those of the ruling party in Zimbabwe.