overview of the human rights situation in zimbabwe - Kubatana
overview of the human rights situation in zimbabwe - Kubatana
overview of the human rights situation in zimbabwe - Kubatana
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enounce a citizenship <strong>of</strong> New Zealand that she has never claimed hav<strong>in</strong>g been born<br />
and grown <strong>in</strong> Zimbabwe all her life 18 !<br />
The new labour Relations Act (LRA) crim<strong>in</strong>alizes strike action on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong><br />
workers. Used <strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation with POSA it attempts to paralyse labour movements.<br />
It <strong>in</strong>troduces crim<strong>in</strong>al and civil sanctions aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> organiser. It <strong>the</strong>refore <strong>in</strong>fr<strong>in</strong>ges<br />
on <strong>the</strong> work and <strong>rights</strong> <strong>of</strong> labour movements. As Solomon Sacco 19 observes <strong>in</strong> his<br />
critique <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> LRA “In fact, to ensure that <strong>the</strong> Act had caught everyone <strong>in</strong> it dragnet,<br />
it first sets out those who would normally be <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> a collective action such as<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividual employees, trade unions and employers’ organisations and <strong>the</strong>n proceeds to<br />
say that if anyone not <strong>in</strong> that list “recommends, advises, encourages, threatens, <strong>in</strong>cite,<br />
commands, aids or procures” any unlawful collective action he is also guilty <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong>fence. Therefore anyone who has anyth<strong>in</strong>g to do with an unlawful collective action<br />
is guilty <strong>of</strong> a very serious <strong>of</strong>fence.”<br />
The MOA is used <strong>in</strong> conjunction with POSA to create a m<strong>in</strong>efield for <strong>human</strong> <strong>rights</strong><br />
activists and ord<strong>in</strong>ary citizens. Virtually any conduct that causes <strong>of</strong>fence to <strong>the</strong> police<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir absolute discretion can result <strong>in</strong> anyone be<strong>in</strong>g arrested for contraven<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
MOA. One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wide <strong>of</strong>fences that <strong>the</strong> MOA creates is that <strong>of</strong> conduct that is likely<br />
to result <strong>in</strong> a breach <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> peace. In real life application, <strong>the</strong> police have been able to<br />
<strong>in</strong>terpret <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own unfettered discretion and depend<strong>in</strong>g on what is convenient at a<br />
particular time, any <strong>human</strong> behaviour to be conduct that is likely to result <strong>in</strong> a breach<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> peace. Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights’ experience has been that <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
majority <strong>of</strong> cases where <strong>human</strong> <strong>rights</strong> activists have been targeted for persecution, <strong>the</strong><br />
state <strong>in</strong>itially charges <strong>the</strong>m with violation <strong>of</strong> POSA and if <strong>the</strong>y meet with resistance,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y normally downgrade <strong>the</strong> charges to violation <strong>of</strong> a section <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MOA. 20<br />
The Presidential Powers Act (PPA) allows <strong>the</strong> President <strong>of</strong> Zimbabwe to make<br />
regulations <strong>in</strong> circumstances when it appears to <strong>the</strong> President that-<br />
- a <strong>situation</strong> has arisen or is likely to arise which needs to be dealt with urgently<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong> defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public<br />
health, <strong>the</strong> economic <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>of</strong> Zimbabwe or <strong>the</strong> general public <strong>in</strong>terest; and<br />
- <strong>the</strong> <strong>situation</strong> cannot adequately be dealt with <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> any o<strong>the</strong>r law; and<br />
because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> urgency, it is <strong>in</strong>expedient to await <strong>the</strong> passage through<br />
Parliament <strong>of</strong> an Act deal<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> <strong>situation</strong>;<br />
18<br />
See Registrar General <strong>of</strong> Births and Deaths –v- Judith Garfield Todd SC 4/03 where Justice<br />
Malaba ordered as follows “For <strong>the</strong> avoidance <strong>of</strong> doubt, <strong>the</strong> respondent has two days, from <strong>the</strong> hand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
down <strong>of</strong> this judgment, with<strong>in</strong> which to renounce her New Zealand citizenship <strong>in</strong> accordance with <strong>the</strong><br />
New Zealand Citizenship Act.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> event <strong>of</strong> her failure to do so, she will lose her Zimbabwean<br />
citizenship by operation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> law.”<br />
19 Solomon Sacco is a member <strong>of</strong> ZLHR currently study<strong>in</strong>g for a Masters <strong>in</strong> International Human<br />
Rights Law at University <strong>of</strong> Pretoria.<br />
20 ZLHR records show that <strong>in</strong> 2003 a total <strong>of</strong> 332 <strong>human</strong> <strong>rights</strong> defenders were arrested and charged<br />
under <strong>the</strong> MOA for peacefully express<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir views.<br />
6