Human Rights Monitoring Report - Kubatana

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • In Manicaland province, traditional leaders are reportedly exercising extra legal powers to evict villagers from their communal homes on the basis that they do not support the ruling party. In some instances, burial space is also denied. • Some police officers are allegedly harassing members of the public who they view to be supporters of the opposition MDC. In Harare, for instance it was reported that police ordered a citizen to take off an MDC t- shirt. • The price reductions launched in June 2007 have resulted in increased victimization of persons criticizing the activity. People are being harassed for expressing discontent with the current economic environment. Some cases were recorded in Midlands. • Denial of aid in the form of food is rampant with a significant number of cases being documented in Mashonaland West, Manicaland and Matebeleland south. • Civil society organizations are facing increasing threats in accessing rural areas for the purposes of conducting human rights workshops. ZPP documented incidents involving CIVNET in Manicaland and ZESN and the Women’s coalition in Masvingo as they could not get clearance from the police. • Members of the United Peoples Party (UPP) have reportedly been harassed by both MDC and Zanu PF supporters in Bulawayo. UPP members are labelled Zanu PF ‘puppets’ while in Masvingo they were labelled opposition members. • In Manicaland Province, they have been reports that in some provinces nurses are using political affiliation to discriminate against those members not supporting the ruling party. • Farm invasions have resurfaced in some provinces including Masvingo and Mashonaland East. Farm invasions resulted in the death of one Zanu PF member at Stock hill farm. • In Mashonaland West, gender based violence has also been recorded with one youth having been raped by three Zanu PF youths. The use of rape as a political weapon to punish the fathers, brothers and husbands of women is deplorable. • In Mashonaland Central, people were harassed for wanting to benefit from Operation ‘Maguta scheme’ while they do not support the ruling party. According to the Zanu PF supporters government initiated projects should benefit those who support the current government. • The redressive operations such as ‘operation hlalani kuhle’ and ‘operation maguta’ are heavily politicized. In Mashonaland West, it is reported that some beneficiaries of operation ‘hlalani kuhle’ who are not sympathetic to the ruling party are under threat of eviction from the project. Eleven families have so far been evicted in Mashonaland Province alone. • Access to information in the sense of hearing an alternative voice is severely limited in the current environment. There are reports that people are being harassed for reading Newspapers from the independent media such as The Zimbabwean and listening to Short Wave Radio and Studio seven. In Mashonaland Central one person was harassed for reading a ZESN pamphlet. • ZPP has received reports that the mobile registration which is being done by the Registrar’s office has been politicised. Some persons viewed as supporting the opposition have been denied access to procure documents and also register to vote. • The wearing of MDC t-shirts, and t- shirts from NGOs and red colours in the form of caps, has resulted in the harassment of some persons in Harare. © ZPP Programmes Dept. June 2007 4
• Intra party violence within the two major parties has reportedly increased with cases being recorded in Bulawayo between the anti- senate and pro- senate factions of the opposition MDC and Masvingo between members of the ruling party. • Some cases have been documented in Mashonaland east of persons being denied registration during the mobile voter registration exercise. The perpetrators have been groups of Zanu PF youth while those suspected to be supporters of the opposition have been victimised. • In Mashonaland East, it is reported that those not supporting the ruling party have been denied information and services to registers as voters in the Mobile registration exercise. Perpetrator analysis June 2007 Perpetrators by affiliation 16% 1% Zanu PF 11% 72% MDC State agents Unknown The reports received indicate that the ruling party Zanu PF is the main perpetrator of politically motivated human rights violations followed by state agents. The members of Zanu PF perpetrating the violence are mainly from the youth wing, war veterans, Members of Parliament, traditional leaders such as chiefs and headmen. State agents include the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Central Intelligence Officers (CIO), the army and government officials. Recently there have been new parties involved in the political arena and these include the Liberty and United Peoples Party (UPP). The total number of perpetrators involved was 682. Victim analysis June 2007 © ZPP Programmes Dept. June 2007 5
Page 1 and 2: Human Rights Monitoring Report June
Page 3: DEFINITIONS OF TERMS (HUMAN RIGHTS
Page 7 and 8: cognizant of the fact that there ar
Page 9 and 10: METHODOLOGY This report is based on
Page 11 and 12: NORTHERN REGION Harare North 9 June
Page 13 and 14: NORTHERN REGION legislator, GC and
Page 15 and 16: NORTHERN REGION Hwedza 2 June 2007
Page 17 and 18: NORTHERN REGION At Mutoko centre, i
Page 19 and 20: NORTHERN REGION opposition. Rushing
Page 21 and 22: NORTHERN REGION A group of unidenti
Page 23 and 24: NORTHERN REGION AW (42), JM (52) an
Page 25 and 26: NORTHERN REGION GMB maize, by Zanu
Page 27 and 28: NORTHERN REGION Some unnamed police
Page 29 and 30: SOUTHERN REGION Bulawayo Bulawayo T
Page 31 and 32: SOUTHERN REGION Matabeleland South
Page 33 and 34: SOUTHERN REGION 8 June 2007 At Mpal
Page 35 and 36: SOUTHERN REGION 14 June 2007 At Mus
Page 37 and 38: SOUTHERN REGION Masvingo Masvingo 5
Page 39 and 40: SOUTHERN REGION 20 June 2007 In a a
Page 41 and 42: SOUTHERN REGION 19 June 2007 CM, of
Page 43 and 44: SOUTHERN REGION community members w
Page 45 and 46: BACKGROUND & FORMATION ____________
Page 47: deployed in each of the 120 elector

Human Rights Monitoring Report - Kubatana

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