THE Zimbabwean government has failed to initiate investigations into several cases of human rights abuse, particularly involving state security agents, while there has been no accountability on several cases of injustices, a 2022 Human Rights Watch report has said.

MOSES MATENGA

Zimbabwe has been accused of human rights violations, including the August 2018 and January 2019 shootings, as well as arbitrary arrests of opposition activists. Despite recommendations for a probe and to hold the culprits to account, the government has failed to show appetite in addressing the issue.

No appetite to probe state security agents over injustices

The human rights group’s report for 2022 was dedicated to Dewa Mavhinga, the organisation’s southern Africa director who died in December aged 42.

“The administration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa failed to take meaningful steps to uphold human rights and ensure justice for serious abuses primarily committed by security forces in 2021,” the report reads.

“There has been no accountability for abuses by security forces, including the August 2018 post-election violence, and killings and rape during the January 2019 protests. Abductions, torture, arbitrary arrests, and other abuses against opposition politicians and activists have not been meaningfully investigated.”

The report said the government was yet to establish an independent complaint mechanism as provided for in the country’s constitution to receive and investigate public complaints against the security services.

Other human rights concerns, the report said, were a severe water and sanitation crisis, including during the Covid-19 pandemic, forced evictions, and child marriages.

Zimbabwe has been placed on sanctions by the United States, United Kingdom and European Union for serious human rights violations mainly by members of the security forces, corruption by the ruling elite and failure to ensure justice for past abuses.

“During 2021, authorities did not take concrete steps to ensure justice and accountability for serious abuses, most of which were committed by the security forces. President Mnangagwa appointed the (former South African President Kgalema) Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry to investigate the August 2018 post-election violence, which found that six people had died and 35 others were injured because of actions by state security forces.”

“Yet, three years later, the authorities have not implemented the commission’s recommendations, including to hold to account members of the security forces responsible for abuses and for compensating the families of those killed or who lost property.”

The report added there was no attempt to investigate and prosecute other serious violations that the state security forces were accused of committing including violent attacks, abductions, torture, and other abuses against members of the political opposition and civil society activists.

Human Rights Watch investigations found that security forces used excessive and lethal force to crush nationwide protests in January 2019 with local groups adding that live ammunition was used in killing 17 people while uniformed soldiers raped at least 17 women during and after the protests.

“No security personnel have been arrested or prosecuted.”

“Unresolved cases in which there has been no accountability include the abduction and torture of rural teachers’ union president Obert Masaraure, comedian Samantha Kureya (known as ‘Gonyeti’), activist Tatenda Mombeyarara, and students Tawanda Muchehiwa and Takudzwa Ngadziore,” the report reads.

“In May 2020, three Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance politicians, Cecilia Chimbiri, Netsai Marova, and Member of Parliament Joana Mamombe, were abducted from police custody by suspected state agents for taking part in a protest in Harare. They were assaulted and sexually abused by their abductors, then dumped in Bindura, 80 kilometres from Harare. While receiving treatment for their injuries, the trio were re-arrested at the hospital and charged with making false reports about their abduction. At time of writing their trial was ongoing.”

On right to water and sanitation, the report said during 2021, hundreds of thousands of residents of Harare, including nearby municipalities of Chitungwiza and Epworth, continued to face a potable water shortage three years after a deadly cholera outbreak.

“The water crisis has affected Harare residents’ rights to water and sanitation as well as other related rights, including the rights to life, food, and health. Many common water sources, namely shallow wells, taps, and boreholes—deep, narrow wells—are often contaminated. However, despite the known risk of contaminated water, there is no specific official information on which water sources are safe, leaving residents to take their chances.”