Local human rights pressure group Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) says the country has joined the league of the world’s repressive governments.
In its monthly report for September, ZPP said the government continued to use the Covid-19 pandemic to stifle rights and freedoms of citizens.
“In September, Zimbabwe turned the corner and joined, full time, the dark list of the world’s repressive regimes, where citizens are reduced to nothing but subjects who are not part to deciding how the country is run in sharp contrast to the tenets of democracy and good governance.
“As has been the case for the past six months, government continued to use Covid-19 as an excuse to stifle rights and freedoms guaranteed by the supreme law, and as evidenced by the nature of human rights violations this month, the violations went a notch up, and were more than ever before, systematic and methodical.” read the report.
This comes in the wake of alleged state abductions and torture of opposition activists and journalists in recent months over their interrogation of government actions.
This has seen growing calls from beyond the country’s borders calling for international intervention into the affairs of Zimbabwe.
Recently, South African ruling party, the ANC sent emissaries to investigate the situation on the ground but somehow failed to come out with concrete findings.
The pressure group said the country is in a crisis that needs a collective solution that needs political will from those in power.
“Zimbabwe is in a crisis, a man-made one that which needs a collective solution, and it starts with the political will of those in power in order for that to happen. Zanu PF and government’s discomfort with the attempts by South Africa through government and the governing party to facilitate solution-oriented dialogue, and the continued denials of a crisis only show that there is still a long way to go before Zimbabwe reaches a point where all, including those in government, realise that the only solution is inclusive and broad based dialogue that will emphasise the role of the victim.”
ZPP recommends that government and Zanu PF “should take their head out of the sand, smell the crisis, unlock the door to inclusive and broad-based dialogue.”
Dialogue, ZPP said there is need for a social contract to solve the current divisions in the country and the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) is not making any difference.
“There is an urgent need for a social contract to solve the social disconnect in the country. It is not enough for government at every turn to make reference to the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), the reason why citizens are clamouring for something else is the fact that POLAD is not working.
“Dialogue enables Zimbabweans to find each other and collectively solve all the other results of the current logjam. ZPP also recommends that government respects the independence of institutions as this is important in restoring confidence and trust in the justice system,” ZPP said
ZPP called the on government to respect the Constitution as it clearly outlines the separation of powers, in particular, the independence of the judiciary.
