Beatings - intimidation - Zanu PF at Work
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- Written by: Mary Taruvinga - AFP
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modernghana.com/news/by Mary Taruvinga
Beatings, intimidation as Zimbabwe (regime) bids to extend presidential term
HARARE — Professor Lovemore Madhuku struggled to focus without his spectacles, broken in an assault that shocked many in Zimbabwe when footage of his injuries was shared on social media. His lips were still swollen, and bruises lined his back, the aftermath of an assault he blamed on police-backed security agents who stormed a meeting of his opposition party in early March. The attack is among a series reported by groups mobilising against a proposed constitutional amendment passed by cabinet last month that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term.
But it has not weakened his resolve to fight the changes, said Madhuku, a law professor and leader of the National Constitutional Assembly. "If we are shot, we will die. If we are beaten up... we may be hospitalised or even crippled. But we are not going to care," the 60-year-old told AFP. Police denied involvement in the attack by men in balaclavas, but this assault and others echo previous violent and sometimes deadly crackdowns against Zimbabwe's opposition, blamed on state forces.
The proposed amendments raising most alarm would extend the presidential term from five to seven years and replace direct presidential elections with a vote by lawmakers. They would keep Mnangagwa, 83, in office after his constitutionally limited two terms end in 2028. Critics say they would also entrench the grip on power of ZANU-PF, which has governed the resource-rich country since independence in 1980, overseeing crippling economic crises and accused of corruption and repression. Prominent opposition lawmaker Jameson Timba, 61, said he and a colleague had been under surveillance since speaking against the amendment. Both found an "X" painted at their homes the day they planned to hold a meeting at the offices of the pro-democracy Southern Africa Political Economy Series (SAPES) Trust.
The SAPES building was bombed last year as debate over the possibility of extending presidential terms gained momentum. "We are not scared," said Timba, who spent more than five months in jail in 2024 on charges of holding an unlawful meeting. "We will not stop," the Defend the Constitution Platform leader told AFP. A member of the separate Constitution Defenders Forum told reporters he was beaten last month by armed men who ran over his legs with a SUV and interrogated him about the group's strategy to challenge the amendment.
"Since the bill has been introduced, there has been a systematic shutting down of those whose voices oppose it," political analyst Blessing Vava told AFP.
"We are in a very dangerous space," he said, recalling the role of the military in crises in 2008 and 2017.
Death Bed Regrets and Hope
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- Written by: John Burke
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Whist researching Twitter/X for a support letter for one of our members, I came, perchance, upon the [litteral] death bed message (24hours ago) of Blessed Geza
Full Message:
Fellow Zimbabweans,
I come to you at this unusual hour, my heart heavy with sorrow. I am in pain that I might not see the new Zimbabwe after Emmerson, but I take solace in the hope that you will continue the faith for a free and prosperous nation - the Zimbabwe I fiercely fought for.
I have walked a difficult path, one filled with pain and sacrifice. Like many of you, I joined this struggle at a tender age. We fought fierce battles, and the memories of our dear comrades who fell to the enemy’s guns and bombs still haunt us. But this did not deter us; it fortified our resolve. Each of us hoped to witness a better Zimbabwe, one where every dream counted. The colonial system was oppressively and socially, economically, and politically discriminatory, The oppressors stole our dignity, our humanity, and our livelihoods.
Systematic Human Rights Abuse
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- Written by: Blessing Tariro Makeyi
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Human Rights and Rule of Law in Zimbabwe: A Systematic Breakdown
Zimbabwe's decline from a nation with constitutional protections and an independent judiciary to one characterized by systematic human rights abuses represents one of the most troubling transformations in post-colonial Africa. The erosion of the rule of law has not happened by accident but through deliberate policies and actions by those in power who view legal constraints as obstacles to be overcome rather than principles to uphold.
The Gukurahundi: An Early Warning
The first major human rights catastrophe in independent Zimbabwe was the Gukurahundi, a campaign of mass killings in Matabeleland and parts of the Midlands from 1983 to 1987. The Fifth Brigade, trained by North Korean instructors and answering directly to Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, unleashed terror on civilian populations under the guise of hunting dissidents.
An estimated 20,000 people were killed through shootings, beatings, burnings, and starvation. Entire villages were destroyed, women were raped, and survivors were tortured. The government imposed curfews and restricted food supplies to affected areas, weaponizing hunger against civilian populations. Mass graves scattered across Matabeleland remain largely unexcavated, and the government has never acknowledged the full scale of the atrocities or held anyone accountable.
This early impunity established a pattern: political violence could be employed without consequences, and the state's monopoly on force would be used not to protect citizens but to terrorize them into submission.
The Judiciary: From Independence to Subservience
At independence, Zimbabwe inherited a legal system based on Roman-Dutch and English common law, with a judiciary that showed initial signs of independence. However, successive governments have systematically undermined judicial independence through intimidation, politically motivated appointments, and constitutional manipulation.
The turning point came in the early 2000s when judges who ruled against government land seizures faced death threats and violence. Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay was forced to resign in 2001 after being threatened. Other judges who demonstrated independence were similarly targeted, creating a climate of fear within the judiciary.
The government then packed the courts with loyalists. Appointments became overtly political, with legal credentials mattering less than demonstrated allegiance to the ruling party. The Constitutional Court and Supreme Court, meant to be bulwarks against government overreach, instead became instruments for legitimizing executive actions regardless of their legality.
Escalating Political Repression
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- Written by: Tinashe Chihota
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Zimbabwe’s Escalating Political Repression
Zimbabwe is experiencing a wave of state-sponsored human rights violations, with opposition leaders, activists, journalists, and student leaders targeted in a systematic campaign of arbitrary arrests, abductions, torture, and intimidation. Recent incidents include the firebombing of SAPES Trust offices in Harare, abductions of ZINASU student leaders, raids on opposition figures’ homes and offices, and the transnational detention of opposition leader Job Sikhala in South Africa.
These actions are politically motivated, aimed at silencing dissent, restricting civic space, and intimidating individuals advocating for democratic reforms. Victims face violations of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, political participation, and (most importantly) protection from torture.
ZHRO condemns these abuses and calls on the Zimbabwean government to immediately cease harassment and politically motivated arrests. We urge regional and international human rights bodies to investigate these violations and hold perpetrators accountable, and we call on civil society organizations to continue documenting abuses and protecting activists.
The ongoing repression represents a serious threat to democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe, and international attention and accountability are urgently needed.
Furthermore, the founders of ZHRO wish to State:
"We urge all international nations who are accepting Zimbabwean nationals into their relevant asylum processes to recognise the Zimbabwean regime for what it has been concealing for decades - it has remained in power for 45 years under the 'Rule of the Jack Boot', through ruthless repression."
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