…As world commemorates Day for Victims of Enforced Disappearances
Emmanuel Chitsika
Since November 2017, when long serving nonagenarian Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was disposed of power albeit a sanitised military coup which ushered in the New Dispensation led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, human rights violations have continued to put a significant dent on the country’s human rights record.
For organizations who have been fighting for human rights in the country, the situation that obtained during Mugabe’s era is not so different from the current which these defenders claim is even a bit worse.
In an interview, one victim of such, Makomborero Haruzivishe accused the ‘New Dispensation’ of trying to silence voices of dissent in the country by cracking down on activists and human rights defenders.
“Cases of enforced disappearances remain rife in the country, for example the case of one Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI) agent Wellington Mushosho who during the 2019 demonstrations against fuel price hikes was part of the team of a security squad deployed in Mbare where he and his accomplices were caught after robbing people and they confessed before the courts to having been sent to harass opposition activists. Again, the case of Tawanda Muchehiwa (a young student and victim from Bulawayo abducted before July 31,2021 to-be-staged demonstrations) shows that in the new set up, Zanu PF government has developed the tendency of deploying State security apparatus to shut down and silence citizens’ voices.
“As we commemorate this day on August 30, it is critical for us as Zimbabweans to raise awareness and the need to put to an end to this. It is important that people the world over take action to bring to an end such practices. Advocating for an end to such brutal and heartless means for political suppression is the only way to go.
“I was at one point attacked like on February 17, 2021 with men armed with pistols, blind-folded and was only fortunate that members of the public raised alarm after hearing the gun shots and that is how I got rescued as the abductors made an about turn and dumped me at a police station,” urged Haruzivishe.
He also said this was synonymous with the era soon after Independence in which human rights abuses as well as abductions were rampant in the early 1980s.
“Enforced disappearances have been used as a tool for political suppression since time immemorial and we speak of the early 1980s when thousands of people were abducted and killed during the famous Gukurahundi in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces by soldiers. This would go on as Zanu PF continued with their move to silence critics like what happened when Jestina Mukoko was held in-communicado for advocating for human rights.
“The other issue is the aim to instil and harvest fear in citizens which took place even during the reign of Mugabe and also in this so-called ‘New Dispensation’. Under Mugabe, Itai Dzamara was abducted never to be seen again and several others who were tortured and returned like Partson Dzamara for advocating for the release of his brother Itai Dzamara.
“Under this new government, there has been a sharp increase in these enforced disappearances and the moniker used by the president. Then there is the case of the trio of Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova who were clearly abducted but ended up facing criminal charges laid against them despite the spokesperson of police releasing a statement confirming having them in police custody.
“However, the State has declined assuming responsibility of such cases despite the fact that overwhelming evidence was availed,” added Haruzivishe.
Another human rights defender Jestina Mukoko who is also the director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) said human rights abuses signalled by enforced disappearance cases have been a take over from where Mugabe left by the current president (Mnangagwa).
“Having a day like this (August 30) is important because it ensures people don’t forget what happened to human rights defenders. Having a commemoration like that would allow those who have been victims to also reflect on their various situations because they would appreciate that at the end of the day, when you go through that you don’t remain the same.
“It is just good to realise that there is a day set aside for such occurrences and the sad part of it is that we continue to see citizens being subjected to enforced disappearances and this is really a crime against humanity which the State needs to stop,” said Mukoko.
Asked on her view on the situation in the old and new set-ups, Mukoko said there is no difference.
“Where is the difference, if I may ask? I am not aware of any changes in the situation but rather it’s a continuation. By the way the actors are still the same, they might have changed the goalkeeper but the strategies the coach employs are still the same,” she added.
Masvingo human rights lawyer Martin Mureri echoed Mukoko’s sentiments saying the cases of enforced disappearances are on the rise probably being perpetrated by a few untouchables.
“Cases of enforced disappearances are increasing pointing to a conclusion that there are some few, powerful figures who maybe untouchable being the chief culprits because we have never witnessed any arrests on part of perpetrators but the victims instead.
“That is despite the fact that citizens would have on record been abducted but no arrests are made and sometimes law enforcement agents seem to be reluctant to act but will only act when pressing charges on the victim. In Masvingo we had a case of John Mupanduki who was abducted in Bikita but police ended up arresting him laying accusations of giving false information to them.
“That shows there are powerful figures behind such cases but they seem to be above the law as no action is taken against them,” said Mureri.
He also said more still has to be done on part of responsible authorities other than just mere commemorations.
“Commemorations alone are not enough. There should be mechanisms put in place to ensure the perpetrators of such disappearances are brought to book and face the wrath of the law and only then shall we be able to freely and meaningfully commemorate the day,” added Mureri.
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres also weighed in on the significance of August 30.
“Impunity compounds the suffering and anguish. Under international human rights law, families and societies have a right to know the truth about what happened. I call on member states to fulfil this responsibility,” said Guterres in a statement.
Rome statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) of July 1, 2002 and the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 20, 2006 qualified ‘forced disappearance’ as a crime against humanity and thus, is not subject to a statute of limitations. It gives victims’ families the right to seek reparations and demand the truth about disappearance of their loved ones.
Zimbabwe government has on record been accused of gross human rights violations and dissent against opposition political activists while currently the arrest and detention of CCC legislators Job Sikhala (Zengeza West) and Godfrey Sithole (Chitungwiza North) and other 14 activists from Nyatsime are such examples of rights violations as they have been denied bail for over two months to date.
