SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
A probe into a brutal campaign of rape against opposition supporters in Zimbabwe in 2008 is underway in South Africa, with the police service there said to be busy with their investigations. The South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) made headlines earlier this year when it indicated that it would launch an investigation into the rapes perpetrated across the border. The probe marks the first time that rape is solely being scrutinised as a crime against humanity under a legal term known as “universal jurisdiction”. The principle allows and obliges nations under international law to investigate and prosecute citizens from other countries, if the crimes are considered particularly heinous. The police probe follows years of investigative work by the US based advocacy group AIDS-Free World and other organisations. In 2009 AIDS-Free World released a shock report detailing the horrific rape campaign against Zimbabwe’s women, as part of ZANU PF’s violent strategy to hold on to power. The report, ‘Electing to Rape: Sexual Terror in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe’, documents 380 rapes committed by 241 perpetrators, who all identified themselves to their victims as ZANU PF members. The AIDS-Free World report accuses the Mugabe regime of being responsible for crimes against humanity. They said that they also believed that the number of rapes was much higher than those documented. But with no chance of justice being forthcoming in the Mugabe-loyal Zimbabwean courts, the group was forced to turn to South Africa. By enacting the Rome Statue into domestic law, South Africa has an obligation to investigate crimes against humanity and then arrest suspects if they set foot in the country. AIDS-Free World co-director Stephen Lewis told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that the investigation is ongoing. “Our legal counsel in South Africa and our legal counsel here, who has travelled to South Africa, are busy and we know the South Africa police are involved. The extent and nature of the investigation, well I shouldn’t elaborate on,” Lewis said. He meanwhile added that there are some concerns that the South African government may stand in the way of any active persecution of the Mugabe regime, with the authorities endorsing Mugabe as the legitimate winner of last month’s elections. Jacob Zuma and his Southern African counterparts have also moved to give Mugabe even more legitimacy, by appointing him to the Deputy Chairmanship of the SADC leadership bloc. This appointment means that the almost 90 year old Mugabe will assume the Chair of SADC next year.“It is pretty obscene what is happening. This sort of retroactive exoneration of a murderer and a man who orchestrated sexual violence is shocking. He may well get away with it, because the clamor to vindicate him is very strong, but we don’t think it does much credit to the African leadership,” Lewis said. AIDS-Free World earlier this month urged the UN Security Council to refer Mugabe to the International Criminal Court, to face charges against humanity. Lewis said that, even though it has been a struggle to have the rape campaign investigated, “we will not stop seeking justice.” To contact this reporter email alex@swradioafrica.com or follow on Twitter