SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
As the world celebrated International Human Rights Day Friday, lawyers in Zimbabwe took to the streets in peaceful marches against an increase in human rights violations. Dozens of human rights lawyers and defenders responded to an invitation from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and marched through Harare and Mutare in commemoration of the annual UN event. In Harare the protesters prepared a petition which will be served next week on the Minister of Justice Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku and parliament. Among other issues the petition raises concerns on what the rights lobby group calls ‘incessant attacks on lawyers, human rights defenders and the rule of law in Zimbabwe’. The petition says human rights activists are not enemies of the state but ‘critical stakeholders’ whose aim is to ensure the respect, protection and promotion of fundamental human rights for a better Zimbabwe. The petition states that social and economic rights remain under threat from ‘retrogressive acts of omission or commission’ by key policy makers. It also laments ‘populist policies’ such as the recent demolitions and arbitrary forced evictions of people from their homes. Also lamented are the ‘arbitrary laws’ which continue to be applied ‘selectively against human rights defenders’ to stop them from doing their work. The Friday protest comes two weeks after the acquittal of two ZLHR members, Beatrice Mtetwa and Abel Chikomo, in two separate cases which were widely seen as part of judicial harassment of rights defenders. In both cases the court ruled that there was no evidence against the accused with the magistrates castigating the police for ever dragging the two to trial. The marches also come after SW Radio Africa reported that 37 women protesters were arrested Wednesday in Harare while commemorating the internationally recognised 16 Days of activism Against Gender Violence. A fortnight ago police in Bulawayo assaulted members of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise as they marched to hand over a petition to Mat North Resident Minister Sithokozile Mathuthu. ZHLR information officer Kumbirai Mafunda told SW Radio Africa that ‘no cases of violence were recorded’ on Friday as the police provided an escort for the marchers in both Harare and Mutare.