WOMEN of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) has approached the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) seeking its intervention to help end rights abuses in the country.
Report by Silas Nkala
Belinda Chinowawa of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said the complaint was filed during the ACHPR’s 53rd session held in Banjul, The Gambia.
Legal representatives from the Washington-based Robert F Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights and ZLHR filed the complaint on behalf of Woza on April 13. Woza founders Magodonga Mahlangu and Jennifer Williams who have been arrested over 50 times in Woza’s history are the applicants.
“Woza seeks to challenge the pattern of impunity which has resulted in continued arrests, harassment, intimidation and physical assaults,” Chinowawa said.
“This is despite the rendering of a judgment by the Supreme Court in 2010, which stated that the rights of Woza members had been violated, when the State arrested, detained, and prosecuted them for engaging in peaceful protest through public demonstrations.”
She said it had been expected that ruling would bring to an end the persecution of Woza members by the police.
However, the women continued to be charged under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for offences ranging from disturbing the peace to criminal nuisance whenever they held peaceful demonstrations.
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“This state of affairs is in flagrant disregard of Woza’s rights to peaceful protest which are guaranteed under the African Charter to which Zimbabwe has been a party since 1986,” she said.
“The filing of this communication is timely in that, given the imminence of the general elections, it is essential that civic movements such as Woza be permitted to express their opinions freely and publicly assemble around matters of human rights and public interest.”
Chinowawa said the application sought to stop the government from interfering with members of Woza’s right to peaceful protests.
“The ACHPR is also being asked to recommend to the government of Zimbabwe to adopt policies and measures such as trainings and policy directives that enhance the effective implementation of all domestic laws in a manner that promotes the enjoyment of the rights to freedom and assembly,” she said.
Williams yesterday said their application detailed cases of abuse against Woza during demonstrations.
“The communication document gives details of over 24 incidents of violations over the course of two years of the applicants’ rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention, non-discrimination, and equal protection of the law-all protected by the African Charter,” she said.
Williams said they wanted the African Commission to stop the government from interfering in any way with their right to peaceful protest and public demonstrations.
“The timing of this communication is due to escalation of repression on civic society organisations and the shrinking space for exercising and protecting human rights as Zimbabwe gears for harmonised election,” she said.
