DEPUTY Chief Justice Luke Malaba has attacked government for being the worst culprit in violating citizens’ rights.
BY NUNURAI JENA
Speaking during a ZimRights Community Human Rights Defenders Awards ceremony in Bulawayo last week, Malaba said citizens should not “give the devil the responsibility to protect and promote” their rights.
“The State and every agent of government at every level and everyone else must protect, promote, respect and fulfil human rights. So you give the devil the responsibility to protect and promote human rights yet it is the worst offender? There is nothing wrong in doing so . . . send a thief to catch a thief. If you want government, the State to be in the public eye, to be scrutinised, then give it the obligation to protect humans, if you don’t it will continue violating human rights,” Malaba said to the thunderous applause from the delegates.
He added: “The rights are for us all. They are not rights for them (the rulers) . . . rights are indivisible. These rights are interdependent because they follow a human being, they sleep with a human being, they are tortured with a human being.”
