Human Rights advocacy group, the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) says law enforcement agents have become the biggest threat to the enjoyment of rights by citizens in the country.
In a monthly report for the month of July, ZPP says the month was characterised by harassment and unlawful arrests.
“Once again, in July 2021, the citizens of Zimbabwe were the major victims of human rights violations mainly committed by the ruling Zanu PF party and the Zimbabwe Republic Police. This is no coincidence.
“The statistics and the human rights violations that ZPP recorded in the month of July confirm the systematic nature in which both the ruling party and law enforcement agents have become the biggest threat to the enjoyment of human rights by citizens in Zimbabwe.
“Harassment, intimidation, unlawful arrests, beatings and aid discrimination have become some of the most common human rights violations ZPP has recorded in the past months and the trend, unfortunately, continued in July 2021. 99.5 percent of this month’s victims of human rights violations are ordinary citizens,” noted ZPP
The pressure group also castigated recent directives from Provincial Development Coordinators ordering Non-Governmental Organisations to submit their 2021 work plans.
“The citizens of Zimbabwe have become more and more voiceless, and this comes in the wake of much more overt attempts by government and ruling party to shut down the operating space for civil society and the opposition.
“Using all means necessary, from promulgating restrictive legislation, to prying into the work of civil society organizations through Provincial Development Coordinators, government has clearly demonstrated its intention to shut out the remaining civil and political space.
“It must be noted that civil society plays a critical role not in just complementing the work of government in all sectors, but it also holds government to account, promotes transparency, accountability, democracy and an open society. By criminalizing, and stifling the work of civil society, government denies citizens a chance to enjoy the vital services provided by civil society organizations in all sectors,” said ZPP.
