Govt Has Failed on Key Reforms-Tsvangirai
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15 March 2010 Edition 36 Govt has failed on key reforms-Tsvangirai HARARE-Prime Minister Morgan crisis by ending politically motivated arrests, Tsvangirai has admitted that the transitional prosecutions, seizures of white-owned farms, coalition government has failed to institute media censorship as well as drafting a new significant democratic reforms more than a constitution and holding new elections under year after its establishment. international supervision and monitoring. Tsvangirai formed a transitional unity But a year after its establishment, Tsvangirai government with President Robert Mugabe conceded that implementation of democratic after signing an Interparty Political reforms has been sluggish. Agreement (IPA) which was expected to usher in a new phase in his decade-long “Indeed, as a government, we have not yet made struggle against Mugabe’s rule. the types of progress or democratic reforms which were the very reason for entering into The decision to establish the inclusive this new administration,” Tsvangirai disclosed government came after many influential in a keynote address at the launch of a Crisis leaders in southern Africa pushed for a in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) report entitled power-sharing arrangement in response to “Cries from Goromonzi: Inside Zimbabwe’s an election their own monitors concluded Torture Chambers”. was neither free nor fair. Tsvangirai’s disclosure is in tandem with a recent The coalition government committed brutal assessment carried out by the Civil Society itself to resolving a decade-long political Monitoring Mechanism (CISOMM), To Page 4 Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai TortureHARARE-Victims of torture at the hands of State Their testimonies revealedvictims that where the “When we arrived at the base, the group demandedtell He said the previous regimeall had failed in its agents and members of the ZANU PF regime previous government was not a direct perpetrator, that I produce my Movement for Democratic attempts to crush voices of dissent but a lot more have revealed the pervasive torture they allegedly it was an alleged accomplice in the violation of Change (MDC) regalia and membership card. still needed to be done. underwent, including beatings on the soles of human rights using open violence, chemicals to Upon failure to produce what they wanted, I was their feet, arbitrary assaults and mock drowning. drug and poison victims, and other egregious told to remove my shoes and had my feet placed “The fact that we are here today is evidence that forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. upon four bricks before receiving beatings on the they failed to silence us and although we have not In a report titled: “Cries from Goromonzi; Inside soles of my feet,” said Mupfawa. yet reached our true democratic destination, we Zimbabwe’s Torture Chambers” released by Rosy Mupfawa, one of the victims, told how will never stop marching towards the Zimbabwe the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) last 19 people broke into the house she was sharing Her assailants claimed to have been sent by named that the people demand and deserve,” he said at Thursday, 23 people who allegedly experienced with her aged parents and four children and the launch of the report. these traumatic experiences describe how the force-marched her for about one hour towards a ZANU PF members who had allegedly received instructions to instigate violence against MDC culture of torture with impunity remains pervasive Musamhi base (Mutoko) which was manned by The release of the report coincides with the third in Zimbabwe. war veterans. members in the area. She said her assailants tore anniversary of the March 11, 2007 arrests, assaults off her clothes, including her underwear, before and torture of civil society actors and opposition touching her private parts. political party leaders and supporters on their way to Highfield for a Prayer Meeting under the Save “At that moment, owing to continued beatings, Zimbabwe Campaign initiative. four teeth fell out while both my arms were broken. One of the men started beating me again “It is fitting that this launch is held on with planks and just when I thought the worst was March 11, the day when many of us gathered here over, he stuck a thick tree stump into my vagina were together in Highfield and witnessed and tearing off part of my ‘vaginal bean’ (clitoris),” experienced the brutality of the regime’s attempts said Mupfawa. to suppress dissent,” said Tsvangirai. While she suffered at the hands of her tormentors, The CZC report examines the pervasive use of some ZANU PF supporters helped themselves alleged torture and imprisonment of citizens in to her three goats, 50kgs of maize meal, sewing secret detention camps in Zimbabwe to extract machine, 25 litres of cooking oil, five litres of information, stifle public dissent and determine political process and election outcomes. It seeks paraffin, school uniforms and blankets. to expose alleged torture camps, the prevalence of the use of torture and acts as a catalyst for security The police refused to record her report, saying the sector reforms in Zimbabwe. case was “political”, and was being dealt with by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). One example of these alleged detention camps is revealed as a prison complex housed at Goromonzi This is just one of the many harrowing testimonies Police Camp situated 40km outside Harare in by victims of torture, who Prime Minister Mashonaland East - a province notorious for its Morgan Tsvangirai saluted for their “bravery gross human rights abuses. During the colonial and who shared their testimonies so that they era, the prison complex was used by the Ian Smith can help to light our path towards truth, justice, regime as a torture base for freedom fighters and and reconciliation”. other supporters of the liberation struggle. Rutendo Munengami courageously narrates her ordeal 15 March 2010 Significant overhaul required for free polls HARARE-The Zimbabwe Electoral Support Reform of harsh media and security laws such of human rights violations have been reported Network (ZESN) has said that an election can as the Access to Information and Protection of during the month under review. only go ahead next year after a ‘significant’ Privacy Act and the Public Order and Security overhaul of the current electoral system and Act were key in leveling the playing field for “ZESN learnt of the arrests of the staff of its processes. contestants. Students, labour and other civil member organization, CIVNET, in Bindura. society actors continue to be arrested, harassed The ZimRights Director and some of its board In its latest Ballot Update, ZESN said recent and intimidated under these laws, ZESN noted. members and staff have also been threatened statements by President Robert Mugabe that the The constitution-making process is also behind via text and e-mail messages. Meanwhile the country should be ready for elections next year schedule by seven months. Secretary General of GAPWUZ is currently in were ill-timed because the current environment hiding after having been summoned before the would only result in disputed polls. ZESN noted that civil society was still operating Joint Operations Command regarding her role in a restrictive environment, making its job of in the making of a documentary surrounding The Ballot Update is a monthly barometer on sensitising the public on political, social and the land reform programme,” reads part of the the transitional administration’s ability to meet economic issues difficult. This has been worsened Ballot Update. benchmarks it set for itself under the Inter-Party by the re-emergence of security forces in ZESN director - Rindai Chipfunde-Vava Political Agreement (IPA) that formed the basis civilian matters. This curtailment of civil society operating space of the coalition government. Human Rights Commission, Zimbabwe Media was particularly worrying given the critical Commission and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption “The space for civil society to operate has moment of the constitutional outreach process Electoral reforms demanded by ZESN include Commission - as provided for in the IPA. ZESN been significantly curtailed within the past 2 which would require broader participation by functional constitutional commissions - expressed concern at the delays in setting up months. Despite the optimism resulting from the citizens if the new constitution was to gain Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Zimbabwe these commissions. the Government of National Unity, a number legitimacy, noted ZESN. Jonathan Moyo appeals ruling HARARE-In a further attempt to put an end to any of the Members in the House did not cast Zvoma argued the alleged chaos was merely a his streak of bad fortune, former Information their votes in secret or that the Members who result of the increased membership of the House Minister, Jonathan Moyo, has renewed his bid to did display their votes did so under any threat or from 150 to 210 MPs. oust Lovemore Moyo, the Speaker of Parliament, duress,” said Patel. after the High Court threw out his 2008 challenge The Speaker became the first person from to have the Speaker’s election set aside. The once high-flying Moyo sat in court and was a outside Zanu PF to have landed the post in The Tsholotsho North MP filed a Notice of pale shadow of the former exuberant, Information 2008 after the ailing Zanu PF had surrendered Appeal in the Supreme Court last Wednesday, Minister of the early 20th century as Justice Patel’s its majority in Parliament for the first time in a day after Justice Bharat Patel had dismissed delivered his ruling. Zimbabwe’s history. his application. Legislators who supported Jonathan The Tsholotsho North MP is notorious for “The learned Judge (Justice Patel) erred in finding Moyo’s application were Moses Mzila Ndlovu, crafting the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) that a proper election of the Speaker of Parliament Patrick Dube and Siyabonga Ncube.