HARARE – The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition has raised alarm following a statement by ZANU PF spokesperson, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, regarding the recent detention of opposition and human rights activists ahead of the SADC Heads of State Summit.
According to Mutsvangwa, the activists, who were arrested in the lead-up to the regional meeting, will be released after the summit’s conclusion on August 17, 2024.
Speaking at a press conference on August 19, 2024, Ambassador Mutsvangwa stated that ZANU PF intends to engage with the judiciary and the Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate the release of approximately 160 detained activists. He assured that his party would work towards securing their freedom now that the summit has ended.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition responded to these remarks by expressing deep concern over the current state of Zimbabwe’s judiciary and legal system.
“Ambassador Mutsvangwa’s sentiments confirm the sad reality that the capture of the judiciary and the weaponization of the law in Zimbabwe is the new order,” the Coalition said in a statement. The organization highlighted that the Zimbabwean government had previously ignored calls from local, regional, and international bodies, including the United Nations, to halt rights violations and release the detained activists.
The Coalition further criticized the government’s actions, stating that “the state has apparently suspended the Constitution as it moves to entrench political power and push the country towards a one-party state.”
They warned that Zimbabwe is witnessing a growing trend of persecution against opposition and human rights activists, characterized by arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions, abductions, and torture.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition also voiced concern over the implications of these developments for the broader Southern African region.
“This is quite an unfortunate development not only for Zimbabwe but for the SADC region,” they noted, emphasizing the irony that Zimbabwe, as the current chair of the SADC bloc, is disregarding the regional organization’s guidelines on democracy and governance.
In their statement, the Coalition called on the Zimbabwean government to respect citizens’ fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution and to abandon “authoritarian tendencies that violate the tenets of democracy.”
They emphasized the need for a citizen-centred movement focused on pushing for constitutionalism and urged all progressive forces to “continuously mobilize at the local, regional, and global level” to unite against dictatorship and work towards establishing a democratic society that respects the rights of its citizens.