By Own Correspondent| Zimbabwe was terrorised by officers from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) with the harassment, threats and intimidation happening country wide at a scale too vast to
quantify.

In a report titled “On the Days of Darkness in Zimbabwe: An Updated Report on the Human Rights Violations Committed between 14 January, 2019 to 5 February 2019” the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum said armed men were seen all over the place harassing anyone they came across.

Read the report:

The strong presence of military personnel and their involvement in communities and civilian affairs, including roaming the streets in full military gear and the presence of armed soldiers in publi transport are factors that have led to the intimidation of citizens.”

Said the Forum in its recommendations:

The Forum is gravely worried about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe and will continue to monitor and document human rights issues as they unfold.

The following recommendations are urgent:
• The Forum maintains that the current deployment of the military is unlawful
and unwarranted. The military must be withdrawn from the streets, return to
the barracks and let police undertake policing duties. The deployment
procedure must be investigated.

• The current violations have become so gross and systematic so as to warrant
being treated as crimes against humanity. Hence SADC and the African Union
are called upon to pressure the Zimbabwean government to stop these
violations, failure which the Forum will approach international platforms
seeking prosecution of the perpetrators.

• The Prosecutor General must abstain from reckless statements and must
forthwith begin the process of compiling evidence on ongoing crimes by
members of the security apparatus to bring all perpetrators to book.

• The judiciary must uphold the rule of law and ensure that fair trial rights
including the rights of the accused persons are respected.

• The government must stop the crackdown against civil society leaders and
recognize the legitimate work of human rights defenders.

• The government must, without further delay, establish the independent
complaints mechanism in line with section 210 of the Constitution. The
independent complaints mechanism is designed to receive and investigate
complaints against the security services.

• Since 14 January 2019 there has been a wanton assault on the Constitution by
the government, the police, the military, and some magistrates and
prosecutors. This must stop. The sanctity of the Constitution must be restored
especially relating to the bill of rights and the deployment of the military

The state media has become an actor in the ongoing massive human rights violations.

The Forum calls upon the state media that is funded by the taxpayer, to stop its current propaganda that is fuelling state violence and fanning hostilities in violation of the founding values of Constitution of
Zimbabwe and the values of peace journalism. The state media must do its
work responsibly in service of the nation not be used in pursuit of a partisan
parochial political agenda.

• The Forum notes the call for national dialogue and underscores that the
sincerity of any dialogue by the government is only tested by halting the
violence. Whatever dialogue to be preferred must not be a political elite pact
as was the 2008 Global Political Agreement. It must be an inclusive dialogue which includes the people of Zimbabwe as represented in various formations including churches, civil society, labour, victims of human rights violations, professional associations, the business community and Zimbabwean diaspora community.