Farai Dziva|MDC Alliance National Secretary for Healing, Peace, Reconciliation and Integration, Blessing Chebundo, has called on human rights organizations to act on the abduction and torture of the party’s youth leaders.

Below is Honourable Chebundo’ s statement :

THE MDC-A ORGAN FOR PEACE CALLS UPON THE ZIMBABWE COMMISSIONS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, GENDER, AND PEACE, TO ACT UPON THE ‘ THE ARREST: ABDUCTION AND TORTURE OF THE THREE YOUNG LEADERS

The Organ for National Healing: Peace-building: Reconciliation: and Integration, (NHPRI) of the MDC-A Calls upon the Constitutional Independent Commissions for Human Rights; for Peace; and for Gender, to take this latest case of ‘arrest, abduction, and torture’ as a serious National urgent matter that calls for the commissions to put all their constitutional mandated roles into motion.

Chapter 12, section 232 of the constitution of Zimbabwe, outlines that the Independent Commissions are there to support human and democracy in Zimbabwe.

Amongst the commissions are, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission: The Zimbabwe Gender Commission: and The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission’.

Section 233 outlines the objectives of the commissions, ‘inter-alia, to support and entrench human rights and democracy; and to secure the observance of democratic values and principles by the State, and all institutions and agencies of government, and government-controlled entities; and ensure that injustices are remedied.

Section 235 of the constitution guarantees the ‘independence of the commissions. ‘The independent Commissions are independent and are not subject to the direction or control of anyone; and must exercise their functions without fear, favour or prejudice’;

Therefore, we call upon the ZHRC, established in accordance with section 242 to act with ‘urgency on this matter’, and within its broader scope of functions as per section 243, among other functions, ‘to protect the citizens against abuse of power and maladministration state and public institutions and by officers of those institutions. The ZHRC has right to visit the cases in directly.

The Zimbabwe Gender Commission outlined under Part 4, section 245 equally has to be moved by this serious case, because of the gender aspect involved in the reported serious abuse by the torturers So is the NPRC, whose role is outlined under section 251 of the constitution and includes, ‘ taking action on such matters of violence’.

We challenge these Commissions to ‘live-up’ to their mandate; to act with urgency on this matter of ‘arrest/abduction, torture, abuse, violence, and attack of young ladies’. The commissions must be moved by this continuation of the abductions that went on the increase since 2019. We have not heard, or saw significant actions from these commissions over these abductions.

We do not expect ‘business as usual’ when such inhuman treatment continue to be inflicted upon citizens. These abductions have gone too far. The Commissions need to remove their face masks and see, and act as enshrined in the constitution. The persisting ‘Evil’ has to be stopped..

Hon Blessing Chebundo
MDC-A.

(National Secretary for Healing, Peace, Reconciliation and Integration).