THE just-ended Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Heads of State and Government Summit that saw President Emmerson Mnangagwa assuming the chairmanship of the regional bloc has been described as a public relations gimmick by civil society organisations.
This comes as scores of human rights activists have found themselves under lock and key, facing charges of violence and planned protests against the regime.
By the beginning of the summit, over 160 activists across the country had been arrested, detained and denied bail by the courts.
In an interview with France24, Zimbabwe Human Rights Association director Dzikamai Bere said the crackdown on pro-democracy voices raised serious questions about the sincerity of the bloc’s leadership under Mnangagwa.
“As heads of the civic society, we continue to appeal to the heads of State because they have the obligation under the Sadc protocol to respect human rights,” Bere said.
“The people who were arrested on their way to Victoria Falls were tortured badly and some of the 78 opposition members have also been tortured and we have begun to question if this summit is really a good thing for Zimbabwe or just a public relations act for the government.”
He said there was an urgent need for the government and relevant stakeholders to release the captured activists.
“We join all progressive individuals and institutions in urging for the immediate release of all political prisoners and an end to the brutal crackdown on dissent.”
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Ahead of the summit, human rights organisations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on authorities to end the crackdown on activists.
“Authorities must also promptly and effectively investigate allegations of torture or other ill-treatment of detainees and hold any suspected perpetrators accountable in fair proceedings,” the groups said.
“Further, Sadc must urgently demand an end to this assault on human rights as it prepares to hand the bloc’s leadership to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.”
Among those arrested are Senator Jameson Timba, Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume, former Binga North MP Prince Dubeko Sibanda, feminist and rights defender Namatai Kwekweza, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Robson Chere and the Avondale 76.
Addressing the media in the past weeks, Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe reaffirmed government’s stance and readiness to deal with dissent.
Meanwhile, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) has called for the existence of a democratic space in Zimbabwe following violations of human rights among them the wanton arrest of pro-democracy activists ahead of the Sadc summit.
In a statement to mark its 23rd anniversary, CiCZ, said its wish was to see a democratic and economically prosperous Zimbabwe.
“As we mark the 23rd anniversary of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, we honour our long-standing commitment to see a democratic and economically prosperous Zimbabwe and our unwavering commitment to advance the interests and aspirations of the masses of our people,” the statement read.
CiCZ reflected on the controversial 2018 elections during which the State deployed soldiers against unarmed civilians who were protesting the delayed release of presidential election results.
“Despite the challenges posed by the shrinking democratic space in Zimbabwe and the Sadc region, the coalition has consistently positioned itself as the voice of the voiceless and vanguard of society, thanks to our regional solidarity partners.”
