YESTERDAY, we ran a story titled Parly should champion human rights: Mudenda, where Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda called on the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and the Thematic Committee on Human Rights to play a leading role in protecting human rights and upholding the rule of law.

Mudenda said this while addressing the committees at a workshop, where he emphasised that human rights and the rule of law were essential for sustainable development.

“However, one cannot promote and protect human rights when oblivious of them.

“The government has undertaken concrete steps to entrench human rights, justice and the rule of law in pursuit of peace and security as a condition precedent to sustainable economic development and growth,” Mudenda said.

In the same article, Mudenda was quoted  commending the government for taking concrete steps to entrench human rights, justice and the rule of law, citing the establishment of independent commissions (Chapter 12 institutions) to support democracy.

But it is not enough to have independent commissions to support democracy when the authorities disregard the same rights that are protected in the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

Just a few weeks ago in the lead to the 44th Sadc Heads of State and Government Summit, several pro-democracy activists were arrested and thrown in jail and have been denied bail to date.

They were accused of plotting to stage protests during the Sadc summit.

So disheartening is the fact that both the government and the ruling Zanu PF party have conceded that this was a pre-emptive crackdown against government critics, with the President’s spokesperson George Charamba repeatedly conceding that the arrests were meant to punish “sellouts”.

Just a few days ago, Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe claimed that government had “outplayed” pro-democracy voices by incarcerating them before the Sadc summit, giving credence to the notion that the charges preferred against the incarcerated prodemocracy voices were politically motivated, according to Heal Zimbabwe Trust.

Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa last week claimed that the detained activists were “mischief makers”, who could now be released as the Sadc summit was now over.

Worsening the situation is the fact that one of the activists was allegedly tortured by suspected State agents.

If we are to talk about human rights, Mudenda should have a year-long workshop with his Zanu PF party colleagues and lecture them on what it means to observe and protect human rights.

Over the years, his party has been accused of orchestrating a reign of terror and violating human rights for those who oppose the ruling party’s views.

At the end of the day, we are all Zimbabweans and what we fight for is to make out country a better place.

Yesterday, Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

The day, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 65/209, is meant to raise awareness on the crime of enforced disappearances as well as honouring victims and their families.

Names aplenty of people, who were disappeared and have never returned to their homes.

Itai Dzamara and Patrick Nabanyama are some of those who were disappeared and never found.

Tonderai Ndira, Tapfumaneyi Masaya and plenty others were abducted and later found dead.

If Mudenda, a Zanu PF representative in Parliament, is serious about respecting human rights, he should direct the message to his colleagues.

The State has long abrogated its duties of protecting citizenry.

We know the security agents as being there to defend us from foreign enemies, not to be our first and foremost enemies.

Human rights are sacrosanct and should be respected to the spirit and to the letter.