As Zimbabwe prepares to host the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State Summit, human rights organizations are raising alarms over the government’s escalating crackdown on dissent. Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have condemned the wave of arbitrary arrests and alleged torture of opposition members, activists, and journalists ahead of the summit scheduled for August 17, 2024, in Harare.
In a joint statement released on Friday, the two organizations reported that more than 160 individuals have been detained in Harare since mid-June. Moreover, the detainees include elected officials, union leaders, students, and members of the opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). The human rights watchdogs accuse Zimbabwean authorities of employing heavy-handed tactics to silence critics, including the use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
Calls for Immediate Action from SADC
AI and HRW have called on the SADC to break its silence and address the ongoing human rights violations in Zimbabwe. The groups argue that the region’s leadership, particularly the outgoing SADC chairperson, Angolan President João Lourenço, and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who heads SADC’s Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation Organ, must speak out against the abuses.
“Zimbabwean authorities must end their crackdown against opposition and civil society members ahead of the SADC summit,” the statement from the human rights organizations read. Furthermore, they emphasized the need for immediate and unconditional release of those arrested for exercising their rights and called for thorough investigations into allegations of torture, with suspected perpetrators being held accountable through fair proceedings.
Khanyo Farise, AI’s deputy regional director for East and Southern Africa, highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that security forces have resorted to tear-gassing private residences, violently beating individuals who then required hospitalization, and subjecting detainees to forced disappearances and torture.
A Dangerous Precedent for SADC Leadership
The human rights groups warned that the Zimbabwean government’s intensified repression is setting a troubling precedent as President Emmerson Mnangagwa prepares to assume the chairmanship of SADC. However, the ongoing crackdown, they argue, undermines the bloc’s commitment to upholding human rights and democratic values.
“The serious violations we are witnessing, including violent attacks, abductions, torture, arbitrary arrests, and other abuses against the opposition, government critics, and activists, are just the latest example of the failure of President Mnangagwa’s government to promote, protect, and respect basic human rights,” said Idriss Ali Nassah, senior Africa researcher at HRW.
The statement from AI and HRW underscores the international community’s growing concern over Zimbabwe’s human rights record. The organizations urged SADC leaders to demand an immediate halt to the abuses and to ensure that those responsible are held to account. In addition, they also stressed that the silence of SADC could embolden the Zimbabwean government to continue its repressive tactics, further eroding the region’s human rights landscape.
As the SADC summit approaches, the spotlight is increasingly turning toward the region’s response to the situation in Zimbabwe. The actions of SADC leaders will be closely watched as a test of the bloc’s commitment to human rights and democratic principles under Mnangagwa’s upcoming leadership.
Source: New Zimbabwe
