Zimbabweans themselves have considered the human rights violations in some depth, and, at a symposium held in Johannesburg in 2003 representatives of 3 Zimbabwean organisations arrived at unequivocal conclusions: · · · All available evidence indicates that the Government has engaged in a widespread, systematic, and planned campaign of organised violence and torture to suppress normal democratic activities, and unlawfully to influence the electoral process; The Government has also created, and the law enforcement agencies have vigorously applied, highly repressive legislation; These measures were directed at ensuring that the Government retained power rather than overcoming resistance to equitable land redistribution and correcting historical iniquities. The clear meaning of the expression above, "a widespread, systematic, and planned campaign of organised violence and torture" indicates that the organisations involved are making a prima facie claim that crimes against humanity have been committed by the Zimbabwe Government. These views have not been accorded the serious consideration that they deserve. Currently, Zimbabwe is heading for an election, probably in March 2005. The analysis in this Report demonstrates a strong correlation between reports of torture and other forms of organised violence and the lead up to elections. There is little sign that the Zimbabwe Government now intends to create a climate in which free and fair elections can take place and consequently there is serious concern that patterns will be repeated in the months leading to the upcoming elections. Serious attempts must now be made to address the situation. In 2001 the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights decided to undertake a Fact-Finding Mission to Zimbabwe following widespread reports of human rights violations. The Mission subsequently visited the country from 24 to 28 June 2002, i.e. some three months after the disputed presidential election. Two years later the executive summary of the report of the Fact-Finding Mission has reached the public domain and is incorporated in this REDRESS Report as an appendix. 3 See the Johannesburg Declaration and the Summary of the Johannesburg symposium, reported in Themba Lesizwe (2004), Civil Society and Justice in Zimbabwe, Proceedings of a symposium held in Johannesburg, 11-13 August 2003, PRETORIA: THEMBA LESIZWE. 2