political indiscipline among leaders should be allowed to go unchecked and expose the party to such ridicule. In the polarised political space that characterises Zimbabwe, it is insufficient for SADC or any other external group to take a neutral position with regard to examining the veracity of claims about violence, and rather it should be expected that there should be credible attempts to investigate any claims. To date, both SADC and the AU have steadfastly avoided such a course of action, and instead have blocked any other party from such investigations. The lack of investigation allows SADC and the AU to treat all allegations as equivalent, and hence to perpetuate the myth continually propagated by ZANU PF that what characterises Zimbabwe is party political violence. This myth requires careful examination.14 3. Crimes against Humanity Thus, it is unnecessary to deal with the ZRP’s allegations in any detail before the issue of crimes against humanity is raised. As was pointed out in the last report by the Human Rights Forum, the evidence available to all overwhelmingly confirms the following: • • • • Violations are widespread across the country; the alleged victims are disproportionately drawn from one group, which suggests strongly a systematic campaign of violence; both state agents and ZANU PF supporters are mentioned with high frequency, and frequently acting in concert; serious gross human rights violations are very common, with torture being very common. These are not merely the conclusions of the Human Rights Forum, but are echoed by a number of different bodies and organizations. For example, a recent report, by ENOUGH [The project to end genocide and crimes against humanity] came to wholly similar conclusions: The violence against civilians in Zimbabwe has been orchestrated by the Joint Operations Command, headed by senior ZANU-PF officials and includes the heads of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces, police, prison services, and the Central Intelligence Organization, thereby indicating a state policy for the attacks. Moreover, the attacks against the civilian population are widespread and systematic. They are widespread in the sense that they have been frequent and carried out on a large scale, particularly when preceding an election.15 As indicated above, these conclusions were not reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by all parties to the mediation, where, unsurprisingly in the context of “talks about talks”, there was rather a commitment to repudiate violence, to take steps to eliminate violence, to apply 14 This myth has been severely criticised in a recent article. See SITO (2008), Defining violation: Political violence or crimes against humanity? Piers Pigou, Director, Southern African Historical Archives. [Paper commissioned by the Research and Advocacy Unit]. IDASA:PRETORIA. 15 See ENOUGH & Impunity Watch (2008), SEEKING JUSTICE FOR ZIMBABWE. A Case for Accountability Against Robert Mugabe and Others [1981–2008]. PREPARED BY Professor David M. Crane, Sir Desmond De Silva, QC, Professor Tom Zwart, With the assistance of Anton Altman, Brianna McGonigle, Gentian Zyberi, and others. July 2008. WASHINGTON & NEW YORK.