Statement to the African Commission
on Human and Peoples’ Rights
at the 63rdOrdinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’
Rights under Agenda Item 4e
24 October-13 November 2018
Statement on the Overall Human Rights Situation in Zimbabwe
Honorable Chairperson, Commissioners, the Secretary of the African Commission on
Human and Peoples’ Rights; Heads of Government; civil society representatives;
invited guests, ladies and gentlemen. All protocol observed.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum), representing civil society
organisations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe, welcomes this opportunity to address the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) on this occasion of its
63rd Ordinary Session.
Honorable Chairperson, Zimbabwe held its historic plebiscite on the 30 th of July,
2018. Historic in that, this was the first election since 1980, without former President
Robert Mugabe as the ZANU–PF Presidential candidate and also without the late
Morgan Tsvangirai as the opposition MDC presidential candidate. Similar to previous
elections (the 2008 and the 2013 in particular), the administration and results of the
elections were disputed. Zimbabwe, as a signatory to the African Charter on
Democracy, Elections and Governance should uphold the principles enshrined in the
Charter.
Honorable Chairperson, on 1 August 2018, the military intervened to quell the
demonstration by citizens over the perceived delay in the announcement of the
Presidential results. The military intervention resulted in the extra-judicial killing of at
least seven (7) civilians in Harare. The aftermath has also witnessed retributive
attacks on those who had served as election agents for the opposition. Reports of such
violence were recorded in the Mashonaland, Masvingo, Manicaland and the Midlands
provinces. A total of 274 cases of post-election human rights violations were