21 The margin of difference was again large – over 50 percentage points on average – and the youth clearly feel that there is little control over their leaders, as stated above. During the workshops, these youth had some very strong views about the protection available to citizens. As they said, the protection of human rights, looking specifically at political and civil rights, has not been a priority of the Zimbabwean government, as, in many cases, it has sanctioned abuse of these rights. During the recent elections, thousands of citizens have been assaulted, and some have even been killed for supporting a different party29. There was intimidation and restriction of freedoms for the opposition in certain areas, with restrictions on association, and the holding of rallies were frequently not allowed. The government, however, turned a blind eye when its supporters attacked opposition supporters, and instead gave the police and armed forces the authority to assist with the assaults. Where the few arrests were made, at the end of the elections, blanket amnesty was awarded to all political prisoners. Numerous reports of human rights abuses were produced by a variety of local and international NGOs, which were all discredited by the government as attempts by the West and its allies to smear its credibility. The youth felt that women were not treated equally, and their rights are not taken seriously. In many cases, women are the victims of violence, but it was stated that there have been instances where women were involved in the instigation of political violence. Although women are in the majority, culture and beliefs continue to treat them as inferior, their opinions are not as valued as those of men, and thus they are hardly consulted. The youth sympathise with women as they regard themselves in a similar plight, and hence they are prepared to advance the status of women. The Constitution clearly spells out the freedoms of expression and association, but legislation like POSA and AIPPA has been enacted and declared legitimate by the Supreme Court in clear violation of the Constitution. Constitutional amendments that are clearly partisan have been fast tracked through parliament, and the constitution is thus used against citizens. Public meetings and demonstrations, on issues not in accordance with what the government approves, are seen as a direct challenge, and there is no room for dissenting voices. Such meetings and demonstrations have resulted in people being arrested and beaten by the police, yet when demonstrations are held in support of government policies, police protection is guaranteed. Access to information is an area which is a great concern for the youth, and this issue came up in all of the topics discussed. As they pointed out, the restrictions affect not only what one reads but also what one says. AIPPA prevents people from expressing certain opinions and this infringes on the freedom of expression. People believe they are incapable of accessing information because they have been made to believe that the state has the right to control the type of information they can access. The youth felt that the closure of independent newspapers was a way to deny the opposition a voice, and was a means of media censorship and restricting access to information. “If the people do not know what is happening they become confused and it is easy to bring in new information that is difficult to verify.” As regards the protection of the law, the youth felt that, if one is a member of the opposition, there is very little or no legal recourse, since there is no longer equality before the courts of law. The youth believe that it all depends on which party one supports, as the judiciary is biased in favour of the ruling party. They felt that the culture of individualism and opportunism has ruined the legal system, as the officers of the courts are only out to benefit themselves. This has in turn raised the sense of 29 Here see again Redress Trust (2004), ZIMBABWE. TORTUOUS PATTERNS DESTINED TO REPEAT THEMSELVES IN UPCOMING ELECTION CAMPAIGN. Preliminary Study of Trends and Associations in the Pattern of Torture and Organised Violence in Zimbabwe, July 2001 - December 2003, LONDON: REDRESS TRUST. The same point has been made by Zimbabwean human rights groups, as well as many international human rights groups. IDASA: Zimbabwe at the Cross-Roads: Views of Zimbabwean citizens on democracy and transitional justice.