HUMAN rights groups under the umbrella Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiCZ) yesterday approached the courts challenging a police order banning their planned march against an increase in human rights violations.
The CiCZ had planned to march from the Harare Gardens to
the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) and Parliament building yesterday
to deliver a petition against the criminalisation of human rights.
In a letter dated July 18, officer commanding Harare
central district Chief Superintendent G Moyo said the march could not be
sanctioned.
“I am, however, not in a position to sanction the
demonstration. You did not comply with section 7 of the Maintenance of Peace
and Order Act Chapter 11: 23,” Moyo wrote.
However, the CiCZ approached the courts challenging the
ban.
In an interview with NewsDay Weekender, CiZC chairperson
Peter Mutasa said: “We have gone to the courts and filed an appeal against the
ban. We are sending a new notification to the police pending the appeal.”
A ruling on their appeal is expected today.
In a letter dated July 12 to the police seeking permission
to march, the CiCZ raised concern over the shrinking democratic space.
“We have taken note of a recent upsurge in incidences of
political violence and the concomitant arrest and persecution of human rights
defenders and their unfair treatment by law enforcement,” the CiCZ had written.
A number of human rights and opposition activists are
currently facing various charges with some such as MPs Job Sikhala and Godfrey
Sithole languishing in remand prison.
Sikhala and Sithole, who face charges of incitement to
violence, have claimed to be victims of political persecution.
Human rights and civic groups are up against the Private
Voluntary Organisations Bill which they say seeks to regulate their operations
and further shrink the democratic space.
Zanu PF has said it will use its parliamentary majority to
ensure the Bill is passed into law to control civic groups such as the CiCZ
which it accuses of pushing a regime change agenda. Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment