GOVERNMENT has been challenged to domesticate the United Nations International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
Harare signed the international statute in 2007, but is yet to domesticate it.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) made the call yesterday as the country joined the world in commemorating the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
In a statement, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) called on government to make enforced disappearances a stand-alone offence under domestic law and provide appropriate penalties that recognise the seriousness of the crime.
“Ensure that survivors and victims’ families receive reparations including compensation, rehabilitation restitution and a guarantee of non-recurrence.”
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum called for transparent investigations into unresolved cases of enforced disappearances to bring perpetrators to justice.
“Paying due cognisance to the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provides specific protections to human rights defenders by ending the harassment, ill-treatment, and intimidation of victims, witnesses to enforced disappearances, or relatives of persons who have disappeared,” the forum added.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spokesperson Obert Masaraure said government critics had been targets of enforced disappearances since the country attained independence in 1980.
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“Political leaders from the ruling Zanu PF continue to use enforced disappearance as a political tool to coerce opponents,” said Masaraure.
Former Citizens Coalition for Change Kambuzuma legislator, Willias Madzimure, expressed concern over government’s failure to bring closure to missing activist, Itai Dzamara’s case.
“If government was not sure of what happened to him it would have been making some efforts and also bringing back progress reports on how the investigations are going on,” Madzimure said.
Another victim of enforced disappearance Patrick Nabanyama is yet to be accounted for since his alleged abduction by suspected State security agents in 2000.
