Centre News Hub
Harare- the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has joined other democratic voices to denounce the torture and brutal assault of Professor Lovemore Madhuku and 16 other members of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) party by alleged state security agents while deliberating on matters concerning the proposed constitutional amendment number set to be implemented without going through a referendum.
Government has gazeted the amendment of the constitution with intentions to increase terms limits by 2 years a development that may result in 2028 elections being moved to 20230. Part of the amendments will also take away people’s right to vote directly for the President leaving that to Parliamentarians.
Pro-democracy movements and opposition parties have denounced the intentions to amend the constitution electoral terms without going through the referendum process to allow general people to decide as unconstitutional.
ZCTU, Secretary General, Tirivanhu Marimo said if authenticated this conduct represents a most egregious assault on constitutionalism, the rule of law, and the foundational values upon which the Republic of Zimbabwe is established.
“The actions by alleged security officers are in direct and brazen violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which is the supreme law of the land. The Constitution of Zimbabwe guarantees respects, protects, promotes and fulfils the rights and freedoms set out in the Declaration of Rights.
The Constitution clearly guarantees, among other things, the right to personal liberty and freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention; protects the inherent dignity of every person; provides for the right to bodily and psychological integrity, including freedom from all forms of violence from public or private sources and categorically provides that “No person may be subjected to physical or psychological torture or for cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” said Marimo.
Marimo said the actions violate section 58 and 59 which guarantee freedom of assembly and association and the right to demonstrate and petition peacefully.
“The alleged assault on Professor Madhuku and his colleagues constitutes not merely a direct repudiation of the Constitution itself, but also violation of International law and United Nations Conventions. Zimbabwe is bound by international law obligations prohibiting torture and excessive use of force. The security forces must be deployed to protect and nothing else.” said ZCTU.
As a labour movement ZCTU said the incident reminds them of the International Labour Organization Commission of Inquiry in 2009 concerning violations of freedom of association in Zimbabwe.
“That Commission documented patterns of arrests and detention of trade unionists and police brutality against peaceful assemblies. The investigative Commission came into Zimbabwe following repeated incidents of police brutality against trade unions and in particular an incident that happened on September 13, 2006, the ZCTU organized a nationwide protest against poverty and inflation, which was brutally suppressed by the police.” said ZCTU.
The Union said there have been several reported cases of alleged abduction and torture in Zimbabwe since 2017, when President Emerson Mnangagwa took over as President.
Madhuku and his members allege that they were severely assaulted and brutialised by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers, allegations that were quickly declined by national police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
