The month of April was awash with political violations of human rights including 2 murders. The violations are linked to post election retribution that was occurring throughout the country. Fifty five displacements were recorded in the month, which exceeded the total number of displacements recorded from January to March. This contributed to the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Zimbabwe.
Throughout the country and particularly in Mashonaland Central Province, people were being chased away from their homes for being either MDC activists or for having been election observers or MDC polling agents. A number of people who reported to the police claimed that they were told, in essence, that it was better for them to leave their place of residence because the police could not help them.
The Human Rights Forum views such reports with concern as it is the duty of the police to maintain law and order in Zimbabwe and protect, not curtail, the rights of all Zimbabweans, including their right to form or belong to political parties of their choice, which right is enshrined in section 21 of the Constitution. The Human Rights Forum therefore urges the police force to ensure that innocent citizens of Zimbabwe are protected from criminal activities perpetrated for political motives.
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