Statement to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights at the 71st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights under Agenda Item 4e
21 April – 13 May 2022
Statement on the Overall Human Rights Situation in Zimbabwe
Honorable Chairperson, Commissioners; Heads of Governments; civil society representatives; ladies and gentlemen. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum) welcomes the opportunity to address you on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe at a time when Zimbabwe is on the Commission Agenda.
The human rights situation in Zimbabwe has continued to deteriorate since the last inter – session. Honourable chairperson, we are presenting this statement against the background of the recent by-elections held in the country on the 26th of March 2022. Whilst we welcomed the holding of the by-elections which had been suspended by the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) in October 2020, the Forum expresses deep concern over the violence witnessed during the campaign period which resulted in the death of at least one person killed during a campaign rally of one of the political parties. The banning of political party rallies for at least one of the opposition political parties at times even after the High Court had granted an order for the rally to proceed was a clear violation of both regional and domestic laws protecting such.