Posted by March 3, 2010
By: The Zimababwe Times Correspondent
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s civic society groups say some of their members have received death threats from suspected security agents linked to Zanu PF who are out to stop their countrywide activities on the constitution-making process.
The groups have, however, declared that they will not be intimidated by the threats.
“The last three months have seen an escalation in the number of threats, intimidation and harassment leveled against members of civil society,” ZimRights national director Okay Machisa told a media briefing Wednesday.
The threats have come in the form of cell phone text messages sent from a given Telecel line and emails.
Nunurai Jena, ZimRights chairperson for Mashonaland West received a message saying, “If we give you a task to ask your Zimrights colleagues to slow down and forget about the constitution making process, will you do that or else… Just comply.”
The constitution=making process is a key component in the Global Political Agreement signed in September 2008 by Zanu-PF and the two MDC parties.
Zanu-PF views the making of a new constitution as a threat to President Robert Mugabe’s entrenched hold on power, saying it is now a subtle method by its enemies to do away with the controversial and elderly leader.
Mugabe lost the 2008 elections but clung to power after a three month orgy of political violence waged by the military and Zanu-PF supporters.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s mainstream MDC, which won the 2008 elections, sees the crucial process as an alternative method of redressing Zimbabwe’s political paralysis arising from the long tenure of powerful leader with multiple terms of office.
The delayed process will pave the way to fresh elections in Zimbabwe.
Zimrights Chitungwiza regional chairperson, Netsai Kaitano says he also received threats.
“Have you forgotten the pain of those beatings? ,” read the message. “Bidi and Tsunga are gone, Pelagia, Ok, Phulu and Tshuma won’t be there anymore, when we will come for you.”
Two weeks ago Machisa himself, received a message threatening “to consign him to exile”.
“You enjoy flying in and out of the country,” so the message read, “Why don’t you stay there? They monitor, soon you will stay out.”
Jabulisa Tshuma, the organisation’s treasurer also received threats, all of which have been reported to the police. No one has been arrested.
The past week has also seen Gertrude Hambira, secretary general of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe hounded out of the country by state agents.
She was accused of producing and publicising a documentary exposing rampant human rights abuses by Zanu-PF supporters and the state on the country’s farms.
The civic groups said they would soon raise the issues with co-ministers of home affairs.
Machisa said the cell phone line which had been the source of the messages had since gone off air.
Meanwhile, the civic groups, led by ZimRights, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, and National Association of Non- Governmental Organisations, affirmed they will continue with their work in spite of the threats.
“The organisations will not brook any attempts by rogue elements bent on perpetuating the suffering of Zimbabweans by intimidating us into silence and inaction,” said Machisa.
“Our conscience remains clear and we are convinced that these organisations and individuals are doing a necessary service to the nation as we stand against any acts of commission and omission that are bent on de-humanising our people, whatever their social status or other qualification.”
The civic groups say the harassment is part of the works of the Joint Operations Command (JOC), a committee comprising commanders of all the security wings of the state, which are led by die-hard Mugabe loyalists.
“This monster should be dismantled,” said Machisa.
