More than 100 people on 25 July 2009 heeded ROHR Zimbabwe’s call for a demonstration against the peace days gazetted by Robert Mugabe in Harare today which we believe is ZANU PF’s idea to protect them from prosecution and the need to be accountable to their crimes. People wore black in protest and also in solidarity with victims of last year’s political violence. The march began at Nelson Mandela corner 1st street at 9am. The singing group marched along Nelson Mandela avenue towards parliament where they confronted the police with riot gear manning the parliament building.
The ROHR Harare vice chairman addressed the gathering in front of the police, saying that the peace days are of little significance to the people of Zimbabwe because no concrete steps have been taken to make them a reality especially since violence is still continuing, war veterans still empowered to be violent and rule of law still nonexistent.
He mourned the absence true commitment of the part of politicians to prosecute perpetrators of politically motivated crimes and stated that victims want justice to prevail and to be compensated in some form.
ROHR Zimbabwe stands opposed to the government’s hurried process on national healing which seeks to grant a blanket amnesty to the politicians, state agents, Zanu PF militia who committed crimes with impunity. The government’s objective to urge people to forgive and forget the previous human rights crimes does not only elude the real need for truth, justice and compensation but also it disregards the expectations of people who bore the brunt of the gross violations.
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