A LOCAL prominent human rights lawyer, Douglas Coltart, has said government is not doing enough to fulfill its obligation of protecting citizens.
Speaking to Zim Morning Post on the sidelines of the doctors’ demonstration this afternoon, Coltart said:
“The history of abductions in Zimbabwe points all fingers to the State. It’s, therefore, not enough for them to say they are not responsible and even if it’s true, there is an obligation on theState to protect the citizens and ensure they are protected from this type of violence. But there is no indication that the State is doing anything of that sort.”
Coltart dismissed claims that the abductions were being stage-managed to discredit government’s progress ahead of the visit by United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, who is expected in the country Tuesday.
“This narrative that the abductions have been planned to coincide with the visit of the special rapporteur is extremely worrying and disconcerting, given that there have been 51 abductions this year and the government has done nothing to investigate and prosecute those responsible. The government hasn’t shown any seriousness in dealing with those,” Coltart added.
He said this was not the first abduction this year and there was no way anyone would have planned the abductions.
He further said there was no willingness on the part of government to stop the abductions because it has failed to prosecute perpetrators of the January violence following protests over fuel price hikes by the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led administration despite their identities being in the public domain.
“ A number of those who were arrested during the January protests, among them those who had raided a shabeen belonging to a military general and were brought before the courts, said they had been instructed to harass members of the opposition MDC implicated in the January atrocities,” added Coltart.
During the January protests, a team comprising members of the security forces raided a shabeen in Mbare surbubs, attacking some of the people present there.
Coltart said the team is yet to be prosecuted due to their links with the security forces.
“As soon as it was verified they were from the military and police services, they were left unprosecuted. The National Prosecuting Authority decided not to prosecute them, and the victims are still to get justice.”
He further said there has been very little progress in upholding human rights in Zimbabwe in the new dispensation.
Coltart’s comments come at a time government has put in place a team that will investigate the disappearance of Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association acting president, Peter Magombeyi.
Speaking on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs and International trade minister Sibusiso Moyo said his government was not responsible with abducting its citizens and would not leave no stone unturned to establish the causes of the abductions.
“As the government continues to spruce-up the country’s image, it is unthinkable that any of its security agencies would be involved in such blatant criminal acts.”
He maintained government’s position that there was a third force in the current abductions.
