Civic society organisations have condemned recent violations of human rights and threats coming from State agents ahead of the planned demonstration on 16 August 2019.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations said they are championing the protection of the lives of innocent people and ensure that rights are exercised peacefully.
“We are committed to our watchdog role in defence of the fundamental rights outlined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, particularly the Bill of Rights provisions.
“In the same spirit, we note that these rights must be exercised peacefully without interfering with other political, civil, economic and social rights of others,” read part of the statement.
“The police has an obligation to maintain law and order not to interfere with people’s enjoyment of human rights.
“Citizens should be allowed to voice their disgruntlements without fear of persecution, citizens should have trust in the role of the police and the military to ensure that peace prevails during the demonstrations,” further read the statement.
The statement comes as cases of abductions and beatings continue to rise ahead of planned demonstrations by MDC-A slated for Friday.
Demonstrations have always been controversial in Zimbabwe as there are marred by violence followed by a heavy crackdown from state security agents as witnessed on 1 August and 14 January 2019 where civilians lost their lives and sustained severer injuries after soldiers were set upon protesters.