The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has vowed to deal with internal and external threats that are threatening to destabilise the organisation.
The ZimRights mandate is to protect, defend and promote human rights in Zimbabwe, using a grassroots approach but there are reported threats from former members to derail the organisation’s operations.
“This agenda is being pursued by taking advantage of the recent problems we are facing with one of our funding partners. Regarding this issue of the funding partner, we have already made our position known through a prior statement.
“We, therefore, note with concerns the nefarious and politicised agenda of the so-called former members and some active members, who have connived to mobilise themselves to carry out destabilising activities with the ultimate view of besieging and hijacking the organisation. Most of these people have ceased to members in terms of the ZimRights constitution by virtue of having not paid subscriptions. In light of this, the National Council (NC) of ZimRights elected in April 2018 has met today, July 7, 2018, at ZimRights House to consider the threats and the way forward” said ZimRights in a statement released yesterday.
The ZimRights National Council (NC) met on the day and resolved to defend the organisation from the said external threats. It noted that ZimRights had been favoured to have over the past years a Board capable of providing oversight and a hard working as well as capable secretariat.
In that respect, the National Council (NC) said it continues to repose its confidence in both, the Board and the Secretariat, as currently constituted, until such a time as there will arise serious reasons not to do so.
“The National Council (NC) will not be swayed towards a path that is clearly perilous to ZimRights and thousands of its ordinary members and beneficiaries across the country.
Having said that, ZimRights will continue with its community programs, meant to provide civic education and promote civic engagement, to increase citizen participation, maintain peace and promote human rights in the forthcoming 2018 harmonised elections scheduled for July 30.
“This is what ZimRights was formed for and will continue to do. To achieve this, ZimRights has been holding roadshows, candidate forums, community radio talkshows, human rights trainings, human rights monitoring and door-to-door voter mobilisation across the country.
In this context, ZimRights would also want to raise concern with the rise in cases of election-related violence and intimidation, which have been recorded in Nyanga, Bindura, Mt. Darwin, Mudzi, Mutoko, and Chiredzi, among other areas. Equally, ZimRights calls upon the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to enhance its transparency and cooperation with all stakeholders regarding the issue of the printing ballot papers. ZimRights continues to call upon all political actors to conduct their campaigns peacefully and democratically so as not to jeopardise the credibility of the elections which is crucial for the country’s turnaround prospects.”
