The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has deployed teams across the country to monitor the human rights situation before the August 23 harmonised elections.
The Commission’s chairperson, Commissioner Dr Elasto Hilarious Mugwadi, said the pre-election environment is generally peaceful.
He also said the Commission will name and shame any violators of human rights without fear or favour.
He added that the Commission is investigating some alleged cases of human rights violations reported across the country.
“ZHRC calls for unity of purpose and collective efforts by all stakeholders to promote, protect and ensure observance of human rights and freedoms so that an environment of tolerance is created.
“Political parties and candidates should respect human dignity and be non-violent and contribute to a free, fair and credible 2023 electoral process, that is indicative of the maturing democracy that we are,” said Commissioner Mugwadi.
He urged the citizenry to take heed of President Mnangagwa’s clarion call for peaceful and credible elections.
“I have heard on many occasions His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, calling upon people to promote a peaceful environment before, during and after elections as we are all one people with one destiny,” he said.
Dr Mugwadi challenged political parties and candidates vying for various public offices to campaign peacefully, with dignity and self-respect, as well as desisting from committing electoral malpractices prohibited by the Code of Conduct for Political Parties in the Electoral Act.
“Ordinary citizens who make up the membership of the different political parties and therefore citizens of Zimbabwe have a duty to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights of other people as well as respect the Constitution and other laws of the country,” he said.
He further stated that citizens have the duty and responsibility to participate in the electoral process peacefully.
“Citizens have the right and responsibility to freely vote on the day of elections, and should respect the right to vote of others as people are entitled to choose leaders of their choice.
“Citizens should not be used to carry out politically motivated violence, intimidation or provocation. Citizens have the duty to report cases of election related violations to the police if they are criminal, to Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) if they are administrative and to ZHRC as the human rights watchdog and other independent commissions as well as relevant civil society organisations so as to seek redress,” he said.
Dr Mugwadi went on to call for unity of purpose and collective efforts by all stakeholders to promote peace during the 2023 harmonised election period.
