A group of Zimbabweans based in the United Kingdom (UK) will this Sunday hand over a petition to Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to end the murder, abduction and torture of opposition activists.
Organised by various pressure groups for Zimbabweans in the diaspora, the petition will focus on, among other things, the current political developments in Zimbabwe.
In the past months, following Zimbabwe’s discredited August 23 – 24 election this year, dozens of activists and supporters of the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), have either been abducted, tortured, or assaulted, with one of the latest incident being the abduction and murder of Tapfumaneyi Masaya.
Masaya was campaigning for the recalled CCC member of parliament for Mabvuku, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi.
Between August and November, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum recorded over 300 cases of human rights violations targeting mostly opposition activists, with the major perpetrators being the police, Zanu-PF activists and members of the shadowy Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ).
One of the activists who is to participate in the petitioning, Simbarashe Jingo, who is exiled in the UK, said the situation in Zimbabwe deserves the attention of the whole world.
“We continue to witness human rights violations and the closure of democratic space where those that dare to speak out against the excesses of the government face victimisation.
“Clearly, this warrants the attention of not just the UK, but all other nations and the United Nations in particular because if the situation is left to continue as it is, our compatriots will continue to die, and lose their voice.”
“As if the human rights violations are not enough, the Zimbabwean government continues to subject Zimbabweans to poverty as the economy continues to dwindle at a time when the political elite are enjoying the proceeds from the corrupt embezzlement of mineral resources,” Jingo said.
It is estimated that hundreds of Zimbabweans have fled the country due to the worsening political and economic environment.
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