As Zimbabwe prepares to host the 44th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State on August 17 and 18, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) engagements have proceeded without incident. However, the summit is overshadowed by growing international pressure on Zimbabwe to address its ongoing crackdown on opposition members and civil society activists.
On Wednesday, Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Minister Frederick Shava assumed the chairpersonship of the SADC Council of Ministers, calling on member states to uphold “the foundation of peace, security, and good governance,” which he identified as crucial for the SADC’s regional transformative agenda. Despite these calls for peace and good governance, the Zimbabwean government has continued to detain critics and perceived opponents, exacerbating tensions ahead of the summit.
The United Nations has joined the chorus of voices urging the Zimbabwean government to release those arbitrarily detained and protect civic space. This call for action comes amid reports of increased political repression and human rights abuses within the country.
### International and Domestic Controversies
Two tourists, Czech national Lucas Slavik and Ugandan Tom Ssekamwa, have become unintended symbols of the current turmoil. Slavik has been charged with spreading falsehoods through a video that criticized Zimbabwe’s economic conditions and service shortages, while Ssekamwa faces a charge of criminal nuisance. The pair has been denied bail due to concerns that they might flee. Their bail hearing is scheduled for Thursday, as reported by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), who are seeking their release in the high court.
In a troubling development, trade unionist Robson Chere, recently detained and reportedly tortured, has been denied medical access. ZLHR has urgently petitioned the high court to ensure Chere receives necessary medical treatment. Chere was arrested along with activists Namatai Kwekeza, Samuel Gwenzi, Promise Munkuli, and Vusimuzi Moyo, who were detained after being removed from a domestic flight.
### Calls for Action and Regional Response
Human rights groups have condemned the Zimbabwean government’s actions, citing a pattern of arbitrary arrests, torture, and police brutality targeting human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists. The Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network has called on SADC member states to apply pressure on Harare to release detainees and respect human rights, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, who is attending the Council of Ministers in Harare, emphasized the importance of dialogue in resolving political conflicts. He stated that South Africa is prepared to facilitate talks to address Zimbabwe’s issues.
Civil society groups have suggested moving the SADC summit from Zimbabwe due to the ongoing detentions and human rights violations. However, ANC spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi argued that addressing concerns about Zimbabwe should be part of the summit’s discussions rather than relocating the event.
As the summit approaches, the international community and regional actors are closely watching Zimbabwe’s response to these mounting criticisms and calls for reform. The outcome of the summit and the continued international pressure will likely shape Zimbabwe’s political and human rights landscape in the coming months.
In other news – Instagram fails to curb abusive comments targeting female politicians, report reveals
Meta Platforms’ Instagram has come under scrutiny for its handling of abusive comments aimed at female politicians, according to a new report released by the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) on Wednesday. The report highlights a significant failure in Instagram’s content moderation, particularly concerning comments directed at women who are potential candidates for the 2024 US elections.
The CCDH report analyzed over half a million comments on Instagram posts made by ten prominent female politicians, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Marsha Blackburn, and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Of these comments, the report flagged more than 20,000 as “toxic,” with around 1,000 containing sexist and racist abuse, as well as explicit threats of death and rape. Alarmingly, Instagram allowed 93% of these harmful comments to remain on the platform despite their clear violation of the platform’s standards. Read More
