Lately, there has been absolutely no change for the better. For example, on September 12th 2003, the independent newspaper the Daily News was closed by the Zimbabwean police. The reason for closure, according to the authoroties, was that the newspaper was operating illegally under provisions of the repressive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). Under AIPPA, all media companies are required to register with the Media and Information Commission in order to operate. Zimbabwean authorities have used the act to prosecute reporters and
to deny accreditation to select journalists. The Daily News challenged the legislation as unconstitutional.
In Zimbabwe intimidation, arbitrary arrests, torture, and attacks on the political opposition are every day problems. Numerous reports from international organisations point out the gross abuses of human rights. Reports from Amnesty International, Zimbabwe NGO Human Rights Forum, International Commission on Jurists, Observatory for the protection of human Rights, Human Right Watch, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Transparency International, etc. have been pointing out the need for change of the current human rights situation in Zimbabwe.
Systematically and deliberately, victims of human rights violations were denied justice. Independent judges are threatened, intimidated and attacked. State security forces committed widespread human rights violations with impunity. The authorities also organised, co-ordinated, and encouraged militias to carry out threats, assaults, abductions, torture and killings against real or perceived opposition supporters and human rights defenders.
The Daily News was the most important Zimbabwean daily newspaper, and one of very few that was not owned by the government. The Daily News has critizised Robert Mugabe’s politics. The closure is indefinite.
It is of utmost importance that the international community takes a hard stand on the human rights abuses, and continues the sanctions that are agreed by the EU member states. The sanctions the European Union has taken towards Zimbabwe are not economically and it only targets those who are responsible for the current situation in Zimbabwe.
Your active engagement with the human rights situation in Zimbabwe is vital to protecting the fundamental human rights of Zimbabwe's citizens.
Yours faithfully,
Wiep Bassie
On behalf of Zimbabwe Watch
Zimbabwe Watch is a consortium of Dutch NGOs, in close contact with Zimbabwean organisations, that aims to contribute to a democratic Zimbabwe that respects international human rights treaties.
Co-signers:
Media Institute of Southern Africa Headquarters Windhoek.
Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe chapter.
Media Monitoring Institute Zimbabwe.
