HARARE – The United States and the European Union missions to Zimbabwe on Wednesday condemned a renewed crackdown on opposition and civil rights activists, warning this would harm the country’s “economic future”.
Seven human rights activists were arrested over the last week accused of plotting to topple President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
On Wednesday, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change’s Harare West MP Joana Mamombe was freed on $100 bail by a Harare magistrate after being charged with Electoral Act violations.
Prosecutors said the 26-year-old, the MDC’s youngest MP, used a false address when she ran for MP last July.
“Harassment and targeted arrests of civil society leaders damages Zimbabwe’s reputation and economic future. We call on the Zimbabwean government to uphold its constitution, respect rule of law, and foster an environment where all can contribute to the nation’s progress,” the United States embassy in Harare said.
It added: “All citizens and their civic leaders, political parties, or civil society organisations have the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and association. All have important roles to play in contributing to Zimbabwe’s future and must be given the space and freedom to do so.”
The European Union’s head of mission to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen said the Zimbabwe government should now view civil society as an opponent.
“Civil society needs to have its space to contribute, to engage and to hold the powers that are out there to account and push for reforms. Civil society should not be seen as an opponent but a partner in development,” Olkkonen said in Harare, speaking at a briefing with civic groups about the Spotlight Initiative which aims at eradicate gender-based violence.
Noting the recent arrests and detentions of civil society representatives and trade union leaders, he said the Europe Union was calling for “due legal processes to be followed, such as presumption of innocence and that investigations should precede arrests.”
The Human Rights NGO Forum, a grouping of various civil society groups, issued a statement on Wednesday condemning the escalation of attacks on human rights defenders.
“Civil society leaders across the country have reported an increase in surveillance, office visits and interruption of their meetings by the state,” the Forum said.
It added: “The Forum urges the government not only to open up civic space, allow civil society and human defenders to carry out their work but also to take the necessary steps to alleviate the suffering of citizens in the face of harsh economic conditions.”
