BULAWAYO – The European Union, the United States, Switzerland, and Canada have issued a joint statement urging President-election Emmerson Mnangagwa to get a handle on “the violence, attacks, and acts of intimidation” targeting opposition supporters.
In a joint statement Tuesday, they expressed growing concern at the deteriorating security situation in the country after Mnangagwa claimed a disputed election win on August 3.
The envoys called on the government to ensure the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) act with restraint, in full respect of international human rights norms and their constitutional role.
“The Heads of Mission condemn the violence, attacks, and acts of intimidation targeted at opposition leaders and supporters. These tragic events stand in sharp contrast to the high hopes and expectations for a peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible election in Zimbabwe,” said the diplomats.
“We urge the government to respect the rights of the Zimbabwean people as enshrined in the constitution. All allegations of incitement to violence or violent acts, as well as vandalism and destruction of property, should be investigated in accordance with the rule of law, and perpetrators held legally responsible.”
The diplomats did welcome Mnangagwa’s commitment to establish an independent commission to investigate the violence against civilians, highlighted by the shooting death of seven opposition activists on August 1 by the army.
The diplomats said they looked forward to the commission starting its work immediately and reporting its findings in a transparent manner.
“We call on all stakeholders to act responsibly, to adhere to the principles of the Peace Pledge, to pursue peaceful and legal resolution of their grievances and to uphold the integrity of the political and electoral process,” they added.
Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo blamed social media for spreading lies about the military.
Moyo, an army general before the November 2017 coup that ousted former President Robert Mugabe, said: “The government is unaware of any beatings or abductions so far as has been reported. All what we are realising is that there is a lot of misinformation that is coming out from social media. It is not only affecting all of us here, but it is affecting certain perceptions, which are developing in certain areas.
“But in the event that there is a rowdy soldier who obviously may be indisciplined we are prepared, with relevant evidence, to take relevant steps.”
He claimed there “certain personalities who might be purporting to be soldiers and are not soldiers that are going about imitating as if they are. This is what we are busy investigating.”
