The closing remarks delivered by the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, P.A. Chinamasa at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on 12 October 2011 tragically demonstrate how Zimbabwean citizens can expect to have their rights denied in perpetuum by this Government. In particular, Minister Chinamasa, leading the Government delegation at the Universal Periodic Review process, rejected calls to abide by the civil and political rights owed to the population by virtue of our acceptance of various international human rights norms and instruments, and even the Constitution of Zimbabwe. (more…)

There has been much news in the press about the Anglican church, and it is a undoubtedly a nightmare, but I am getting more and more concerned and outraged over the direction being taken by ZanuPf in their move to use Apostolic church gatherings as venues for political rallies.

One of the more infamous and vocal supporters of the Mugabe regime, Nzira, was released on a Presidential pardon early this year, having sat only seven years of twenty year sentence for seven counts of rape and one count of assault.  This type of abuse is rife in the Apostolic Church and instead of deploring such behaviour, Zanu rewards the sect’s criminals for their support of the party. (more…)

[I have not written this blog to bleat about the seemingly endless litany of bribery stories, speak to any Zimbabwean and they have hundreds, but what I love is a new website I recently discovered on the net. For all you Zimbo’s reading this out there in cyberspace, let’s report our stories on this great site. Go to bribespot.com and have some worthwhile fun, it’s anonymous, it’s easy and it’s free!]

Bribery and corruption have become the norm in the Zimbabwean way of life, with the disease spreading its tentacles to every facet of our society, from match fixing to having to bribe medical staff for access to ARV’s, the list is endless. There is no need to detail the degree of corruption in political circles, that has been done over and over again. Sadly, it seems the MDC are as vulnerable to the temptation of using their GNU inspired influence as the old guard, but that is a different blog altogether.

I recently read about the “Anti Corruption Commission” being a dangerous job to find yourself in and this comes as no surprise. I would hate to have the job, it would be an almost impossible task to end corruption in Zimbabwe. Then I laughed when I read an interview in the government mouthpiece Zimpapers, Augustine Moyo interviewed the Zimbabwe Republic Police National Traffic spokesman Inspector Tigere Chigome (TC).  (more…)

I really believe in the initiative to take documentaries and films showing the ills of domestic violence to marginalised communities.  The distribution of books and videos, as well as the facilitation of public forums would go a long way to assist the marginalised communities to understand the evils of domestic violence.  I say this as most of us live in the rural areas, where the common belief is that men have power over women. This is what our culture has taught us.

In my rural area, if anyone wants to borrow an implement, even a hoe, you are told to wait until the father at the homestead is home to approve the loan.  All too often I have seen and heard about wives being beaten up by their husbands for merely lending out property, such  as wheel barrows and shovels, without the man’s approval.  In fact these incidents are on the increase and to me it indicates that  there is lack of gender awareness in rural areas.

However thanks to the Zimbabwe Women Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN), for their films, books and documentaries that are part of the gender review project they want to take to the rural communities.  According to the organisation, the Gender and Development initiative which aims to assist in the eradication of gender based violence, will play a role in communities being mobilised, and getting a chance to view documentaries about what is happening in Zimbabwe and other African countries.  http://www.zwrcn.org.zw/ (more…)

We welcome  Mugabe’s statement  a few weeks ago (http://allafrica.com/stories/201109060074.html) that he is ashamed of those HIV positive senior officials who continue to actively and callously spread the pandemic.  These “comrades”, who have the luxury of being able to easily access antiretroviral treatment, must once and for all be named and shamed for their irresponsible behaviour.

One all too often hears about the University of Zimbabwe being a favoured hunting ground for government ministers, who are seen at the campus in their top of the range Mercedes Benzes, ambushing young students.  Some of these senior government officials have already lost their wives, yet they unashamedly prey on young and desperate girls. (more…)

I am so tired of hearing about sick government officials being taken to expensive hospitals in South Africa or China, while they shun the public hospitals where the poor go to die.

From President Robert Mugabe, the first lady Grace Mugabe, Army General Constantine  Chiwenga, CIO chief Mernad Muzariri, to MDC-T’s Eliphas Mukonoweshuru and Thoko Khupe, politicians in the country expect the tax payer to foot their health bills while we no choice.

Some like Nkomo are remarkably still alive, despite chronic health problems, and it is more than likely because of the high quality health care received in foreign lands.  Others like Minister of Lands Herbert Murewa are still receiving medication in South Africa, while Mugabe himself is said to have spent over $20 million in health care since the beginning of the year.  Imagine how many ARV’s could have been bought for that amount.  It cannot be confirmed, but apparently he also receives regular botox and stem cell replacement therapy, all bills footed by, yes, the tax payer. (more…)

Over the last decade or more, many Zimbabweans fleeing their country have sought political asylum in the United Kingdom. The UK holds Zimbabwe’s second-largest diasporic population, and their shared language and historical linkages make the UK the obvious destination for many seeking refuge from Zimbabwe’s political situation.

As a country that takes seriously its commitments under the Refugee Convention to protecting those fleeing from persecution, the UK has provided and continues to provide shelter to thousands seeking sanctuary.

But the UK has not been entirely benign to those seeking political asylum. A wealth of recent reports has exposed the grim reality of the UK’s asylum policy, detailing the misery into which those seeking asylum can be thrown. (more…)