ZwNews Chief Correspondent
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has called on the Zimbabwean government to take stern measures to end and help victims of torture move from horror to healing.
In it’s message to mark the World International Day in Support of Victims of Torture yesterday, ZLHR said torture can only be fully eradicated if and when the government takes all necessary legislative and administrative measure and comprehensive reforms, to prevent the occurrence of this crime.
ZLHR added that although some of those tortured by state agents have received some form of compensation, the delays in justice delivery has caused even more emotional suffering, affecting the healing process.
“It is disheartening that while the government accepted the recommendations to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman Treatment or Punishment and its optional protocol, the government had been slow to act,” said ZLHR.
The call by the ZLHR comes at the time when many Zimbabweans from history remember horrors of torture. In the previous years, the time leading to elections had been time of torture, as the ruling ZANU PF party unleashed the reins of terror on members and supporters of opposition political parties.
The horrors saw houses belonging to the opposition supporters being razed down by arson with their owners having to run into the mountains for dear life, some have been tortured others even getting killed. In most cases the perpetrators despite being known, were never arrested.
Be that as it may, since the coming of the new political dispensation in Zimbabwe, led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, no major cases of politically motivated violence has been reported so far. During former president Robert Mugabe’s time politically linked violence, and torture had been the order of the day, especially towards elections.
