Amos Madzanire

Accountant

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

Radio Alert!

Join us tonight on @DiamondFMZim at 6PM CAT for a special broadcast commemorating the Day of the African Child.

Tune in if you're in and around Manicaland
Or listen online: [https://t.co/TE880M4vtI](https://t.co/TE880M4vtI)

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

PRESS RELEASE
31 JULY 2024

ZIMRIGHTS PETITIONS PARLIAMENT TO REPEAL THE VAGRANCY ACT

Earlier today, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) submitted a petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, calling for the repeal of the Vagrancy Act [Chapter 10:25].

This landmark petition which was
launched on 10 July 2024, signed by ZimRights members and ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe, underscores
ZimRights' commitment to fighting for human dignity and constitutional rights for all Zimbabweans, particularly those who are marginalised and vulnerable.
The Vagrancy Act, a legislative relic of the colonial era has no place in a progressive and independent
Zimbabwe as it criminalises homelessness and economic marginalisation.

Despite the advent of
Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution, which enshrines principles of human dignity, equality, and nondiscrimination, the Vagrancy Act remains out of step with these constitutional values and Zimbabwe's
international obligations. Some of the key concerns highlighted in the petition are that the Act:

1. Authorises the arrest of individuals solely based on their socio-economic status, undermining their
inherent dignity.

2. Disproportionately targets those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, breaching the equality
and non-discrimination principles.

3. Unjustifiably restricts the right to move and reside freely within Zimbabwe.

4. Violates children’s rights by among other things, punishing minors for being homeless instead of
providing them with housing.
Speaking about the petition, @dzikamaibere, ZimRights National Director, stated, "Today’s
submission marks a critical step towards addressing an outdated and unjust legal framework that
criminalises poverty and homelessness. We urge Parliament to act swiftly and decisively to repeal the Vagrancy Act and ensure that our homeless brothers and sisters are treated with empathy and compassion with respect for their dignity and other rights as provided in the Constitution of Zimbabwe."

ZimRights is committed to advocating for laws that protect and uphold the rights of all Zimbabweans. It
therefore calls upon the Parliament of Zimbabwe to engage in an inclusive and transparent review process
that will lead to the repeal of the Vagrancy Act and the establishment of legal protections that reflect the
dignity and rights of every individual especially the most vulnerable among us.

Issued by the ZimRights Information Department
[email protected]
https://t.co/4aNLVVXyw9

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

@ZimRightsLIVE @FariSnoe @dzikamaibere @DougColtart @amnesty_zim @NewsDayZimbabwe @zppINFO @thembachiveya @ZimrightsBYO @weleadteam Welcome to the winning team, Farirai.

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

Join Us for a Transformative Dialogue on Democracy! 

As an association deeply committed to empowering ordinary citizens and fostering a vibrant democratic culture, ZimRights has been diligently monitoring and observing electoral processes in Zimbabwe. Our mission? To ensure integrity, inclusiveness, and transparency in elections.

📢 Introducing the “Showing Up or Giving Up” Report 📢 This groundbreaking report captures the authentic voices of citizens, your voices! It sheds light on the highs, lows, and challenges faced during recent elections. Policymakers, civil society leaders, journalists, and the public will find invaluable insights within its pages.

🗓️ Save the Date: Thursday, June 20, 2024 🕔 Time: 5:30 p.m. CAT (Central Africa Time)

🌐 Virtual Dialogue Platforms:

SAPES Trust platform

ZimRights social media pages

What to Expect:

Presentation: Dive into the heart of the report as we unveil key findings.

Panel Discussion: Engage with experts, activists, and thought leaders.

Q&A Session: Your chance to ask burning questions!

Why Attend?

Gain fresh perspectives on Zimbabwe’s electoral landscape.

Discover actionable steps for advocacy and change.

Be part of a movement that shapes democracy!
@ibbosnr
#ZimRights #DemocracyDialogue #ElectionIntegrity #CitizenParticipation #VirtualEvent #SAPESDialogue #PolicyAdvocacy #ZimbabweElections

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

Today, on our #RightsWednesday, we focus on the rights of arrested and detained persons as outlined in Section 50 (1)© of the Zimbabwean Constitution.

According to this provision, any person who is arrested must be treated humanely and with respect for their inherent dignity. Even when someone is in custody, they deserve fair treatment, protection from abuse, and respect for their rights.

Disturbing images have emerged showing @CCCZimbabwe activists who were subjected to police brutality. Some of them are seen limping, while others are unable to walk.

These actions by law enforcement officers are unlawful and violate a host of human rights, including the fundamental right to be treated humanely and with dignity.

The @PoliceZimbabwe must refrain from brutalizing arrested persons. Instead, they should uphold the law while respecting human rights. ZimRights strongly condemns these acts by the Zimbabwean police.
#RightsWednesday #HumanRights #Zimbabwe

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

@dzikamaibere So sad

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

One person is attempting to speak out against the #PVObill, and this has been the reaction.

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

@ZimrightsBYO @ZimRightsLIVE Good work!

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

Remember the commitment

Statement on Independence Day 2024

18 April 2024

Today, ZimRights joins the rest of the nation in commemorating 44 years of independence.

Zimbabwe’s independence, came as a result of the blood and sweat of liberation fighters and the masses, as they fought to dismantle systemic human rights violations, embodied by the colonial regime. Independence brought with it seeds of great hope for a habitable and progressive Zimbabwe, where human rights violations would be a thing of the past.

Today, 44 years later, independence day becomes another opportunity for sober reflections as we commemorate it under the theme, Unity, Peace and Development: towards vision 2030. 18 April every year immortalizes the struggle against human rights abuses – which are the major stumbling block towards real human development and sustainable nation building.

It is not a secret how Zimbabwe has been struggling with a tattered human rights record since 1980 and how the current socio-economic impasse is an unfortunate result of that. The ordinary Zimbabwean aspires to enjoy the fruit of peace, unity and development but this can only be achieved after we address the elephant in the room. Political polarisation, violence, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, corruption, unresolved conflicts and other violations to human dignity, have rendered true unity, peace and development a mirage that can only be chased but never attained.

Through it all, ZimRights is glad that last year, on April 12 2023, it launched the People’s Human Rights Manifesto – reflection of the pressing needs and expectations by the people of Zimbabwe that they want the elected officials to commit to ahead of last year’s elections. All the 5 major political parties at that time endorsed and committed to uphold each of the 10 key asks in the manifesto. Significantly, the President of Zimbabwe, HE Emmerson Mnangagwa, signed and committed to “…deliver on each of the people’s Asks specified in their manifesto to the best of my abilities”, on the 8th of August 2023 in Harare.

As we commemorate this year’s independence day, we call upon His Excellency, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the local and central government and opposition leaders to remember the commitment where they pledged to;

1. Uphold and defend the integrity of the constitution of Zimbabwe.

2. Respect the political rights of all Zimbabweans.

3. Make quality healthcare services accessible to all.

4. Improve access to basic amenities and services.

5. Provide affordable quality education for our children.

6. Protect and promote livelihoods.

7. Provide land and decent housing to citizens.

8. Facilitate the exercise of freedoms.

9. Be accountable to the people of Zimbabwe.

10. Practice God governance and fight Corruption.

We believe wholesomely addressing these issues will unlock the real value of independence in Zimbabwe and pave the way for the realisation of unity, peace and development by 2030.

ZimRights wishes the people of Zimbabwe a hopeful independence commemoration. Never ever give up on the independence promise.
Issued by ZimRights information department

-END-
#HappyIndependenceDay

[dzikamaibere @dzikamaibere]

YOUR LIGHT WEEKEND CHEAT-SHEET READING

In the aftermath my interview with AMH Chairperson @TrevorNcube on @ConvoWithTrevor , a lot of conversations opened on the various themes that we touched in that interview. I have shared more thoughts in other spaces and community interactions that we held in the past two weeks. We have a new report that we will be launching soon which further contributes to the discourse. But for now, I pay tribute to our media team for doing their best to unpack the issues that we addressed. They have gone further to reduce the entire interview, 68 minutes of deep conversation, into a simple one pager cheat-sheet for busy people. I salute them. If you did not get time to watch the interview, this cheat-sheet will give you a fair summary of the issues we touched. If you watched it, the cheat-sheet may help as well to give a full view at a glance. This makes for a great weekend light reading. The full conversation is available here https://t.co/PJ5Jad0GB5 . Have a great weekend.

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

Great!

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

#ZimRightsTeam closing the week in style. Thank you all for giving meaning to our work. Have a lovely weekend. We have something special for you next week. #AshesRosesRights @accountlabzw

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

#ZimRightsTeam closing the week in style. Thank you all for giving meaning to our work. Have a lovely weekend. We have something special for you next week. #AshesRosesRights @accountlabzw

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

We have received the sad news that the police have started a crackdown on members of the Ingezi Community who are defending their land from Father Flowers, a Kadoma land baron linked to the ruling party. You can support them by signing the petition. 👇🏾👇🏾

https://t.co/wKAxuPA3Lb

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

Abductions and torture are outlawed by the Constitution, but we continue to see such cases! Where are we missing it as a country? #rightswednesday

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

Stop Kadoma City Council and Father Flowers From Grabbing Ingezi Community Land - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/3UobqjOGja via @Change

[#ZimRightsLIVE @ZimRightsLIVE]

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) President, Alice Mogwe expressed a very special solidarity message with the people of Zimbabwe, calling on the government of Zimbabwe to repeal the patriotic law, free political prisoners, among other demands.
@fidh_en
@ACHPR
@achpr_cadhp

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

@zimlive No Local Authority ballot paper in Hatcliffe Constituency.

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

https://t.co/65lEEMRXwM

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

@pbmuti Yes

[Amos Madzanire @AMadzanire]

https://t.co/AH3VCIeNcW