Statement on the Overall Human Rights Situation in Zimbabwe
Honorable Chairperson, Commissioners, the Secretary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights; Heads of Government; civil society representatives; invited guests, ladies and gentlemen. All protocol observed.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum), representing civil society organisations (CSOs) in Zimbabwe, welcomes this opportunity to address the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) on this occasion of its 63rd Ordinary Session.
Honorable Chairperson, Zimbabwe held its historic plebiscite on the 30th of July, 2018. Historic in that, this was the first election since 1980, without former President Robert Mugabe as the ZANU–PF Presidential candidate and also without the late Morgan Tsvangirai as the opposition MDC presidential candidate. Similar to previous elections (the 2008 and the 2013 in particular), the administration and results of the elections were disputed. Zimbabwe, as a signatory to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance should uphold the principles enshrined in the Charter.ACHPR Statement 63rd Ordinary Session on the ACHPR