#mkomanawamamoyo

On 12 December 1997, through Resolution 52/149, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 26 June as International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. This day marks the coming into effect of the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT), the primary international human rights instrument on torture. This day also serves as an opportunity for all stakeholders, including the UN Member States, civil society, and individuals everywhere, to unite in support of the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who have been victims of torture and those who are still being tortured to date. The UNCAT defines torture in Article 1 as an act which brings severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental and is intentionally caused with the sole purpose of getting that person to confess or to punish the person for something he or she did or someone else did or is suspected of having done.

Just a year after the UN adoption of Resolution 52/149, Zimbabwe was rocked by food riots which started on 19 January 1998. The ensuing violence and torture against citizens marked the genesis of state-sponsored torture. The human rights situation in the country became even more volatile with the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) a year later, in 1999. Emanating from the political threat ushered by the MDC, widespread and systematic human rights abuse, including large-scale torture, became a ritual for every election.

The abuses were also witnessed in 2008 when the late former President Robert Mugabe deployed soldiers and vigilante groups to overturn a first-round defeat to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Over 200 people were killed, according to reports by human rights groups. Hundreds were maimed, and thousands were displaced when ZANU-PF unleashed an orgy of violence in torture camps that were established across the country. After some relative peace during the unity of government between 2009 and 2013, political intolerance resurfaced, marked by State-sponsored torture of opposition members. The ushering in of a new government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa after a coup in November 2017 brought promises of peace, but the situation turned bad on 1 August when the government deployed soldiers to descend on post-electoral protestors. Following the unfortunate events of 1 August 2018, the country recorded a surge of torture, abductions and enforced disappearances. Similar electoral-related violence and torture patterns were also witnessed during the recently conducted by-elections on 26 March 2022. The violations have been perpetrated with impunity, perpetuating the recurrence of election-related torture in Zimbabwe.

Sadly, despite this violent past, Zimbabwe has not taken meaningful steps to end torture in the country. The Zimbabwean government’s reluctance to ratify the UNCAT does not give hope that the country is ready to end torture.

This year’s commemorations come when Zimbabwe is preparing to head to the election polls in 2023 and is an opportune time for citizens to reiterate the call for the end of torture in Zimbabwe. Given Zimbabwe’s history of elections that have been characterised by organised violence and torture, it is crucial that the State proactively takes steps to end torture and address the legacy of the use of torture ahead of the upcoming elections.