admin
The UN envoy said she was briefed on progress made in the establishment of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission.
Ms Pillay said the commission should play a role during the elections.
Earlier in the day Ms Pillay met the civil society who included the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, the National
Constitutional Assembly, the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations and the Women’s Coalition.
The meeting was initially scheduled to last 35 minutes but it went on for over an hour.
Government officials and the media who had accompanied Ms Pillay in all her meetings with other stakeholders earlier were barred from the meeting where the damning dossier was presented.
ALSO SEE
“A document citing human rights abuses was presented to Ms Pillay. The report claimed there is lack of rule of law, that there is politically motivated intimidation and political polarisation among other issues,” the source said.
The source, a respected member of the civil society, said there was acknowledgement by the NGOs that despite the alleged human rights violations, the situation was stabilising.
Mr Abel Chikomo, a director for the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, chaired the meeting held at the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights offices in Harare.
He told journalists after the meeting: “We had a fruitful meeting with the High Commissioner. We highlighted our issues — the question of rule of law, selective application of the law and people languishing in prisons without bail.”
Asked on the reaction of Ms Pillay to their presentation, he said: “She expressed her commitment to work with us.”
Mr Chikomo also claimed Government tried to frustrate civil society’s meeting with Ms Pillay by changing the venue of the meeting.
The Herald is reliably informed that the meeting was supposed to have been held at the Parliament Building but the group refused to attend preferring to meet Ms Pillay privately at their offices.
Ms Pillay met another group of NGOs at Parliament.
These included the Affirmative Action Group and the Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations.
“She wanted to know exactly how civic groups feel about human rights issues. For us, we are primarily concerned about what we see as a skewed human rights platform worldwide. There are human rights for white people and human rights for Africans,” AAG chief executive officer Dr Davison Gomo said.
The AGG told Ms Pillay that sanctions were hurting Zimbabweans.
“We told her there is need to consider the impact of sanctions on children and women. The international community needs to take responsibility for their actions,” Dr Gomo said.
Mr Goodson Nguni of the Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations walked out of the meeting accusing the Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs Mr David Mangota of gagging him.
“I wanted to tell Ms Pillay that the MDC-T is responsible for human rights violations in the country because it invited sanctions that have led to the closure of industries. People are now suffering,” a furious Mr Nguni said as he walked out of the meeting.
Mr Mangota refused to talk to the Press.
At Parliament Ms Pillay met Senate President Edna Madzongwe who briefed her on the operations of the legislature.
She also met the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission at a local hotel.
ZHRC chairperson Professor Reginald Austin said they discussed developments at the commission and the state of the Human Rights Bill.
The Bill is now before Parliament and Prof Austin stressed the need for Parliamentarians to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.
He said the commission now has offices but cannot operate in the absence of a human rights law.
Prof Austin said the commission will deal with the prevailing human rights situation going forward.
Online Reporter