PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa's government has been called on to halt all State-sponsored abductions, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture of known and perceived opposition political activists and human rights defenders.
The appeal comes as Zimbabweans were reminded of the disappearance of journalist-turned-activist ltai Dzamara, Tonderai Ndira, Tapfumaneyi Masaya, Patrick Nabanyama, among others, who were allegedly abducted by State security agents and were either never found or discovered dead.
In a recent statement to commemorate the 2024 International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT) described Mnangagwa's regime as ruthless.
"On this day, HZT remembers and honours the hundreds of Zimbabwean victims of enforced disappearances who saw the vicious hand of the State that was meant to protect them.
"We honour many survivors of State sponsored abductions, arbitrary detention and torture, many of whom have not received justice for the scars they bear," the civic organisation noted.
"We honour and stand with the families, human rights defenders and relatives of victims of enforced disappearances who have faced harassment for demanding justice and dealing with cases of abductions, arbitrary detention and torture.
"Today's commemorations come at a time when four victims of abductions, Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, Samuel Gwenzi and Vusumuzi Moyo are currently in pretrial detention on politically motivated charges after being abducted from a plane and held incommunicado, enduring eight hours of torture and interrogation.
"It is sad that for more than nine years, the Zimbabwean government has defied a March 2015 High Court order to intensify efforts to bring back Itai Dzamara and provide updates every two weeks.
"These two cases provide a window into the entrenched culture of impunity that has emboldened perpetrators of this heinous act.
"Instead of justice, victims of enforced disappearances have been vilified, with their ordeals trivialized and, in many instances, they have been arrested on politically motivated charges," HZT said.
Zimbabwe, HZT noted, is dragging its feet to ratify an international convention to end impunity on perpetrators of forced disappearances.
"It is thus not a coincidence that Zimbabwe is one of the very few countries in the world that have not ratified the United Nations International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances of 2007.
"Our Constitution however guarantees the right to personal liberty, granting the freedom from arbitrary detention on Section 49."
HZT said as the world pushes for the protection and promotion of human rights, life and dignity it calls for probes into State sponsored abductions, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture.
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"The government must thoroughly investigate cases of enforced disappearances to ensure justice for victims instead of criminalizing them.
"The government of Zimbabwe must abide by the High Court orders to investigate and search for missing citizens like Itai Dzamara.
"Zimbabwe must urgently ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance."
The trust demands that Mnangagwa appoints the Independent Complaints Commission to deal with cases of human rights violations at the hands of State security agents, who include police, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives and the army, and improve the country's human rights protection mechanisms.
HZT reiterated its commitment to finding closure for victims and their families.
"We continue to stand with victims of enforced disappearances and their families in their quest for justice.
"We remain committed to working for a just, better Zimbabwe where human dignity, freedoms and life is respected."
The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly as Resolution 65/209, and is marked every August 30 to raise awareness on the crime of enforced disappearances as well as honouring victims and their families.
