Amnesty International faults Zimbabwe elections, says opposition parties harassed, attacked

Amnesty International says President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration for his second term as President of Zimbabwe has been severely blighted by reports of attacks against opposition party activists.

On August 26, 2023, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that Mnangagwa of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party had secured re-election after gaining a majority of votes.

khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa, said the attack on opposition parties had been worsened by threats against those trying to organize peaceful protests.

Farise, in a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday, added that this was amid a growing crackdown on human rights, especially the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.

“Nobody should be persecuted simply for exercising their human rights. Everyone, regardless of their political affiliation, should be able to freely participate in peaceful activism without fear of abduction or harm,” she said.

Farise cautioned the Zimbabwean authorities to immediately stop issuing inflammatory statements that could incite attacks against political activists, human rights defenders and other people.

“The authorities also must ensure a peaceful post-election environment by fully respecting, protecting and ensuring the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression,” she said.

Farise said the Zimbabwean authorities must also conduct prompt, thorough, impartial, independent, effective and transparent investigations into pending cases of enforced disappearances, abductions, and torture.

“Victims and their families must be provided with access to justice and effective remedies,” Farise said.

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