Coalition Demands Implementation of Motlanthe Commission Recommendations
Civic society organizations under the banner of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) have demanded the implementation of the recommendations made by the Motlanthe Commission of inquiry.
The commission led by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe was established to investigate the 1 August 2018 violence in which six people were killed in Harare during protests over delays in announcing presidential election results.
The Commission recommended among other things compensation to families of the deceased as well as prosecution of the killers.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi, CiZC chairperson Peter Mutasa said recommendations of the commission have not been instituted.
‘’We address you in your capacity as the chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce which was tasked with addressing issues arising from the findings of the Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry report.
“We write to your esteemed office expressing our reservations over the failure of the Government of Zimbabwe to implement recommendations of the seven-member Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry following the events of August 1, 2018, that resulted in the death of six civilians at the hands of the army following protests over the late announcement of Presidential election results in Harare.
“So far, the Government of Zimbabwe has not instituted security sector reforms to ensure that the military acts within the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and in conformity with human rights norms and standards,” Mutasa said
He added “The State is still to implement Section 210 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe that provides for an Independent Complaints Mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints from the members of the public about misconduct on the part of members of the security services, and for remedying any harm caused by such misconduct. The Independent Complaints Mechanism is a crucial body in light of the increasing cases of human rights abuses linked to security.”
