A new year, the same struggle for Human Rights continues - by Justice Sibanda

Zimbabwean authorities’ homophobic attitude towards gays and lesbians was on the spotlight yesterday when Martha Tholanah, the chairperson of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) went on trial at Harare Magistrates Court for allegedly running an “unregistered” organisation.  The papers served on the GALZ chairperson, summonsing her to attend court are vague as they do not state the exact Act which GALZ represented by Tholanah allegedly violated. The police claim that Tholanah knowing that GALZ was not registered “unlawfully took part in the management of the organisation by gathering its members and continued to carry activities while engaging in gays and lesbians in contravention of the country’s laws.

Meanwhile, members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police have blocked requests by some students to access medical treatment after they sustained injuries when the police broke up a demonstration staged at Harare Polytechnic on Monday 27 January 2014. The demonstration was in protest against the decline in education standards in the country and against the Ministry of Higher Education over tertiary fees. Police arrested 12 members of the Zimbabwe National Students Union including the union’s leader Gilbert Mutubuki and have detained them at Harare Central Police Station.

According to the students’ lawyer, Gift Mtisi of Musendekwa and Mtisi Legal Practitioners, a member of ZLHR, the police were still working out charges to prefer against the students with an indication that they would charge them for committing public violence.

In case they have forgotten here is a reminder -  the main purpose of the Government is to govern, manage and protect the individual rights for ALL its citizens.

Justice Melusi Sibanda 
Organising Secretary – ROHR Zimbabwe/Bradford Branch