VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

16 June 2005

BY FAX

The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe

His Excellency President Robert Gabriel Mugabe

Office of the President and Cabinet

Dear Sir:

RE: Violations of human rights in Zimbabwe

As an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of the urban poor through positive partnerships with government, and as citizens of a neighbouring country with deep and long links with your own, we are appalled at the actions of your government in its so-called “Murambatsvina” campaign.

By now countless other organisations will have pointed out to you the many ways in which this action violates numerous international commitments by your government over last twenty years, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that Zimbabwe ratified on 13 August 1991; various agreements under the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights; the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights; and indeed the founding charter of the African Union.

Your government’s action may also constitute a serious crime against humanity.  The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court has codified the deliberately widespread or systematic transfer of a civilian population as a crime against humanity, under Article 7(1)(d) and Article 7(2)(d).  There can be no other interpretation of this action.

Your government has repeatedly stressed that the Murambatsvina campaign is intended to ‘clean up’ Zimbabwe’s cities.  Up to now, in comparison to many cities in the developing world, the poorer sections of Zimbabwe’s cities have always exhibited a high degree of order, cleanliness, and civility, even under difficult economic circumstances, due to the discipline, inventiveness, and basic humanity of ordinary Zimbabweans.  With this background the Murambatsvina campaign cannot be said to have cleaned up anything; rather it is to blame for the now desperately degraded state of your cities. 

Mr President, we appeal to you in the name of decency and all that the Chimurenga stood for to stop this senseless action, which can bring no benefit to your country or to Africa.  History will judge you harshly should you fail to act now.

Sincerely,

Ted Baumann

Executive Director
Utshani Fund