With violations of human rights spiking in the past two weeks, the MDC calls for an urgent establishment of the independent complains mechanism provided in section 210 of the Constitution.

Reports of rape, abductions, assault, torture and even killings by members of the security forces have been reported and videos of some of these episodes have been circulated.

Yet the people of Zimbabwe have nowhere to seek redress.

The Constitution of Zimbabwe obligates the government to establish an independent body to receive complains, evaluate and order remedy.

The provision was against a background of regular spikes of violent episodes specifically those that are politically motivated and state sponsored.

The mechanism must be established to compliment the work of Independent Constitutional Commissions.

We applaud the Civic Society for taking this matter to court seeking an order to compel the government to establish the mechanism, sadly years later no judgement has been passed.

We find the delay to establish this body to be deliberate and negligent.

It is a failure to obey and uphold the Constitution.

The claim by Ziyambi Ziyambi that his government will investigate the violations is therefore disingenuous, the easiest task is to implement provisions of section 210 of the Constitution.

It is not option.

An attempt to provide military hotlines to report these crimes is also unworkable.

Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson