LIAM TAKURA KANHENGA & TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA
HARARE – As Zimbabwe prepares to host the 44th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held in Harare, a sinister undercurrent of fear and distrust is brewing between the state and its citizens. A cloud of terror has become the order of the day, with government officials openly stating that they will “crush” any protests.
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| Human rights activists arrive at the Rotten Row Magistrates court in Harare with members of Zimbabwe republic police, Aug. 2, 2024. [Image: Columbus Mavhunga/VOA] |
Rather than the summit being cause for celebrating the anticipated arrival of regional leaders, the country's ruling regime has instead launched a vicious crackdown on activists, silencing dissenting voices and breeding an atmosphere of terror.
Arbitrary arrests and abductions have intensified ahead of the regional summit, with opposition politicians and activists such as Jacob Ngarivhume, Namatai Kwekweza, Robson Chere, and Emmanuel Sitimah being detained on spurious charges and subjected to brutal torture.
Another 14 were arrested in the small northwestern town of Kariba on Thursday, according to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) group. Several organisers of events have had to postpone their events in what is largely perceived to create way for the summit.
In Bulawayo, Nkulumane Ward 22 Councillor Bruce Moyo, was arrested Thursday for allegedly staging an anti-government protest, demanding an end to "one-party rule. NewZimbabwe.com reported that in Mutare, 11 residents were apprehended for allegedly gathering at a house and plotting to carry out what ZRP termed "acts of public violence" designed to disturb the "successful hosting of the SADC summit".
The American, British, and European Union embassies have voiced their concerns about the relentless crackdown on alternative discourse, but perhaps we do not even require them to tell us that something is awry within our politics.
It is disconcerting that this familiar, interminable narrative between the ruling and opposition sides continues, while a lot of pressing issues in the country go perennially unaddressed.
The Zimbabwean government's heavy-handed response to unproven rumours of civil unrest during the SADC Summit has exposed an extremely worrying paranoia within the ruling establishment. It screams of a government sickly afraid of its own people.
The intense fear of tarnishing the country's image in front of regional leaders has culminated in a blanket policy of pre-emptive arrests, targeting any individual deemed to be a potential threat to the status quo.
President Mnangagwa's apparent willingness to sanction these arrests based on flimsy intelligence about the possibility of protests at the summit reveals a fundamental distrust of his own citizens and a disregard for their fundamental rights and freedoms.
The question must thus be asked: What does Zimbabwe stand to gain from hosting the SADC Summit, when the price paid is the systemic violation of human rights, the silencing of dissent, and the infliction of pain and suffering upon its citizens?
The prestige of hosting such a high-profile event is overshadowed by the dark underbelly of repression and terror that accompanies it. The ruling regime's obsession with projecting an image of stability and control has blinded it to the real-world consequences of its actions, as innocent people are detained, tortured, and silenced in the name of "maintaining order."
The fact that August, a month etched in the collective memory of Zimbabweans for the brutal post-election violence of 2018, is again marred by state-sanctioned repression, is a chilling reminder of the country's painful history of human rights abuses. Six years ago, the Motlanthe Commission made clear recommendations to address these violations, but the current regime has failed to heed these calls for justice.
This, combined with the region's history of intervening to broker peace in Zimbabwe during past periods of political violence, raises questions about the sincerity of SADC's commitment to promoting democratic principles and the rule of law.
SADC's repeated appeals to sovereignty as a justification for non-interference in cases of human rights violations have proven to be a hollow excuse, serving more as a shield for abusive regimes than a guarantor of national dignity.
The regional body's failure to hold Zimbabwe's ruling elite accountable for their actions has effectively enabled a culture of impunity and disregard for the rights of citizens.
While the principle of sovereignty is important for maintaining regional stability and preventing foreign intervention, it cannot be allowed to serve as a blanket exemption from basic human rights protections.
The government's ruthless suppression of civil society and its blatant disregard for democratic norms are more than just a response to potential protests or a bid to safeguard the country's image. Instead, they can be seen as the first steps towards a more sinister goal: the consolidation of power under an authoritarian one-party state.
The regime's use of terror and fear is a well-known tactic of despotic rulers throughout history, a means of controlling the population and suppressing any potential opposition. The deliberate dismantling of civil society and the suppression of collective organizing in Zimbabwe is a calculated strategy by the Harare regime to ensure its own survival.
By stripping away the people's ability to voice dissent, rally support, or mobilize against the government, the regime can effectively strangle the very lifeblood of democratic societies.
This clampdown on civil liberties represents a sinister form of authoritarian control, a methodical campaign to crush any potential resistance and entrench the power of the ruling elite.
The cycle of repression and violence that plagues Zimbabwean society is a disturbing reminder of the fragility of democracy and the enduring threat of authoritarianism in the modern world.
As the SADC Summit draws closer, the region must confront the reality of the regime's human rights abuses and its attempts to consolidate power, rather than turn a blind eye in the name of sovereignty.
For the sake of Zimbabwe and the people who have suffered under this regime, the silence of SADC can no longer be a luxury.
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