MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Zimbabwe
13.9.2016 - (2016/2882(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Ignazio Corrao, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Piernicola Pedicini, Isabella Adinolfi, Laura Ferrara, Laura Agea, Rolandas Paksas, Beatrix von Storch on behalf of the EFDD Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0995/2016
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Zimbabwe;
- having regard to the COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2016/220 of 15 February 2016 that taking into account political developments in Zimbabwe extend restrictive measures against President Mugabe, Grace Mugabe and high officers of the Security forces and of the Zimbabwean army until 20 February 2017;
- having regard to the EEAS local statement on violence of last 12 July;
- having regard to the Cotonou Agreement;
- having regard to the letter of Amnesty International to the President of Republic of Zimbabwe of 18 August 2015;
- having regard to the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, that Zimbabwe has ratified;
- having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,
A.whereas last July 2016 the EEAS reported of incidents of serious violence and human rights abuses taking place during and in the aftermath of protests in a number of urban centres across Zimbabwe; whereas this kind of repression is common in Zimbabwe where enforced disappearance of opposition members and human rights activists are a common practice;
B.whereas many activists are still in custody of the State, while the fate and whereabouts of others remain unknown.
C.whereas Itai Dzamara, a journalist, was abducted on 9 March 2015 by five unidentified men while he was at a barbers’ shop in a suburb of the capital city, Harare.
D.whereas two days before his abduction, Mr Dzamara addressed a rally where he called for mass action to address the deteriorating economic conditions in Zimbabwe; whereas, according to Amnesty International, Mr Dzamara had previously been abducted, unlawfully detained and severely beaten by State security agents.
E.whereas last 13 March 2015, the High Court of Zimbabwe ordered the Minister of Home Affairs, the State Security Minister, the Commissioner-General of Police and the Director-General of the Central Intelligence Organization to investigate Itai Dzamara’s abduction and to report their progress each fortnight to the Registrar of the High Court;
F.Whereas after 18 months the police stil failed to account for the his enforced disappearance of Itai Dzamara
G.whereas Mugabe’s government has also undermined Zimbabwe’s judiciary by disregarding High Court orders, and intimidating the judiciary in general as well as individual judges; whereas President Mugabe, in apparent reference to a High Court decision to allow 18 opposition political parties that are calling for electoral reforms to conduct a protest in late August, said “They [the judges] dare not be negligent in their decisions when requests are made by people who want to demonstrate”;
H.whereas according to Human rights Watch the government of President Robert Mugabe continues to violate human rights without regard to protections in the country’s new constitution, police violate basic rights, such as freedom of expression and assembly, activists and human rights defenders face police harassment.
I.Whereas there has been no progress toward securing justice for human rights abuses and past political violence, including violence after the 2008 election.
J.Whereas it seems that President Mugabe secured the endorsement of the ruling ZANU-PF party to be the 2018 presidential candidate (when he will be 94); whereas he appointed his wife to head the party’s women’s wing, and amended the party constitution to allow him to make all senior party appointments.
K.whereas public services such as water, education, health, and sanitation are at collapse and whereas about 82 percent of the national budget was allocated to civil service salaries, much of which appears to have disappeared through corruption.
L.whereas the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that Zimbabwe’s external debt obligations were over 80 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
M.Whereas Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique have all issued drought alerts this year and saying 4.5 million people — half of the rural population — face starvation; whereas, according to Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) chairman Elasto Mugwadi, the ruling party members were the major perpetrators in violations linked to distribution of food and opposition affiliates are denied emergency food aid.
1.Welcomes the Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/220 of 15 February 2016 extending restrictive measures agains president Mugabe and his acolytes for being responsible for activities that seriously undermine democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
2.Calls upon the authorities of Zimbabwe to ensure justice and to inform the Dzamara family about his fate;
3.Calls on the same authorities to release any political prisoners still detained and to cease immediately any form of torture or violence against peaceful protesters.
4.Calls on the Zimbabwean Government to restore the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights and to address the human rights violations, ending police brutality across Zimbabwe, stopping the use of legislation that repress and restricts all fundamental freedoms allowing arbitrary arrests or acts of torture;
5.Urges the government of Zimbabwe to take all the necessary steps to ensure that human rights defenders are able to express their opinions without intimidation and consequence for them or their families;
6.Stresses the importance for the UE to start up a political dialogue with the Zimbabwe authorities (under Article 8 and 96 of the Cotonou Agreement) confirming the commitment of the UE to support the local population;
7.Condemns the attempts of intimidation perpetrated by President Mugabe towards the Judges and the opposition Members;
8.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the European External Action Service, the Government and Parliament of Zimbabwe and the governments of the Southern African Development Community, the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly.