By Collins Chirinda
Harare, 12 December 2017
Traditional leaders have been called upon to shun and desist from promoting human rights violations and voter intimidation this publication has learnt.
Chief Nyakunhuwa castigated traditional leaders who do not help stop human rights violations at a Heal Zimbabwe peace concert held in Zaka at Jerera Growth Point saying that traditional leaders were not supposed to coerce community members to submit crucial voter registration information through intimidation as this was a violation to people’s entitlement to privacy.
“Traditional leaders must not perpetrate human rights, now we hear that there are some unscrupulous Traditional leaders forcing community members to submit serial numbers and denying proof of residence for political reasons. This must stop, let us all practice tolerance, elections should not breed violence but we must remain united as a community and repel forces that trigger electoral violence”, Chief Nyakunhuwa said.
Many non-governmental organisation have reported that there is voter intimidation and political violence in Zimbabwe perpetrated by political parties and traditional leaders especially in rural areas where political victimization is rampant.
The concert was held in collaboration with the Election Resource Centre (ERC) and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZIMRIGHTS) in the hope of encouraging the people to be peaceful ahead of the impending watershed elections penciled for next year.
Present at the concert dubbed 13 Million Voices for Peace Concert were government officials, Chiefs and officials from ZIMRIGHTS and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
