Zanu PF holding night vigils at Hwiru school

COMMUNITY members from Gutu have attributed the spike in COVID-19 cases to political meetings that are being conducted during the night in Gutu.

At these meetings, no social distancing or wearing of masks is observed.

This was revealed during a virtual dialogue conducted by a community that works with Heal Zimbabwe in Gutu on July 5, 2021.

Community members reported that more recently, Zanu PF local leadership in ward 34 organised a meeting at Hwiru Primary School that was attended by more than 50 people during the night.

Zanu PF has been conducting overnight meetings at Hwiru Primary School, where COVID-19 regulations are being ignored, one participant revealed.

It was also revealed that besides numerous police reports, nothing has been done.

Other issues that came out during the dialogue include cases of human rights abuse against citizens, where they are being forced to join Zanu PF local structures.

Participants noted that the five million voter mobilisation by the ruling party has destabilised already fragile communities.

School pupils in Form 4 and 6 are forced to acquire identity card documents and forced to register to vote.

This campaign is led by traditional leaders, councillors and Zanu PF structures.

As part of a way forward, the dialogue meeting resolved that there was need to continue advocating for the decentralisation of independent commissions such as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission to decentralise to wards for easy access.

These commissions have a constitutional obligation to support and entrench human rights and democracy.

The meetings by Heal Zimbabwe are part of efforts to empower local communities to help safeguard against human rights abuse and also help build peaceful communities.

Heal Zimbabwe utilises various strategies to address conflicts in local communities.

One of these ways is the use of community dialogues, an initiative for communities to discuss and collectively identify ways through which they can proffer solutions to problems in their communities.

The platforms also equip communities with relevant information on COVID-19, gender-based violence and human rights.

Such platforms also facilitate local level conversations on pertinent issues affecting communities as well as create socially cohesive communities.

Heal Zimbabwe