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Ngoni Dapira
VILLAGERS from Chitora in Mutare South, in the communal lands of Zimunya, about 35 kilometres from Mutare, have been urged to learn more about their civil rights and whistleblow unjust issues in the community.
This was said last week Friday at St Anthony Manzununu Primary School at the Citizen Duty Bearer Engagement meeting organized by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) Mutare Diocese. The citizen duty bearer engagement platform allows citizens and duty bearers to meet and ensure citizens can exercise their civil and political rights to participatory and accountable governance. It also gives them a platform to speak up and demand action and accountability on critical human rights issues.
Chitora Ward 21 councilor Hopewell Muzaeni, who is also the Mutare Rural District Council (RDC) chairman said many villagers are ignorant of learning about their civic rights and basic laws which may eventually affect them. Clr Muzaeni thanked CCJPZ for its community awareness programmes which help to conscientise villagers on socio-economic developmental concerns that should be flagged in communities.
“We emulate this programme because it highlights red flags that our ward should focus on. I learned a lot about child protection rights that we are negating and as the councilor I will definitely take up the concerns raised, some of which I was not aware of. I appreciate such development oriented programmes that promote social and economic justice for our villagers, so that they are not left out from enjoying their civic rights,” said Clr Muzaeni who is also still basking in glory after recently being recognized as the second runner-up best performing chairperson in RDC’s at the national 2023 performance evaluation results and signing of performance contracts of senior public officials for Fiscal Year 2024, a ceremony that was presided by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the State House in Harare on 15 March.
At the ceremony, President Mnangagwa conferred awards to top performing Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and heads of various government departments. The top performer in the chairpersons of RDCs category was Alderman Ephraim Chengeta of Mhondoro-Ngezi RDC, whilst the first runner-up was Jeremiah Gwanzura of Marondera RDC followed by Muzaeni as the second runner-up.
Clr Muzaeni cited how most villagers ignore issues about their land rights under the Communal Lands Act. He said a lot of villagers in his area were not paying their US$5 per year for unit tax to the RDC. “They do not realize that according to the Act if this land tax is not paid for three consecutive years the land will be taken, then they cry foul,” he said.
During the meeting a prickly issue was brought up which most villagers are angry about which concerns a 16 year old girl who was raped by local man (name reserved). Instead of being arrested the man is walking scot free after settling a reparation of a cow to the parents of the girl.
“The matter was somehow withdrawn from the police and settled out of court after the man paid damages to the parents. What is painful is that this man brags in the village about his actions. This girl will struggle with mental health issues after this. We do not know what to do as community members but feel this is not right,” said one of the villagers that raised the issue during the meeting.
CCJPZ Mutare diocese projects officer Munyaradzi Zvinoira said he will follow up on the matter through their partners, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) and Justice For Children.
There was also a case of aggravated indecent assault (rape) of a Grade three boy but the suspected culprit is still at large.
“Most of our justice and peace work is outreach in remote communities to effectively facilitate civic education and help generate information for national policy advocacy and liaisons. Coming across such stories which impinge on the rights of children is what we aim to redress and educate communities on how best to handle such matters. These forums are about amplifying community voices and sharing lived experiences to help improve the socioeconomic rights of people in marginalized areas or rural communities where information relay is sometimes slow,” said Zvinoira.
Adding, “The aims of the CCJPZ are to inform people’s consciences, to make people aware of their rights and duties as citizens, to encourage love, to promote the Church’s social teaching, to investigate allegations of injustice and to take appropriate action,” he said.
In January this year Zimbabwe raised the age of consent for sexual relations to 18 years from 16 years, a move which is expected to deter pedophiles and reduce cases of sexual abuse of children and adolescents that remain a concern in the country.
President Mnangagwa used his powers under the Presidential Powers Act to gazette Statutory Instrument 2 of 2024 the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Criminal Laws (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Regulations, 2024. The penalty was set at Level 12 fines or a maximum of 10 years in jail. This legislation complements the amendment to the Marriages Act done in 2022 that prohibited the marriage of anyone less than age of 18.
Sydney Chikwara ward 21B chairperson said domestic violence was on the rise in the area due to lack, following the poor harvest from the incumbent drought.
“We need to encourage husbands and wives in our community to be tolerant and not to put unnecessary pressure on each other during these difficult times of the drought. Domestic violence is on the increase because of financial misunderstandings in the home. Let us be tolerant and understand that times are hard especially on those that relied on their harvests to make ends meet,” said Chikwara.
Village head Kaswa (Washington Kaswa) of Kaswa village and village head Mudhombozi (Washington Mudhombozi) of Muranda village who attended the meeting said the community needs such open interactive forums to freely air out concerns on prickly issues that will be happening in the area. They said in some cases villagers do not have financial resources like transport money to get-together, which is where non-governmental organization can assist through transport reimbursement for villagers that would have come from distant places.
The duty bearer engagement meeting comprised of representatives of community groups of youths, women, people living with disabilities, health committee, education committee, church committee, ward representatives, traditional leadership and the Victim Friendly Unit from the police.
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) is a non-governmental organisation which assists in cases of human rights abuse. It was established in 1972 to highlight the plight of the Zimbabwean people. It has offices in Harare, Bulawayo, Binga Village and Mutare, along with the presence of a ‘Justice and Peace Committee’ in each diocese.