MDC Youth Assembly Petition

Date 19 March 2010

From:  MDC Youth Assembly, Harare Province

To:  The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs

Cc: Co-Ministers of the Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation

Attorney-General

RECOGNIZING that the rights of all Zimbabweans should be protected by the State and that according to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, all Zimbabweans are equal before the law,

ACKNOWLEDGING that the Office of the Attorney General exists to prosecute known offenders on behalf of the people,

CONCERNED that the period between March 2008 and June 27 sham election was characterized by violence against MDC members and supporters perpetrated by known Zanu PF thugs who have not been prosecuted to date,

NOTING that Article 18.5 (C) of the Global Political Agreement explicitly demands that “the government shall apply the laws of the country fully and impartially in bringing all perpetrators of politically motivated violence to book.”

DISTURBED by the inaction of the justice system, in particular the Attorney General’s Office in prosecuting known Zanu PF thugs who raped, maimed and callously murdered  innocent Zimbabweans including women and children,

RECOGNISING  and respecting the independence of the office of the AG but deeply concerned by the abuse of power by the same  at the behest of Zanu PF resulting in the selective  prosecution of MDC MPs, members and supporters on flimsy charges,

FURTHER CONCERNED about the threats being uttered by Zanu P.F Youth directed at the Prime Minister and Head of the Government of Zimbabwe,

DEEPLY WORRIED by the continued incarceration and persecution of Fannie Tembo, Emmanuel Chinanzvavana, Roy Bennett     and a multitude of MDC supporters and members,

FURTHER DISTURBED   by the resurgence of violence and the moribund state and the abdication of a constitutional responsibility by the Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation whose specific mandate is to create an environment of tolerance and respect among Zimbabweans and that all citizens are treated with dignity and decency irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity or political affiliation.

NOW THEREFORE,

The MDC Harare Province Youth Wing demands that:

I.    All those who perpetrated acts of violence, murder, rape, arson be brought to book by the 15th of April 2010.

II.    The office of the AG disabuses itself from being prostituted by the regime of Zanu P.F and start to actively pursue the murderers of Tonderai Ndira, Thabitha Marume, Tonderai Machiridza, Gift Tandare, Better Chokururama, Godfrey Kauzani and many others.

III.    The office of the AG swiftly move and prosecute those hooligans masquerading as  Zanu P.F Youth who continue to issue threats directed at the Prime Minister and Head of  the Government of Zimbabwe who is also the  winner of the last election held in this country.

IV.    The Organ on National Healing begin in earnest to undertake its Constitutional responsibility of undertaking programmes that include issues of transitional justice to promote national healing and reconciliation.

V.    That the Zanu P.F regime must adhere to the spirit and letter of the GPA by implementing all the agreed provisions of the GPA and the SADC communiqué of 27 January 2009.

Signed:

Provincial Chairman: Costa Machingauta………………………………………

Provincial Secretary: Robert Manyengavana……………………………………

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