Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Human Rights Abuses hit home for NZ Zimbabwean

www.cws.org.nz

Human Rights Abuses hit home for NZ Zimbabwean

The abduction of another leading Zimbabwe human rights campaigner is a cruel irony for Christchurch-based Zimbabwean Mandla Akhe Dube on international Human Rights Day.

Today (December 10) is the 60th anniversary of the international declaration on human rights, which enshrined the basic rights of every person.

Mr Dube says the abduction of Zimbabwe Peace Project executive director Jestina Mukoko a week ago adds to the anguish of Zimbabweans at this time. Ms Mukoko played a significant role collecting evidence against the perpetrators of violence in Zimbabwe.

Mr Dube met Ms Mukoko in 2002 when she worked for Radio Netherlands and he worked for an election monitoring group, just before emigrating to New Zealand.

It is not known whether Ms Mukoko, who Mr Dube describes as hard working, passionate and fearless, is alive or dead. If she was dead, it would not stop the work.

“If they abduct one person and kill her does that mean the database of information has died?”

Her abduction adds to the growing list of Zimbabwe campaigners who have gone missing.

Mr Dube works for New Zealand aid agency Christian World Service (CWS), which helps organizations around the world that meet gross human rights abuses in the course of their work. In Zimbabwe, Christian World Service has long funded two Zimbabwean organizations running feeding programmes in starving rural areas.

At this crucial time, CWS says the New Zealand government needs to use its good relations with South Africa to pressure it to take a stronger stand against the Mugabe regime, as Botswana and Kenya have done. The New Zealand Government can increase its food aid through grassroots organisations.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

The abduction is one example of a raft of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, where lack of basic health services is fuelling a cholera epidemic that has cost more than 650 lives.

“We are dealing with a government whose historic brutality is very well-known. I struggle with keeping hope alive when year after year this bugger (Mugabe) is still there,” Mr Dube said.

Zimbabweans had shown their will to kick Mugabe out in two elections this year, widely heralded as shams. The international community continued to fail to uphold the human rights of Zimbabweans.

Save Zimbabwe Campaign NZ is today (December 10) collecting medical supplies like water purification tablets, rehydration tablets, latex gloves, painkillers and bandages to send to Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, civic organisations will mark the 60th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights with demonstrations demanding immediate reform.


ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.