via Aids-Free World calls for UN, ICC action on Mugabe | The Zimbabwean. by Chris Ncube
Aids- Free World, the international advocacy organization, called on the Security Council of the United Nations to ask the International Criminal Court to investigate Robert Mugabe for crimes against humanity after another controversial poll retained him power.
In a statement, Gill Mathurin, Aids-Free World Communications Manager, warned the country could spiral into more problems with him at the helm.
Mathurin heavily criticized the Southern African Development saying the organizations have shown ‘craven complicity’ in sustaining Mugabe by providing a clean bill of health for the election.
“The strongest sanction at this point, to counter the culture of impunity, lies with the Security Council. The Security Council has done it before: they have made referrals to the International Criminal Court in the case of President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. They can do it again. The UK and the United States are the obvious countries to introduce the appropriate resolution. They’ll have to do battle with China and Russia, but the battle is well worth every stitch of diplomatic muscle,” said Mathurin.
Mathurin said there was a possibility of violence amid tensions over the election results.
“The possibility of violence over the next few months is great. The election results have been hotly contested: even before the MDC lost to ZANU-PF, there were credible allegations of vote-rigging, electoral violations, and intimidation at every turn. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has brought his challenge to Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community. He and his supporters are enraged with what they term a stolen election. Mugabe does not take charitably to such accusations. Zimbabwe could spiral into mayhem. Human rights activists, members of the opposition, and especially women are at risk. Mugabe has no compunction whatsoever in using violence to consolidate power. And he has never been in a stronger position to wield it,” added the official.
Mathurin said fighting the election results as well as other human rights abuses through the courts would be futile.
“The judicial system in Zimbabwe is in legal tatters and in thrall to Zanu (PF). It is impossible to pursue Mugabe through that avenue. Zimbabwe has not ratified the International Criminal Court statute, so the court, on its own, cannot launch an investigation into crimes against humanity. The new Zimbabwe constitution guarantees immunity to Mugabe from prosecution so long as he remains President, and even were he to step down, he can invoke the principle of “good faith” to defend actions taken while in office.”
In 2009, the Jamaican-based AIDS-Free World was forced to turn to South Africa in pursuit of justice for women violated ahead of the 2008 election.
“That is because every other avenue was at a dead-end, save one: action by the Security Council. AIDS-Free World has done its job; now it’s time for the Security Council to rise to the task. The situation is without precedent. Mugabe is systematically closing every lifeline to justice. It’s not just a matter of the fraudulent election; there are other draconian considerations at work. Conflict in Zimbabwe does not require war. It requires only Robert Mugabe,” Mathurin said.
COMMENTS
They must start with George Bush then Tony Blair and then Obama and leave our Mugabe alone
Who then he’ll do they think they are
What have they done for Zimbabwe.
Why does the Aids-Free World ask UN to investigate President Obama and other EU’s fake elections? Why cry over Pres. Mugabe’s win of landslide? Look in the mirror before kissing West’s behind or try and brown nosing the West just to enslave Zimbabwe once again by the ruthless former Rhodesian masters and their pals in their criminal laced corridors.
President Mugabe is the Lion of Africa and he must maintain law and order that he has so far and the results are in the open. Keeping Zimbabwe without hunger and crimes is a miracle of Zimbabwe while cities like Detroit, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles,London, Frankfurt, Rome and many other of the West are falling apart. One can’t walk the street after dark and no one is safe with their personal belongings. Educational ssystem, the social life, and even children and elderly’s safety is not longer exists. Despite of illegal and criminal sanctions by the crooks of the West Zimbabwe is still together with their families and loved ones who can still walk the streets of Zimbabwe in the middle of the night or day in any part of the country without any fears of any “ghettos” that exists in each and every city of the West including the worse in the United States and UK. So the credit goes to President Mugabe but most to the people of Zimbabwe. Don’t allow the traitors trying to hand over Zimbabwe’s future to the colonists of the past. Their track records are there for the world to see and compare to what President Mugabe have accomplished despite all the odds world’s criminal cabals have subjected Zimbabwe to! So the hell with the nay sayers President Mugabe. Keep doing what you have done so far for the best interest of your great country and its great people. Don’t let anyone tell you anything else. And thank you for standing up to the criminal West and its sinister games! Long live Zimbabwe and its proud people!
They are telling the truth. Mugabe’s people cheated during the last elections. Just carry out independent invrstigations. The truth will come out and expose terrible and unacceptable electoral malpractice.
The first point is that Zanu PF did not win the election (period).
What can Zanu pf do this time which they could not do for the past 33yrs. People should not be fooled by Zanu Pf. The infrastructure is totally down; education down, health down due to misrule by zanu pf.We have major hospitals in zimbambwe like Mnene hospital, Musume, Matibi Hospital all in Mberengwa, access to these hospital is totally a big problem from 1980. People in Mberengwa, i do not know why they vote for Zanu pf if they cannot be given good roads to these hospitals. All major hospital in Mashonaland have better roads. Please whoever is going to represent mberengwa should upgrade the roads otherwise next election zanu pf is going to lose
Does anyone know that a lot of zanu pf supporters did not vote that day? There was no need to coz they had already won the election with almost a million votes ahead before zimbabweans began to vote. I was there & saw it with my own eyes. But the biggest question is, where is the electronic voter’s role?
Mathurin,
What a shame all the way from that far to try and move out of your Aids program and bring your racist and colonial attitude to the open what is your problem can you tell the world, Zimbabweans in particular your country of Origin, when you last went for your elections in your country and what were the results, what action you took, where were you when Zimbabwe went to the Liberation war for Independance, maybe not yet born that’s why you can’t understand some of these things. Zimbabwe was taken to the same Organisation by the same Countries you mentioned and were told to forget the regime change program, so there is nothing new in what you are suggesting the problem is your memory. Please you seem to be in the wrong hunting grounds for a wrong reason, start thinking of another plan or you are also at the end of the road like MDC, BLANK, SURPRISED, SHOCKED, CONFUSED, am sure now you need ZANPF to tell you what to do since its all History
All people who are supporting Zanu are trying to cover their own asses.Manje gore rino whether u like it or not arikuzosura chando chete Mugabe nezvimbwa zvake vana Munangagwa zvoti kushata zvese chiso nemwoyo.
This is exactly the problem with enemies of democracy who hate when the people choose to speak loud. Since 2009, the MDC T was busy enjoying the luxuries of Government while ZANU PF prospective candidates never stopped campaigning. Rightly or wrongly, the Zimbabwean electorate have a traditional tendency to reward those who carry out development projects in their communities, nomatter how small those projects look.
How could a whole election be stollen in front front of MDC T agents at every polling station? The MDCT had grown arragant and complacent and as was the case with ZANU PF in 2008, they were punished by the people. Its up to them to reform and go back to the people, otherwise they will be punished to extinction.
The US, Britain, China, Russia and others can comment but the people of Zimbabwe have spoken and the essence of democracy demands that we respect their views.
I do not have a lot to say,but I wwant to say this,Mr Mugabe won the election,so they say,but does he have the interests of the ordinary Zimbabwean at heart?.These guys are talking about nationalising companies and all sorts of reforms,I’m struggling to understand how this will benefit the populace,we as Zimbabweans want Zimbabwe to rise out of the slum that it is now into what we once were,a great nation.We are tired of politricks,we want food on our tables,water in our taps,doctors and medicines in our hospitals,a constant supply of electricity,a stable economy,an educational system that produces results,a thriving economy,and most of all a government that is held accountable by those who chose it,NO MATTER WHO IS PRESIDENT
Thank you Revolutionary, I agree with you that we all want a functional economy which brings food on all our tables. However, I refuse to consider Zimbabwe a slum or a basket case. for those of us who stay in Zimbabwe, we dont believe our socio-economic situation is significantly different from that of other comparable African coutries outside the continent’s powerhouse South Africa.
So after more than five decades of chasing the mirage of development in Africa as informed or ill-informed by the now generally discredited washington concensus, its only befiting for Africa and Zimbabwe in particular that a new economic development paradigm is tried and its only fair to give it a chance to succeed and being negative from the outright might not be helpfull.
In modern economic development discourse, we talk of inclusive and shared development and it is that development ideal that as Africa, we have failed to realised since the indipendence of Ghana and the reason was that Africa remained the only economy where locals are like cheer leaders dancing on the peripherals of their own economy.
In view of the above, we might disagree with ZANU PF in 101 ways but lets face it, the land reform and lately indigenisation remains the most life changing events to have happened in the life of a black african in post the slave trade and more recently colonism.
Indeed ,I do not see anything wrong with Africans owning their economy for as long as the process is done transparently and targeting the mainstream of the population.
Observer,
True, zanu pf won, but they never campainged.The only thing they did was to manipulate ways in which they could rig. As always, they tried to be descreet, but their stories came out. We knew about the duplication of names, but the opposition were never given the “real” copy to check in time. Ballot papers were printed by different companies, imagine regoistration voter’s slips, they printed more extras. These guys knew they were going down, so the last ditch of hope now lied on ZEC, which succeded in delaying all the processes, but underneath, it was being done at high speed. Truly speaking, be it rural & urban everyone saw mdc winning, but for the sake of progress, let them lead if mdc loses the appeals. But I don’t see them going above the 5%, which the industry was operating, with their idea of taking over the ones left.
People blame Zanu PF and forget the simple fact that MDC invited sanctions as a stragegy to win the hearts of people who are suffering because of the sanctions. ZPF is strong, whether they stole the election or not, they remain a very strong political party in the whole world. Ask yourself why USA, UK and AUS are crying- they failed to defeat ZPF. Hussein or Gaddafi style is not applicable in Zim. Mugabe is a victor whether you like it or not.
What ever you say Mugabe is president of Zimbabwe
These Aids people what have they done for Zimbabwe apart from bring the very same Aids to Zimbabwe
What a shame even using aids victims and Aids for regime change
Which western president has been to that Kangaroo court
You talk about violence, what violence Zimbabweans are not violate people
Yes may may have over political differences but we will never be an Egypt
Full STOP.
Jacob marange
To say Zanu Pf won but never campaigned only shows you for who you are: a day dreamer.For people like you to be is to be like and to be like is to be like the oppressor