S2 E13: An analysis of the deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe

In conversation with Mr Brian Kagoro

The continuing systemic human rights violations in Zimbabwe have brought the country under spotlight for the wrong reasons. There seems to be a continual shrinking space for democratic participation in the country. In July 2020, award winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was detained and arrested on charges of inciting public violence after exposing alleged government corruption involving COVID-19 funds. This is a common phenomenon that continues to find space as many political opposition activists have been detained, abducted and arrested at the hands of a government that misuses the criminal justice system to intimidate and persecute journalists and activists.

In this episode, Mr Brian Kagoro, a Zimbabwean lawyer, gives a historical background of how the legacy of colonial violations have continued to soar post-independence under the Mugabe and Mnangagwa regime.  He discusses the nexus between political instability and the alleged human rights violations in Zimbabwe and how this is mirrored in other African countries. Furthermore, this episode gives an insight of how human rights mechanisms at regional and international level can provide remedies to address human rights violations in Zimbabwe. This information- packed episode also talks about how the results of quiet diplomacy perpetuate the suffering of the common Zimbabwean folk.

Mr Brian Kagoro is a Zimbabwean citizen, Pan-Africanist and a constitutional and economic relations lawyer. He played an instrumental role in the formation of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and has served as a consultant for regional organisations such as the African Union Commission, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Mr Brian Kagoro has also served on boards in the private sector as well as civil society groups, including but not limited to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Amani Trust. As a writer, he has published several articles on civil society participation as well as the unstable political situation in Zimbabwe.

This conversation was recorded on 26 August 2020.

Music: Inner Peace by Mike Chino https://soundcloud.com/mike-chinoCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/0nI6qJeqFcc