Evidence Chipadza
As part of the commemorations of the victims of torture, various members of the non-governmental organizations’ community and citizens have called for the respect of human rights, acknowledging that torture and inhumane treatment should be universally illegal.
Speaking at a community dialogue which was held at Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) in Mkoba, Advocate Mandindi acknowledged that the country has many victims of torture and efforts should be directed towards the prevention of such.
“We have had many victims of torture as a country. We are calling upon the government to ratify the international convention against torture to promote peace,” said Mandindi.
Also present at the meeting, Counseling Services Unit (CSU) Programs Officer, Reason Machengere said CSU is an organization that provides holistic rehabilitation to victims of organized violence through the provision of medical and psychological rehabilitation.
“We take seriously the June 26 commemorations. Over the past 20 years, we have treated more than 30000 victims in Zimbabwe and our main aim is to assist victims of torture for free,” said Machengere.
Patience Magava, a member of YWCA added that people must always accept and respect each other’s opinions.
“To avoid conflicts, people should remember that we have different views depending on how we see things and also our backgrounds. Violence is not healthy at all,” added Magava.
In 1987, United Nations Convention against torture and other cruel, inhumane treatment went into effect on the 26th of June. It was an important step in the process of globalizing human rights.
Every year the International day in support of victims of torture is commemorated.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum is holding community dialogues in every province to promote peace.
