The Election Resource Centre (ERC) Africa has applauded the landmark ruling by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), which found that the Ethiopian government violated the rights of citizens during the 2015 elections.
The decision, described as a precedent-setting moment in African electoral integrity, sends a clear message to all member states of the African Union, including Zimbabwe.
The ACHPR’s decision came after Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa lodged a complaint on behalf of the Ethiopian people.
According to the ERC Press statement, the complaint alleged that the Ethiopian government had used violence, intimidation, and repressive legislation to stifle political participation and suppress dissent during the 2015 elections.
“The application cited that during the election period and beyond, the Ethiopian Government had used a combination of violence, intimidation, widespread arrests and repressive legislation to restrict the democratic and political space including the criminalisation of NGO work which contributed to an unfree and unfair electoral environment,” reads the statement.
In a scathing judgment, the ACHPR held that the Ethiopian government violated Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression and access to information. The Commission emphasized that the Ethiopian government’s actions not only curtailed these freedoms but also prevented citizens from fully exercising their right to vote.
In light of the ACHPR ruling, the ERC has raised concerns about the Zimbabwean government’s actions leading up to and following the 2023 Harmonised Elections.The ERC highlighted instances of repression, including the arrest of opposition leaders, activists, and students, as well as the intimidation of civil society organizations. The ERC warns that such actions have a chilling effect on free participation in governance and threaten the integrity of elections in Zimbabwe.
“The ERC notes that ahead of the 2023 Harmonised Elections there were widespread restrictions against open participation in elections, including the widespread use of the justice system to silence dissent. The practice has unfortunately continued post 2023 Harmonised Election with the recent arrests of opposition leader Jameson Timba and 74 others arrested on 27 June, the arrests of 14 activists in Kariba, the arrests of students in Harare, the arrests of Namatai Kwekweza, Samuel Gwenzi, Vusimuzi Sibanda and Robson Chere arrested on 31 July, the arrest of Jacob Ngarivhume on 2 August and the continued intimidation of Civil Society Organisations ahead of the SADC Summit,” reads the ERC Press statement.
The organization drew parallels between the Ethiopian case and the current situation in Zimbabwe, urging the government to reform laws and practices that restrict freedom of expression, assembly, and association. The ERC emphasized that Zimbabwe, as a member of the African Union and a signatory to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, must uphold the principles of free and fair elections.
The ERC’s statement comes as Zimbabwe approaches the one-year anniversary of the 2023 Harmonised Elections. The organization is urging the Zimbabwean government to heed the ACHPR’s ruling and take meaningful steps to safeguard electoral integrity and ensure that all citizens can freely participate in governance as enshrined in both the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“Since Zimbabwe is a member of the African Union, and therefore party to the ACHPR, consequently, the ERC Africa takes this opportunity ahead of the one year anniversary to the 2023 Harmonised Election to caution the Zimbabwean Government on ongoing repressive practices and the impact of the increase in repression on electoral integrity and the freeness of elections.
In light of this the ERC Africa calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to reform laws, policies and practices restricting freedom of expression, association, assembly, access to information and the right to freely participate in governance as envisaged by the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
As the ACHPR ruling sends ripples across the continent, the ERC’s warning serves as a reminder to Zimbabwean authorities of the international obligations they must fulfill to protect the democratic rights of their citizens.
