STATEMENT AGAINST HATE SPEECHES AND INCITEMENT OF VIOLENCE
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) is one of the five Chapter 12 Independent Commissions Supporting Democracy in Zimbabwe. It is established in terms of sections 232 (b) and 242 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and operationalized by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Act [Chapter 10:30]. The mandate of the Commission outlined in Sections 233 and 243 of the Constitution includes supporting and entrenchment of human rights and democracy.
The Commission has noted with great concern recent political statements in the form of political sloganeering and hate speech by some reckless and unscrupulous political actors that have the tendency of disturbing the peace and personal security of other people. In its previous public statements, the Commission expressed its aversion to continued churning out of intolerance to diversity through increased incidences of hate speech and incitement to violence as reported then in both social and mainstream media in Zimbabwe. This statement is being made to bring the attention of political actors and others to the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights which should be respected and upheld by all without distinction
