To: Hon.Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
8 July 2016
We write this letter as the Right2Know Campaign with deep concern at recent events in Zimbabwe, following protests and stay-aways prompted in part by high levels of poverty, wage disputes, corruption, and the heavy personal costs of the introduction of an imports and exports ban imposed by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra).
On 6 July 2016, Zimbabweans across the spectrum embarked on a nationwide strike or stay-away which became known as #ZimShutDown2016. It was prompted by a number of incidents in Zimbabwe that had occurred in the preceding weeks and months.
The 6 July protest saw uprisings and stay aways on the streets of most urban centres, including Chitungwiza, Mutare, Bulawayo, Harare, Kwekwe, Gweru and Victoria Falls. In response to the protests, stay aways and strikes across Zimbabwe, we see a range of reports of gross human rights abuses including:
Police brutality against protestors