Zimbabwe: health and human rights versus African solidarity

Abstract

Despite respected human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International meticulously cataloguing a plethora of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe over the past few years and repeatedly appealing for international intervention the African Union and in particular South Africa have responded indifferently. This reaction seemingly encouraged Zimbabwe to act with a sense of impunity culminating in its punishing mass-eviction campaign in urban areas started on May 19 2005. Despite the obvious suffering this campaign is inflicting African leaders disturbingly turned a blind eye once again. Now a UN investigation team ordered by an African UN Secretary-General and headed by a respected African UN official has found that the eviction campaign in Zimbabwe has resulted in some 700 000 people losing their homes sources of livelihood or both and a further 2.4 million people being affected in some way. In the absence of western involvement and in light of such a damning report initiated and authored by such respected African figures the world will now judge whether Africa’s leadership will still deem the preservation of African solidarity at the executive level more important than the promotion and protection of health and human rights of the vulnerable at the grassroots level. A failure by African leaders to immediately prioritise the interests of the vulnerable will further tarnish Africa’s image and threaten health and human rights reform across the entire African continent. (excerpt)