ACTSA writes to Baroness Scotland with ‘grave concerns’ concerning Zimbabwe possible re-admission to the Commonwealth

Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland gave worrying signals in 2024 that she was considering allowing Zimbabwe back into the Commonwealth. ACTSA wrote to her on behalf of the UK Zimbabwe diaspora and figures unable to write directly due to fear of reprisals about ‘Grave concerns re Zimbabwe’s unqualified re-admission to the Commonwealth family.’

2024 was a particularly bad year for democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe, with the government initiating a severe crackdown in the run up to the SADC summit in Harare in August. Hundreds of citizens were arbitrarily detained, tortured, beaten by police and denied basic rights such as to bail. The #Avondale78 were a group of people – including a schoolgirl, Nicole Chabata, and pregnant women – who were arrested on 16 June at a peaceful private gathering and held without bail until November. Potesters were also beaten up and arrested. Four campaigners Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, Samuel Gwenzi and Vusumuzi Moyo were grabbed off a plane by police not long after, tortured and spent months in jail without bail.

Despite this, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has appeared to be making moves towards re-admit the country. Bringing together the views of Zimbabwe diaspora in the UK and groups such as Women of Zimbabwe (WoZ), ACTSA wrote to the UK Government on 26 November 2024 urging her to ” take the sense of dread, fear and concern for the impunity seen in Zimbabwe and expressed in these submissions, very seriously.”

Zimbabwe’s record on human rights and democracy since Mugabe has continued to slip downwards, with restrictions on civil society, political violence and evidence of rigged elections. Mnangagwa’s regime crackdown includes not only state repression and violence but also new laws restricting civil society and allowing government to punish dissent. These laws contravene Zimbabwe’s constitution.

ACTSA stands in solidarity with those fighting to protect the rule of law, democracy and human rights.

You can read our full letter to Baroness Scotland, which was also sent to the UK Government, here.

Background:

Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003 following a suspension for human rights violations while Robert Mugabe was in power. In 2018, the country began the process of rejoining the organisation and ever since current President President Emmerson Mnangagwa came to power he has been holding meetings with Baroness Scotland. Although Baroness Scotland’s successor has been elected in the form of Ghana’s Shirley Botchwe, Scotland will oversee the Zimbabwe application because her term does not end until 1 April 2025.

• Read our report on Zimbabwe’s 2023 Presidential, national and regional elections which outlines the serious levels of repression and violence against civil society and opposition leaders and highlights alarming trends in violence against women activists and erosion of women’s participation in politics