THE European Parliament sub-committee on human rights has pledged to take bolder action in support of opposition Members of Parliament and other political actors facing persecution in Zimbabwe.
This followed an address by outspoken politician, Job Sikhala, who made an impassioned plea to the committee to launch an investigation into human rights abuses in the country.
Sikhala urged the committee to lobby European ambassadors to Zimbabwe to engage Harare authorities on the persecution of opposition political actors in the country.
The former MP addressed the European Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) last week where he shared his ordeal of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. IPU is one of the European Union (EU) legislative bodies.
European IPU human rights programme officer, Roberto Rodriguez Valencia, said the international body was seized with Sikhala’s address.
“Your intervention was so powerful and moving that it truly touched everyone in the room,” Valencia wrote to Sikhala.
“We are deeply grateful for the strength and clarity with which you shared your experience.
“We wish you continued strength and resilience, and we sincerely hope that by hearing your story, members of the European Parliament will be encouraged to take even bolder action in support of MPs at risk in Zimbabwe and abroad.”
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In his address, Sikhala said he was a victim of state sponsored persecution, adding that his children were also targeted for assassination.
He cited the petrol bombing of his house on August 30 while he was away in South Africa launching his autobiography.
“The attack’s objectives were to target my children for assassination,” Sikhala alleged.
“I urge the respected members of this esteemed committee to carefully observe and keep track of this case in order to understand the extent to which Zimbabwe’s dictatorship is willing to suppress the opposition in an effort to continue holding onto power.”
He urged the committee to send a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe.
“I would like once again to urge this important committee to institute a European parliamentary delegation to visit Zimbabwe and raise these concerns with the authorities in Harare,” Sikhala said.
“I also urge this committee and the European Parliament to urge the European ambassadors to Zimbabwe to raise issues of human rights abuses that are persistently and continuously taking place in Zimbabwe.”
He added: “An important EU Parliamentary delegation visit to Zimbabwe will open up the international community about the human rights abuses that both parliamentarians from the opposition political parties and also political actors are facing in our country.
“This would go a long way in addressing this challenge of continued rights abuses in my country.”
Sikhala is the leader of the National Democratic Working Group (NDWG).
He arrested in South Africa last month after explosives were allegedly found in his car.
Sikhala says the explosives were planted by Zimbabwe’s state security agents.
