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Caritas Mongu accuses HRC of betraying Barotse activists

Caritas Mongu accuses HRC of betraying Barotse activists
By Roy Habaalu
Wed 16 Feb. 2011, 04:00 CAT

THE Human Rights Commission in Mongu has been accused of betraying the rights of the Barotseland Agreement activists. According to Caritas Mongu, the Human Rights Commission was ignorant of facts on the ground after last month’s fracas.

In an interview, Nathaniel Mubukwanu, who is Caritas Mongu director said when he went to the commissions’ office he was told that they had no information about violations of people’s rights because they were not mobile.

He said the commission was not aware that people were kept in containers together with the injured.

“We agree with the legitimate sentiments made by SACCORD that the commission has become a toothless giant and a government mouthpiece. In Mongu they didn’t know that people were taken to prison and stayed for three to four days without food and access to medical care,” said Mubukwanu.

He said the organisation had evidence on how people’s rights were violated when police in Mongu killed two Lozis.

He said they had done more work to assess the extent to which human rights were violated than the commission claimed.

“The commission should not speak like they are talking to people who don’t know what they are doing. How do they defend an institution like the police that used live ammunition to kill people,” he said.

Recently, the Human Rights Commission said it had been effective in defending human rights issues in the country.

The commission said it could not be judged by the number of statements it issued in the media.

On January 18, 2011, the Human Rights Commission condemned what they termed the lawlessness perpetrated by some people in Mongu which led to clashes with the police on January 14.

The commission said it supported the police in its noble efforts to maintain law and order everywhere in the country and Mongu in particular.

And Mubukwanu deman-ded for the immediate release of the 106 incarcerated Lozis.

Mubukwanu who visited the 106 detainees in Mumbwa yesterday said government should heed advice from the Catholic Bishops because it was timely and well thought.

“At the end of the day its President Rupiah Banda’s government on trial and people will deliver the verdict on the polling day,” he said.

He said a 14-year-old boy complained of stomach pains while another had a fractured arm while in incarceration.

He said the 22 Lozis charged with treason also complained of lack of space in prison.

“One of them said the conditions they were living in were not even fit for dogs,” he said.

Labels: BAROTSELAND AGREEMENT, CARITAS, HUMAN RIGHTS, MONGU

posted by MrK @ 6:32 PM