Case History: Ephraim Mutombeni
On 21 June 2016, human rights defender Mr Ephraim Mutombeni was harassed and threatened by state security forces after appearing as a witness in a court case at Masvingo Magistrate Court.
On 23 September 2015 three members of the Masvingo Residents Trust (MRT), Messrs Prosper Tirigingi, Ephraim Mutombeni and Ms Elizabeth Manavira appeared before the Masvingo Provincial Magistrate Court for the first hearing of their trial concerning the charges of malicious damage of property and public gathering intended to promote public violence. The trial will continue on 1 October 2015, when the Court is expected to rule on the case.
Ephraim Mutombeni is Chairperson of Masvingo Residents Trust (MRT), a human rights organisation campaigning for public accountability and adequate service delivery in Masvingo province in south-east Zimbabwe.
On 21 June 2016, human rights defender Mr Ephraim Mutombeni was harassed and threatened by state security forces after appearing as a witness in a court case at Masvingo Magistrate Court.
Ephraim Mutombeni is a Chairperson at the Masvingo Residents Trust (MRT). The MRT is a human rights organisation campaigning for accountability and adequate public service delivery in Masvingo province in South-east Zimbabwe. They monitor government work in the Masvingo province through a human rights lens to ensure the just implementation of municipal projects and funding. Additionally, they advocate against corrupt government practices in Masvingo and work for democracy by promoting transparent, effective delivery of municipal services. The MRT sent a petition to the Minister of State of Provincial Affairs, Shuvai Mahofa, on 18 June 2016 demanding accountability and good governance in Masvingo province.
Human rights defender Ephraim Mutombeni appeared as a witness in a court case on 21 June 2016 at Masvingo Magistrate Court. Outside of the hearing, state security officers threatened his personal safety and demanded that he go to the Masvingo Central Police Station Investigation Office by the end of the day to discuss the 18 June 2016 petition and march organised by the MRT. The day before, on 20 June 2016, state security forces visited the MRT offices demanding to see Ephraim Mutombeni. The human rights defender was not in the office, which he had been avoiding for fear of the ongoing harassment and threats made by state security forces against him.
On 18 June 2016, Ephraim Mutombeni helped organise a march at the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZTCU) building to demand a response from the local and national government about lack of access to medical care, deteriorating education infrastructure and teaching conditions in Masvingo Province and corruption and lack of good governance in the Masvingo City Council among other concerns. The march was scheduled for the morning, and before it began, local police took Ephraim Mutombeni, along with several other protest coordinators, to the police station. After interrogating the coordinators for over an hour, the state security forces broke up the march and scattered the participants.
The previous day, on 17 June 2016, the human rights defender received several threatening calls from members of the state security forces demanding information about the planned march, including names of participants and organisations who were involved. On 16 June 2016, they called to warn Ephraim Mutombeni to cancel the event or risk having a “serious accident”. Later that day, three men and a woman showed up at the human rights defender’s house demanding to see him. Ephraim Mutombeni was hiding inside his home, while his older sibling told them that he was not home, and did not know when he would return.
Front Line Defenders expresses their concern for the physical and psychological integrity of human rights defender Ephraim Mutombeni in light of the pattern of harassment and threats that he has received for helping to organise a march calling for good governance and accountability in Masvingo Province. The harassment and threats the human rights defender is facing are part of a larger pattern of intimidation of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe and a crackdown on criticism of the government, of President Robert Mugabe and of the administration of public services.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Zimbabwe to:
1. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Ephraim Mutombeni;
2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the harassment and threats he is facing, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;
3. Cease targeting Ephraim Mutombeni and all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe and guarantee in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.
On 23 September 2015 three members of the Masvingo Residents Trust (MRT), Messrs Prosper Tirigingi, Ephraim Mutombeni and Ms Elizabeth Manavira appeared before the Masvingo Provincial Magistrate Court for the first hearing of their trial concerning the charges of malicious damage of property and public gathering intended to promote public violence. The trial will continue on 1 October 2015, when the Court is expected to rule on the case.
On 23 September 2015 the human rights defenders were brought before the Masvingo Provincial Magistrate Court. Prosper Tirigingi, Ephraim Mutombeni and Elizabeth Manavira were arrested on 25 August 2015 following a demonstration organised by MRT to demand transparency, accountability and good governance from the Masvingo City Council. They were formally charged with malicious damage of property and public gathering intended to promote violence under the controversial Public Order and Security Act. They were released on bail on 27 August 2015.
The demonstration which they had helped to organise called for accountability in relation to development funds from Germany in 2013 estimated at 10,000 US dollars, which were received by the Masvingo City Council. The funds were to be used to improve the social-economical situation of communities in south-east Zimbabwe by supporting projects to reduce poverty and support sustainable development.
At the time of their arrest, the human rights defenders were marching peacefully from the Chitima Musika area to the Civic Centre when police officials intercepted them. They were taken to the Masvingo Central Police station where they were held for two nights.
