Case History: Obert Chinhamo

On the morning of 4 April 2016 human rights defender Mr Obert Chinhamo was driving to his hometown of Kwekwe when he realised that he was being followed by unidentified vehicles. The vehicles overtook and intercepted him, forcing him to stop. This incident follows a series of threats and intimidation against the human rights defender.

Obert Chinhamo is the Programme Manager for the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-Southern Africa), an NGO which was established in 2004 to tackle impunity in Southern Africa. The organisation campaigns for accountability, transparency and actively advocates for economic and social rights. ACT-Southern Africa's mission is to achieve good governance and human rights in Southern Africa through advocacy for anti-corruption policy and law reform, community empowerment, research and development and capacity building. As programme manager, Obert Chinhamo is also responsible for programme development and empowering communities to monitor, report and take action against impunity and bad governance.

Obert Chinhamo was forced to stop his vehicle when it was intercepted by another unknown vehicle. Four men emerged from the unknown vehicle and approached the car of the human rights defender. Obert Chinhamo decided to leave his car with the engine running and run into hiding. Later he found out that the men did not steal his car or any money, but destroyed the car after taking his laptop, external hard drive, cameras and documents, for which reason he believes this incident to be linked to his human rights work.

He reported the matter at Kwekwe Central Police Station, but no suspects have been detained or brought in for questioning to date. This attack followed the publication of reports by ACT-Southern Africa that unearthed alleged corruption by senior police managers within the police force in the Kwekwe District. In March 2016, the top six police managers were transferred from the district pending disciplinary action. ACT-Southern Africa has worked on many other cases that led to the arrest of prosecutors and other senior civil servants. This is thought to be the source of the harassment.

Prior to this attack, the human rights defender noticed suspicious vehicles outside his home and the offices of ACT-Southern Africa. The attack also follows previous threats and intimidatory acts reported by the human rights defender. In January 2016 an anti-corruption meeting organized by ACT-Southern Africa in Gokwe South, in the Midlands Province, was banned by the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the District Administrator’s Office with the human rights defender being told “not to set his foot in the area or he would be arrested.”

On 13 August 2015 and on 24 July 2015 unidentified men went to the human rights defender's house and threatened to kill him or make him disappear.

Front Line Defenders expresses its concern at the intimidation of human rights defender Obert Chinhamo and the previous threats and intimidatory acts conducted against him, which it believes to be a direct attempt to stop him from carrying out his human rights work advocating good governance in Zimbabwe.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Zimbabwe to:

1. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the intimidatory acts suffered by the human rights defender with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Obert Chinhamo, his family, and all members of ACT-Southern Africa;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.