Zimbabwean human rights activists have come under pressure from security forces and been threatened by phone and e-mail in a bid to discourage them from participating in the country's constitutional revision process, civil society groups charged Wednesday.
Correspondent Thomas Chiripasi reported from Harare that the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association noted that farm workers union leader Gertrude Hambira fled this week to South Africa following questioning by the Joint Operations Command comprising senior military and security agency officers, surveillance by state security agents and searches of her home and office.
Political analyst Gladys Hlatshwayo told VOA Studio 7 reporter Patience Rusere that incidents of violence and intimidation in recent weeks reflect a strategy by the ZANU-PF party of President Robert Mugabe to delay completion of the constitutional revision process, an ensuing referendum and new national elections.