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‘Southern African leaders need to do more to protect human rights’

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Hundreds of Congolese nationals in Yeoville marched through the streets in support of Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya and the Congolese people that were killed in the New Year’s eve demonstrations against the government of Joseph Kabila. Picture: Tebogo Letsie
Hundreds of Congolese nationals in Yeoville marched through the streets in support of Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya and the Congolese people that were killed in the New Year’s eve demonstrations against the government of Joseph Kabila. Picture: Tebogo Letsie

Human Rights Watch has released its 2018 world report, highlighting key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories around the world in the past year, some of which include political upheaval caused by leaders that cling to power, media repression and leadership changes.

The report titled: Fighting for Rights Succeeds, focused on countries such as Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa and Zimbabwe, among others.

In the DRC, 2017 was marred by political violence with President Joseph Kabila holding onto power beyond his constitutional two-term limit which should have ended in 2016, said Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa Director at Human Rights Watch.

“The Catholic Church in the DRC has made mediation efforts to have a process towards elections in 2018 and to de-escalate political tensions.

“The problem is the way the government is dealing with opposition leaders and activists as well as protests across the country.

“People have been calling for Kabila to step down to allow for a transition and restoration of order in the country,” Mavhinga said.

Over the last year Human Rights Watch has seen a continued clampdown on the rights of journalists, activists and opposition politicians across the Southern African region.

Mavhinga said there were some important changes in leadership across the region, though, particularly the elections in Angola that saw President Joao Lorenco take power from José Eduardo dos Santos who was at the helm for 38 years.

Lorenco has opened up state media for the diversity of opinions and political views, but freedom of the press remains under threat in the country after Parliament approved and signed a problematic new media law.

He also mentioned the military coup in Zimbabwe last year which saw Emmerson Mnangagwa take the reins from Robert Mugabe after 37 years in power, as well as the ANC’s election of Cyril Ramaphosa as its new president in South Africa.

“We call on the southern African leaders to do more to uphold and to protect human rights and to meet the basic needs of the people.

“We believe that it is through improvements in fundamental freedoms that we have the betterment of people’s lives across southern Africa,” said Mavhinga, adding that this should be a priority area for the leadership across the region.

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