Amnesty Law

More than thirty years in power President Mugabe and his ruling party ZANU (PF) continue to violate human rights of Zimbabweans through violence, intimidation and harassment. The Human Rights Watch report of 2011 published end of January reveals that despite ‘the power-sharing deal Mugabe has not investigated widespread abuses against those opposed to his regime.’ Zimbabwe’s government of national unity comprising the former opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has failed in its mandate to institute a new political dispensation that ensure an end of human rights abuses that have rocked the Southern African country for decades.

The Government of National unity

The present situation goes against the fundamental tenets of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) that believes in the protection of human dignity. After many years of flawed or fixed elections, Tsvangirai of the MDC won the 2008 elections on the backdrop of unprecedented levels of politically-motivated violence perpetrated by youth militia and war veterans commandeered by Mugabe. The military, police and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agents were dispatched resulting in the killing of more than 255 innocent people mostly those sympathetic to the opposition MDC. The CIO is a secret police establishment; the Zimbabwe version of KGB, CIA or M15 in the UK.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission believed to be aligned to Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) withheld election results for weeks causing anxiety among the population. This created lawlessness as youths (The Green Bombers) and the military went about intimidating and murdering people with impunity, resulting in a near-civil war. Pressure from Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), spear-headed by Thambo Mbeki the then president of South Africa, the US and other European countries forced Mugabe to agree to a Government of National Unity with his arch-rival Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a working document for the formation of the new government signed on 21 July 2008, emphasised the need for all parties to preserve the dignity and human rights of all citizens regardless of their political and religious persuasion. The MOU preamble expresses the determination of the parties involved ‘to build a society free of violence, fear, intimidation, hate, patronage and founded on justice, fairness, transparency, dignity and equality.’ The document added: “The parties shall refrain from abusive language that may invite hostility, political intolerance, and ethnic hatred or undermine each other.” Continue Reading

If you have read the statistics about the numbers of people held in jails and are already considering a career in law, then this type of legal practice has to be a tempting option. One thing is certain, you will never be short of work. It is also a very interesting job which is ideal for those with a low boredom threshold.

The first step is to obtain a suitable undergraduate degree. Choose something that will give you a broader learning experience. Many people pick psychology and it’s easy to see why this could be so useful in such a career.

The next step is to choose which law school you want to apply to. Although you will undoubtedly be swayed by a school’s reputation, it may be best to choose one in the jurisdiction you hope to practice in. Then you will need to decide which law degree program to choose, which typically will cover quite a broad range of law, although you will obviously want to choose one which is more focused upon the criminal side of things.

Once you are enrolled on your course you can apply for any clinic programs which may be available. These allow third year students to gain permission for representing clients. It might even be possible for them to appear in court if supervised by an attorney. These programs are invaluable for clients who cannot afford representation and are extremely good for students as they give real life experience before graduation.

Another good thing to do is to apply for a clerk’s position within the court system as this will give you even more experience and will stand you in good stead once you graduate. Many clerks go on to gain employment within law firms or at courts by getting a foot in the door first. The next major hurdle is to pass the bar exam. Continue Reading