Zimbabwe

64-Year-old Constitutional activist dies from police injuries

By Stephen Chadenga

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Since 2000, when the people of Zimbabwe voted no to the government- driven new constitution, Zimbabwe's democracy has been under the world spotlight. The country has one of the worst human rights record in the world. Last week, 64-year-old Ms Bronislawa Kwinjo died from injuries after being beaten by the state police. Her crime--she with other 243 members from the National Constitutional Assemby (NCA), an independent new constitutution activism body, were demonstrating for a new people-driven constititution. In a statement the NCA Information and Publicist Department said.."The entire NCA Taskforce Staff and members joins the Kwinjo family in mourning the death of....Kwinjo who died last week after succumbing to the injuries....inflicted on her by the police in July this year while demonstrating for a new constitution. The assaults by the state police "followed a peaceful demo in which 400 activists took part." They were " heavily brutalised by police for more than 4 hours and X-rays showed she had 'sustained severe fractures on her chest'. The NCA added that the "entire pro-democracy movement has lost yet another mother of the revolution.." Since the launch of a vibrant opposition political party in 1999, the Movemennt for Democratic Change (MDC), the government of 84- year-old President Robert Mugabe, has been intolerant to dissenting voices. The geriatric leader has publicly announced that those who cross the path of state security agents will be "heavily dealt with." The Southern African country has the worst economy in the world, with inflation at a high of almost 8 000%. Independent economic critics say it can reach 100 000% by December this year. They attribute the crisis to poor economic policies and a political climate that does not attract foreign investment.