TANZANIA: Rev. Christopher Mtikila wins case against Tanzania
On June 14th 2013, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights sitting in Arusha Tanzania delivered a judgment in favor of Rev. Christopher Mtikila in the matter of the Tanganyika Law Society, Legal and Human Rights Centre, and Reverend Christopher Mtikila v the United Republic of Tanzania.
Rev. Mtikila had filed an application to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights on 10 June 2011 against the United Republic of Tanzania submitting that the Tanzanian law prohibiting independent candidates from contesting presidential, parliamentary and local council elections violated his rights to freedom of association and participation in public and government affairs and was therefore discriminatory.
In its ruling, the Court decided unanimously that the prohibition to participate in elections as an independent candidate constituted discrimination and held that the Respondent State (Tanzania) violated Article 10 and 3 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Court called upon Tanzania to take constitutional and legal measures to rectify this violation. The Court further granted Rev. Christopher Mtikila leave to file a Request for Reparations within 30 days of the Judgment.
ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe urged to delay poll
The 15-country Southern Africa Development Community, (SADC) has called on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to delay elections scheduled for July 31. Speaking at the close of a summit of regional leaders on Saturday 15 June in Maputo, Mozambique, SADC Secretary General Tomaz Salomao acknowledged the ruling of the constitutional court of Zimbabwe on the elections date but nevertheless agreed on the need for the government of Zimbabwe to engage the constitutional court to seek more time beyond 31 July.
President Mugabe had unilaterally declared elections would be held on July 31, by-passing Parliament in a bid to comply with a constitutional court order that gave the July date. This move was promptly rejected by Tsvangirai who said that elections could be held no earlier than August 25 due to pending reforms aimed at ensuring the elections will be free and fair.
Mugabe, 89, has been Zimbabwe's leader for 33 years, serving first as Prime Minister and later as President. Zimbabwe is due to elect a successor to Mugabe's four-year power-sharing government with Tsvangirai, who heads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The tenure of the power-sharing government, which was formed in 2009, ends on June 29.
KENYA: UK to compensate more than 5,000 Kenyans over colonial-era torture
Decades after the end of colonial rule, thousands of elderly Kenyans are getting compensation and an apology from Britain for years of torture during the fight for independence. On Thursday, June 13, Britain announced a £19.9 million ($30 million) settlement for human rights violations during its colonial rule in the East African nation.
According to British Foreign Secretary William Hague, the British government regretted that these abuses took place and that they marred Kenya's progress towards independence. The victims had accused the former colonial master of a series of human rights violations, including rape, illegal detentions and castration.