SADC  Lawyers'  Association  Urges  the  Government  of  Zimbabwe  to  Safeguard  the  Rights  and  Security  of  Lawyers;  respect  citizens’  fundamental  rights  and  

freedoms      The   SADC   Lawyers'   Association   is   dismayed   by   the   assault   of   Zimbabwean  lawyer,  Mr  Kennedy  Masiye  by  members  of  the  Zimbabwe  Republic  Police  (ZRP)  whilst  carrying  out  his  duties  as  a  lawyer  on  the  6th  of  November  2014.  Masiye,  a  lawyer  with  the  Zimbabwe  Lawyers  for  Human  Rights  (ZLHR)  was  attempting  to  represent  clients  who  were  being  brutalised  by  the  police   for  participating   in  a  peaceful   sit-‐in   in  Harare’s  Africa  Unity   Square  when   the   police   turned   on  him,  assaulted  him  and  in  the  process  broke  his  arm  in  two  places  and  inflicted  other  injuries.  When  Mr  Masiye   showed   the  police   his   practising   certificate   that  was  issued  to  him  by  the  Law  Society  of  Zimbabwe,  police  are  said  to  have  retorted:  “we  do  not  care  about  such  things”    It  is  unfortunate  that  at  a  time  when  a  lot  is  expected  from  Zimbabwe  in  terms  of  promoting  human  rights  and  observing  the  rule  of  law  following  the  adoption  of  the   2013   Constitution   and   the   country’s   assumption   of   the   Southern   African  Development  Community  (SADC)  Chairmanship,  the  ZRP  are  finding  it  difficult  to  shed  off  their  tag  of  brutality  and  disregard  for  citizens’  fundamental  rights  and  liberties.      The  SADC  Lawyers'  Association  as  a  representative  body  of  the  legal  profession  in   the   SADC   region   is   particularly   dismayed   by   and   condemns   the   fact   that  Masiye  was  brutalised  whilst  carrying  out  his  duties  as  a  lawyer.  The  Association  would  like  to  remind  the  ZRP  that  the  rights  of   lawyers  to  carry  out  their  work  without   interference   and   of   citizens   to   legal   representation   are   enshrined   in  international  human  rights  instruments  and  in  the  Zimbabwean  Constitution.      The   United   Nations   Basic   Principles   on   the   Role   of   Lawyers   state   that   “All  persons   are   entitled   to   call   upon   the   assistance   of   a   lawyer   of   their   choice   to  protect   and   establish   their   rights   and   to   defend   them   in   all   stages   of   criminal  proceedings”.   The   Principles   also   state   that   “Governments   shall   ensure   that  lawyers   are   able   to   perform   all   of   their   professional   functions   without  intimidation,   hindrance,   harassment   or   improper   interference   and   that   where  the   security  of   lawyers   is   threatened  as   a   result   of   discharging   their   functions,  they   shall   be   adequately   safeguarded   by   the   authorities.”   The   Constitution   of  

Zimbabwe  on  the  other  hand  protects  the  rights  of  citizens  to  “to  choose  a  legal  practitioner  and…..to  be  represented  by  that  legal  practitioner”.    AS  such,  the  SADC  Lawyers'  Association  finds  it  unacceptable  that  Mr  Masiye  was  left   lying   in  hospital   for  representing  his  clients  and  was  forced  to  abandon  his  clients,  who  were  left  without  any  legal  representation.      The   SADC   Lawyers'   Association   therefore   calls   upon   the   Government   of  Zimbabwe  to:  

1) Ensure   that   lawyers   are   not   harassed   either   by   the   police   or   any   other  authority  for  carrying  out  their  legitimate  professional  duties  

2) Safeguard   the   rights   of   citizens   to   access   legal   representation   of   their  choice;  and  to  

3) Respect   the   provisions   of   the   new   Constitution   of   the   country   by  guaranteeing  citizens’  fundamental  rights  and  freedoms.    

   Issued  for  and  on  behalf  of  the  SADC  Lawyers'  Association    By  Gilberto  Caldeira  Correia    President    10  November  2014