The UK is deeply concerned by the recently reported rearrests of Joanna Mamombe MP, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova. We also understand that Ms Mamombe and Ms Chimbiri's applications for bail have been denied. When the Minister for Africa wrote to late Foreign Minister Moyo on 12 August 2020, following a telephone call with him on 8 June 2020, he raised specific human rights concerns, including the treatment of Ms Mamombe, Ms Chimbiri, and Ms Marowa. Our Ambassador in Harare reinforced these messages when she met representatives of the Government of Zimbabwe on 24 November 2020. On 5 February, the Minister for Africa tweeted urging authorities to focus on investigating the women's claims.<\/p>
The UK will continue to monitor developments in the case of Ms Mamombe, Ms Chimbiri, and Ms Marova closely and continue to call on the Government of Zimbabwe to uphold the rule of law. This includes respecting the Zimbabwean Constitution which clearly prohibits enforced disappearances, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. We admire the bravery of civil society activists in Zimbabwe who aspire to a better future for Zimbabwe.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-03-31", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-03-31T15:32:03.923Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "208"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-03-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Zimbabwe: Political Prisoners"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe about (1) the release, or (2) the trial, of Joanna Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2018", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Hylton"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Hylton"} ], "uin" : "HL14445"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1087519", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Development"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1087519/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We have not conducted an assessment of the composition of federal government employees as reported in the Annual Statistical Bulletin of Federal Government Employees 2017\u201318. However, DFID and the FCO continue to raise the issue of human rights of minorities at the highest levels of government, including in our annual Bilateral Assistance Talks. We advocate greater tolerance and action against abuses when they occur. DFID Pakistan\u2019s Skills Development Programme will provide 330,000 poor and vulnerable people, including those from minority communities, with technical and vocational training to improve their employment prospects.<\/p>
<\/p>
Our aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of its commitment to our Partnership Principles, including to promote and safeguard human rights. Our aid targets the poor, regardless of race, religion, social background or nationality. Our portfolio of programmes contributes either directly or indirectly to the protection of minority rights by strengthening systems for delivery of services and by adopting a \u2018do no harm\u2019 approach.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1091", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bates"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bates"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-25T16:10:50.427Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Public Sector"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Pakistan Annual Statistical Bulletin of Federal Government Employees 2017\u201318, published by the government of Pakistan on 26 February, what assessment they have made of (1) the number of people employed from that country\u2019s religious minorities, (2) the nature of the occupations open to them, and (3) the numbers working in either menial jobs or senior management grades; and what assessment they have made of the impact that UK aid programmes have had on those statistics.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL14445"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 2, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }