Source: ZimRights Calls on Zimbabwe to Repeal the Vagrancy Act
Did you know that Zimbabwe still has vagrancy laws that punish homeless people despite condemnation of the law by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights?
The Vagrancy Act [Chapter 10:25] states that a vagrant is any person with no settled or fixed place of abode or means of support, wanders from place to place, and maintains himself by begging or in some dishonest or disreputable manner. The Act also allows a police officer to arrest without a warrant any person he reasonably suspects to be a vagrant. It also criminalises any person who assists or encourages vagrancy.
Last week, as part of our Blankets and Loaves Winter Care Outreach, ZimRights volunteers came face to face with the situation of many homeless people. Their stories are harrowing just to simply survive one day. In the People’s Human Rights Manifesto, our political leaders committed under key ask number 7 to provide land and decent housing to all citizens. We also learnt that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has a tendency of arresting the homeless and charging them either under the Vagrancy Act or section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23].
We find this to be a serious violation of the fundamental rights of the homeless people that are guaranteed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
We therefore today, as part of our #RightsWednesday are inviting all people of good conscience to join us is calling for the repeal of the Vagrancy Act. We ask the Parliament of Zimbabwe, which is charged by the Constitution with making laws for the peace and good of the nation, to replace this archaic law with a progressive law that addresses the root causes of homelessness.
If you believe this is right, please use the link below to access the petition and sign it.
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