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Zim: Crimes against humanity
16/03/2008 11:52 - (SA)
Johannesburg - A dossier has been submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority's Priority Crimes Unit by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) urging the unit to initiate investigations with a view to prosecuting senior Zimbabwean police and other officials responsible for crimes against humanity.
Said SALC Director Nicole Fritz on Sunday: "The intention behind the initiative is both to ensure some form of accountability for the people of Zimbabwe at a time when their own justice system has all but collapsed and also to secure South Africa's interest against becoming a 'safe haven' for perpetrators of the most egregious international crimes."
South Africa's implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act, No 27 of 2002, permits prosecutions for crimes against humanity of those who are not South African nationals or have not committed such crimes on SA's territory if such a person after the commission of the crime, is present in South Africa.
Several of the perpetrators named in the dossier travelled to South Africa on official business, in some instances for co-operative endeavours such as the South Africa/Zimbabwe Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security.
Moreover, given Zimbabwe's economic collapse, many of those named travelled to South Africa to obtain desired commodities and services, including healthcare, Fritz said.
- SAPA
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