By Derick Tsimba

Some members of the MDC-A intend to approach the United States (US) Embassy in Harare with a view to persuade them to do something about the poor human rights record in the US following the death of George Floyd.

MDC-A members believe that their campaign in Zimbabwe to portray that government as violating human rights is being undermined by the current US poor human rights record.

The United Nations (UN) on its web page said, the racial injustice that resulted in the death of George Floyd an unarmed African American man, while in police custody in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020, led to massive demonstrations across cities in America which led to the US authorities deploying federal security officers to suppress demonstrations against subjecting people to unnecessary discriminatory use of force or suffering other violations of their human rights

According to the Human rights Watch World Report 2020, since 2019, the United States is moving backwards on human rights. “The Trump administration rolled out inhumane immigration policies and promoted false narratives that perpetuate racism and discrimination; did not do nearly enough to address mass incarceration; undermined the rights of women and further weakened the ability of Americans to obtain adequate health care; and deregulated industries that put people’s health and safety at risk.

“In its foreign policy, the Trump administration made little use of its diminishing leverage to promote human rights abroad; continued to undermine multilateral institutions; and flouted international human rights and humanitarian law as it partnered with abusive governments though it did sanction some individuals and governments for committing human rights abuse,”  said part of the report.