would be a reminder for powers that be that citizens deserve selfless leaders who care about the legacy that will
identify them.
The visit to Zimbabwe by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of
Association, Mr. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, from 17-27 September 2019 was a highlight of the month. The
Special Rapporteur visited the country at the invitation of the government of Zimbabwe. His visit came at a time
when Zimbabwe was experiencing all the negatives where these freedoms are concerned. Following the intention
to demonstrate by the Movement for Democratic Change- Alliance (MDC-A) in all the major cities of Zimbabwe
the country was hit by a spate of abductions of human rights and political activists. The demonstrations slated to
start in Harare on August 16 were all banned, with the demonstrators in the capital facing police’s heavy
handedness and brutality as they were dispersed from where they had peacefully gathered. The visit also coincided
with demonstrations by Doctors demanding the return of their colleague, Dr. Magombeyi who had been abducted.
His visit presented an opportunity for citizens to engage with him on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly
and association.
In the month of September ZPP recorded a total of 184 violations. Cases of harassment and intimidation topped
the list with a total of 94 violations followed by discrimination with 33 and theft with 21. The province of
Mashonaland Central recorded the highest number of these violations followed by Harare and Mashonaland West.
Case File Highlights
Food and Other Aid violations are still being recorded by ZPP despite government’s declaration that local leaders
must not be directly involved in the disbursement of aid. On 7 September in Mudzi South at Muvhurazi Primary
School Ward 13, some beneficiaries failed to get their food allocation after being told that their 2018 voter
registration slips were their passports to receive the Department of Social Welfare allocation of beans. Zanu PF
Ward 13 Councillor reportedly forced villagers to produce voters’ slips before the distribution. Households with
voter slips were allocated a 5kg bag of sugar beans each while those who failed to do so were denied aid.
In some instances, those in leadership positions are using the food and other aid beneficiary system as a carrot and
stick to coerce people into participating in community initiatives that they might not be interested in. On 6th of
September in Umzingwane Constituency in Sezhube, Village Head Sitshengisiwe Sibanda threatened to remove a
number of villagers from the Social Welfare beneficiary list. Sibanda called a village meeting to threaten and
intimidate citizens who had failed to pay ZWL10 for the construction of the Chief Cultural Village stating that
those who have not done so risk being removed from the Social Services beneficiary list.