TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN ZIMBABWE
In a significant win for human rights and labour freedoms
in
Zimbabwe,
High
Court
Judge
Justice
Benjamin
Chikowore affirmed the constitutional right to strike for
the
University
Teachers
(AUT).
freedom
and
of
to
This
ruling
Association
not
protest—through
peaceful
legal
Zimbabwe's
singing,
gatherings—but
precedent
for
all
only
also
trade
of
University
protects
AUT’s
placard-waving,
sets
unions
a
progressive
and
workers’
movements in the country.
By accepting peaceful protest safeguards proposed by
AUT
and
the
police—including
designated
picketing
areas and liaison protocols—the court has shown that
lawful dissent and peaceful assembly can coexist with public order, in line with the rights enshrined in Sections 59 and 65
of Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
ZPP hopes that this ruling marks a turning point in labour rights jurisprudence. It should send a message that the right to
protest is not a privilege for the few, but a protected constitutional right for all citizens, including public sector
employees who have long faced intimidation and disruption during strikes as well as human rights activists who are
concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. As AUT legal advisor Munyaradzi Gwisai rightly
noted, the judgment goes beyond the University of Zimbabwe, it fortifies democratic space across the entire labour
sector. It is a timely reminder that respecting workers' voices strengthens governance, and that justice is best served
when the law protects, not punishes, peaceful dissent.
This ruling must now be applied consistently and fairly to ensure that no worker or union, or any other citizen is
criminalised for demanding dignity, fairness, and accountability.
10 STEPS BACKWARDS
Concern over deteriorating healthcare services in Zimbabwe
The state of healthcare in Zimbabwe remains a pressing human
rights concern, particularly as it relates to the right to life and
access
to
highlighted
emergency
the
tragic
services.
Several
consequences
of
incidents
systemic
have
healthcare
failures, including cases where victims lost their lives due to the
unavailability of ambulances, lack of essential medication, and
inadequate medical attention. These deaths reflect a broader
collapse
in
the
public
health
infrastructure
that
disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable as their only
resort are the healthcare institutions closer and accessible to
them.
The
shortages
situation
of
in
essential
public
hospitals
supplies
further
is
dire,
and
culminates
critical
in
staff
demoralization further compromising the right to healthcare.
This crisis not only violates the constitutional right to health but
also undermines peace and social stability, as the public loses
confidence in state institutions to protect and uphold basic
human
dignity.
fundamental
The
service
inability
erodes
to
guarantee
trust
in
healthcare
governance
and
as
a
fuels
public frustration, deepening societal inequalities and tensions.
6