The Round Up
ZPP recorded incidents of partisan allocation of Pfumvudza / Intwasa agricultural farming inputs
meant to boost Zimbabwe’s food security and cases associated with civil political rights violations.
The incidents continued to escalate despite the previous visits by the UN Special Rapporteurs on
the Right to Food Ms Hilal and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of assembly and
association Mr Clement Nyaletsosi Voule in 2019 and 2020. The denial of government aid to
opposition supporters has been systematic to punish them for their political affiliation and the
impact has been severe on livelihoods putting families at risk of hunger and malnutrition for
exercising their political rights. ZPP recorded incidents where opposition Citizen Coalition for
Change (CCC) polling agents and candidates were denied registration of inputs under the
Pfumvudza / Intwasa scheme. In some instances, members of Zanu PF affiliate organisation
Forever Association Zimbabwe (FAZ) hijacked government aid distribution programmes to ensure
that only ruling party members benefited from the exercise. Cases were received in which
traditional leaders were openly told by Zanu PF district leaders and some influential activists to
deny food aid to opposition supporters to settle political scores. Those from the opposition CCC
party were openly told to go and benefit from Chamisa. In other communities politics escalated to
worrying levels of intolerance as some elected CCC Councillors were denied access to preside over
government input programmes because of their political affiliation which was in violation of their
right to administrative justice and their political rights. ZPP also received cases where losing Zanu
PF local government candidates still exercised power and authority to sign, receive and distribute
farming inputs in their communities vowing that traitors and sellouts cannot preside over
government aid programmes.
Targeting of local election observers
Taking us back, the road to the 2023 elections saw President Emmerson Mnangagwa invite local,
regional and foreign observers to support Zimbabwe’s democracy through election observation.
The President set the tone which pointed that election observation was a welcome development
in a country which seeks to strengthen democratic fundamental principles to promote good
governance, human rights accountability and economic development. It is worrying to note that