Zimbabwe Peace Project

December 2016
Human Rights Violations
MONTHLY MONITORING REPORT

A bleak Christmas

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2016_12 December Monthly Monitor Report

Monthly Monitoring Report

Executive Summary: December is usually an off peak month for human rights violations as soon as the annual Zanu PF meetings end the festive mood sets in. It is also during this month when most urban based citizens make their way to rural areas to take part in the planting season and some just to visit family.This year Zimbabwe had numerous challenges that affect the farming season: according to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee Report of 2016, the last quarter of the 2016/17 consumption year was projected to have a total of 4.1 million people without adequate means to meet their annual food requirements. To compound the situation, there was no cash for most subsistence farmers to buy farming inputs, due to unavailability of cash most people did not go to rural areas meaning manual labour was low. The El Nino induced drought felt across the country meant there was not enough seed left over from the previous farming season. These factors indicate how most Zimbabweans were reliant on government for food aid and farming inputs. Towards the end of the year the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare rolled out a scheme where rice and maize were to be issued to vulnerable community members. The government also implemented the Presidential Input Scheme and Command Agriculture through the Agriculture, Mechanisation, and Irrigation Development Ministry. This is inline with the state’s mandate, as stipulated in the constitution, to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realisation of the right to food. Unfortunately in areas like Norton, Chimanimani West and Bikita West the distribution of food aid and farming inputs coincided with by-elections and the resources were ultimately used for vote buying. In other areas like Matabeleland South, Manicaland, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland East headmen, councillors and Zanu PF chairpersons distributed the much-needed resources on partisan lines benefiting mainly Zanu PF supporters. Due to unfair distribution of food aid and farming inputs the right to food is the most breached right during the month of December. There are 40 cases where the right to food is reported to have been infringed. The reportage of these cases is closely linked to the violation of people’s freedom of association and their political rights which points to the interrelated nature of socio economic and political rights in the context of Zimbabwe. This month’s report reflects that citizens were denied their right to food largely because of the political party they choose to be associated with. For instance, in Manicaland Chipo Chin’ono, Zanu PF district chairperson, is alleged to have told *Misheck Karimazondo and other MDC-T supporters to get the farming inputs from their party. The victims were later summoned and threatened with eviction by headman Hacknos Gumai of Dorowa village in Buhera South. Cases of infringement of the right to food have continued to increase since September when the government started implementing the Command Agriculture scheme. In September only 25 cases were reported, the number increased to 40 in October, 38 in November and in December it hiked again to 40. The freedom of association breaches increased from 11 in November to 26 in December. Unlike the previous months whose political conflicts revolved around demonstrations, the freedom of expression was the most violated, in the month under review the most violated was the freedom of association. In November violations to freedom of expression were reported in nine cases and only four cases in December. A highlight of December was the Zanu PF people’s conference in Masvingo which was allegedly characterised by cases of forced donations and the use of food as a political tool. Conference resolutions included the need to start preparing for the 2018 elections. Other resolutions included ensuring food security, improving irrigation and reducing grain imports. With regards to health, the government would ensure adequate medicines and facilities in hospitals and clinics servicing communities. The country’s education system would be consolidated such that youths identify their niches and aim to be employers. Other rights that were violated during the course of December include political rights (7 cases), right to human dignity (5 cases), right to personal security (4 cases), rights of the elderly (4 cases), right to shelter (3 cases), freedom of assembly (2 cases), property rights (2 cases). Over the last three months December recorded the lowest acts of violence. In December 118 acts of violence were documented while in November and October it was 208 and 186 respectively. Intimidation/ harassment has continued to top the list of acts of violence. In December 50 cases were reported from a sharp 116 in November. 48 cases of discrimination were reported during December, an increase from 40 in November. This has largely been because of the discrimination occurring during distribution of food aid and farming inputs. December had the lowest number of victims and perpetrators, 458 and 212, respectively. The number of victims reduced by 139 from 597 in November while 655 victims were noted in October. Perpetrators also reduced by 224 from 436 in November. It must be noted that December basically does not record high violations, as there are few political activities that place communities at risk. In 2015 November recorded 401 victims and 402 victims in December; perpetrators were 338 in November and 312 in December.

Documents

2016_12 December MMR.pdf
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