December MMR
KEY VIOLATIONS
POLITICISATION AND MALADMINISTRATION OF FOOD AID AND AGRICULTURAL INPUTS
The
continued
politicisation
government
A 77-year-old widow in Bikita has been denied food aid and
sponsored food aid and agricultural inputs worsens
government-sponsored agricultural inputs by the ZANU PF ward
the food insecurity among citizens in Zimbabwean
leadership since 2023. The reason for this denial is allegedly
communities.
corrupt
punishment for her refusal to participate in a voting
practices in the distribution and handling of the aid
arrangement during the 2023 harmonized election day, where
deprives potential beneficiary households of their
suspected opposition members were paired with staunch ZANU
right to food, further exposing them to hunger due to
PF members. As a result, she has been blacklisted from
the effects of the El Nino induced drought. In
receiving any aid. This incident is not an isolated one and
December, ZPP documented 20 violations affecting
highlights a concerning trend of human rights violations in
1200 victims (676 women and 524 men)related to
Zimbabwe, where perpetrators use intimidation and denial of
the denial of food and agricultural inputs aid based
essential services to harness power and support for the ruling
on partisan affiliations, theft and mismanagement of
party. Other incidents of maladministration of food aid and
such food aid and agricultural inputs.
discrimination based on political affiliation were documented in
Additionally,
of
theft
and
Mwenezi East, where the same 10 household beneficiaries, out
Politicisation of aid is often conducted by political
of the possible 45 in a village, have benefitted consecutively in
leaders and traditional leaders who discriminate
two distributions (September to October and the December to
against victims based on their political affiliation.
February). Ward 5 Councilor David Masvina, further instructed
Villagers, often members of the opposition political
that the beneficiaries should not share their rations with other
parties, or those non-ruling party and apolitical
villagers, further causing divisions among the villagers as the
members of the society are often denied aid
beneficiaries were politically aligned to the ruling party.
because they do not participate nor support political
activities of ZANU PF hence viewed as deserving of
The pervasive corruption and politicization of aid in Zimbabwe
the denial of aid. This violates not only the victims’
exacerbate the suffering of those most vulnerable to hunger.
right to food but a host of other fundamentals such
When essential resources like food and fertilizer are stolen or
as political rights and freedoms of assembly and
denied to those in need due to political affiliations or
association as enshrined in the constitution of
corruption, the consequences are devastating. The victims,
Zimbabwe.
often the poorest and most marginalized, are left to bear the
brunt of this injustice, their hunger and desperation only
deepening. It is imperative that the government takes decisive
Artisanal miners
action to address these issues, ensuring that aid reaches those
4.85
%
who need it most and that perpetrators are held accountable.
War vets
Traditional
Leaders
RS
4.24
%
AFF
9.7%
R
O
AT
PERP
ET
2.42
%
12.72
%
IL
Government
agents
Unknown
I
AT
ION
15.76
%
Local councils
ZANU PF
38.79
%
11/52
%
Zimbabwe
Republic Police
4