TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN ZIMBABWE
On 21 October, the Zimbabwe Peace Project joined partners across the continent in marking Africa Human Rights Day,
a moment to reflect on our collective journey toward dignity, justice and peace. The day commemorates the adoption
of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the landmark commitment that affirmed the inherent rights and
freedoms of all African people.
For ZPP, Zimbabwe’s participation in this commemoration is significant. Africa Human Rights Day calls on us to look
both inward and forward: to acknowledge the progress made, to confront the gaps that persist, and to renew the
work of strengthening and protecting the rights every Zimbabwean is entitled to enjoy. We extend our appreciation to
the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission for coordinating commemorative activities in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and
Masvingo. These gatherings created space for dialogue, learning and shared reflection, reminding us that the
protection of rights is both a collective responsibility and a shared hope.
This day reaffirms ZPP’s ongoing mission. Through consistent monitoring and documentation of human rights trends
across the country, we remain committed to working closely with communities, partners and independent commissions
to ensure that people are aware of their rights and empowered to defend them. Africa Human Rights Day reminds us
that peace is not a single achievement but a continuous practice. It is nurtured through respect, justice and the
recognition of every person’s dignity.
As we commemorate, we also recommit. Not just in statements, but in daily actions that move Zimbabwe closer to
becoming a society where human rights are not merely spoken of but lived and experienced by all.
10 STEPS BACKWARDS
Systemic failures undermine human rights service delivery
Service delivery failures in Zimbabwe have increasingly translated into human rights violations, severely impacting
citizens’ ability to access basic services and participate fully in development. In October, the Zimbabwe Peace Project
documented a total of 10 service delivery related human rights violations highlighting that communities continue to
face water shortages, unreliable healthcare, and disruptions in essential public services, often with life-threatening
consequences.
In Hwange Central ward 5 at St Patrick’s Hospital, for example, patients in maternity wards and surgical theaters have
had to rely on buckets for sanitation due to a lack of running water, while ZINWA prioritizes supplying water to
Chinese-owned companies over hospitals, creating severe health hazards and undermining the right to health.
Villagers protesting the extraction of water from local dams by corporate actors were briefly detained, reflecting the
intersection of service delivery failures and violations of civil and political rights. The prosecutors claimed that the five
villagers had unlawfully and intentionally engaged in riotous conduct at Kalope Dam by threatening to strike some
Zhongjing Helli Energy employees with stones. The prosecutors also alleged that Zulu, one of the villagers, had
unlawfully and intentionally indecently exposed herself by removing her dress and exposing her breasts within the view
of other persons.
These cases demonstrate that poor service delivery goes beyond inconvenience, it infringes on citizens’ rights to
healthcare, security, dignity, and participation in economic and social life. For Zimbabwe to uphold human rights,
ensuring equitable access to essential services must be treated as a core obligation, not a discretionary policy choice.
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