Harare
Peaceful protests turned violent following the police’s brutal attack on protesters. The protesters were demanding major reforms ahead of the 2018 elections,
calling for an end to police brutality and demanding that President Mugabe steps down. The violence left an ugly trail of destruction as people were injured
and arrested while shops were vandalised and goods looted.
Date
HR Violated
Provincial highlights
10 August
Property Rights
At a meeting addressed by MP Beauty Kaseke in Kuwadzana 5 it is reported she promised title deeds to
residential stands being distributed if the beneficiaries are Zanu PF supporters.
Freedom of
Association
10 August
Freedom of
expression
17 months after the abduction of Itai Dzamara, protesters in Harare marched with Itai’s children, during one of
the #BringBackDzamara protests at Africa Unity Square. During the protest, the children offered flowers and
cup cakes to the police as a symbol of love. The message of the protest delivered by Sten Zvorwadza was “We
choose love over hatred, flowers over guns, unity over disunity, prosperity over poverty and justice over
injustice”. While the protesters including the children had the right to demonstrate and petition the United
Nations Children’s Fund issued a scathing attack on the protesters accusing them of using children as shields
and yet the same UNICEF issued no statement when Dzamara was abducted on the welfare of his children.
16 August
Freedom of
Assembly
In Glenview South, ward 32, the Zanu PF district, branch and cell leaders were reported to be moving door to
door writing down names of people in every household. It’s alleged that they intimidated people by telling them
that if they refuse to give their full details they will be entered in a ‘black book’, followed by displacement before
Zanu PF youths dealt with them. Archford Mavhimira, the Zanu PF District Youth Political Commissar, led the
campaign. The youths were said to be targeting people who joined ZimPF and those that held positions in the
opposition party. The Zanu PF youths were threatening that a time shall come when they will beat everyone
who supports other parties.
18 August
Freedom of
Archford Mavhimira, Eddie, Florence Masami and Mrs Hombarume reportedly approached the Transform
Zimbabwe chairperson and ordered her to stop holding party meetings at her house or she risked having