TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN ZIMBABWE
Institutions such as the Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission, , the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, and the
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission are increasingly demonstrating a welcome openness to engagement, a promising
move towards a culture of accountability and collaboration. This openness lays critical groundwork for building
sustainable peace, as it reflects a growing willingness by independent and state institutions to listen, investigate, and
act on human rights concerns.
ZPP commends these Commissions, , for their efforts to investigate violations, engage with stakeholders, and signal their
intention to bring attention to human rights issues. These steps are vital in breaking the silence around abuse and setting
the tone for institutional responsibility based on evidence based advocacy work.
ZPP further notes however that, to make a lasting impact, these institutions must go further, by consulting widely, not
only on high-profile or publicly reported cases but also on underreported and marginalized issues. A human rights
approach that genuinely addresses impunity must center the voices of human rights defenders, victims, and communities
who often go unheard. Only through inclusive engagement and comprehensive investigations can these bodies foster
trust, accountability, and the structural change needed to end impunity and promote lasting peace.
10 STEPS BACKWARDS
ACHPR 83rd Ordinary
Session report on
Zimbabwe focusing
on human rights
defenders and
related issues
Zimbabwe’s participation in the 83rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
(ACHPR) and its presentation of the 16th Periodic Report signaled a constructive willingness to engage with continental
accountability platforms, a gesture that, in itself, reflects some recognition of the value of dialogue on human rights.
However, the substance of the presentation fell short in critical areas. While the government highlighted legislative and
institutional reforms and asserted that existing constitutional protections sufficiently safeguard human rights defenders,
the report conspicuously downplayed persistent and credible reports of harassment, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation of
journalists, activists, and defenders. By dismissing well-documented allegations of abductions and enforced
disappearances, including the unresolved case of journalist Itai Dzamara, as exaggerated or staged, the government
missed a key opportunity to confront impunity and build public trust.
The repeal of repressive laws such as AIPPA and the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act in 2020 were noted,
but without meaningful improvements in the safety and freedom of defenders, these measures remain largely symbolic.
Administrative gestures, such as issuing press jackets to journalists, are insufficient in the face of systemic violations.
Efforts to promote gender equality and address gender-based violence were highlighted, yet concerns remain around
enforcement gaps and the lived realities of vulnerable groups. Commissioners also pointed to the need for stronger
protections against the human rights impacts of environmental disasters, such as recent floods.
While the government’s willingness to engage with the ACHPR is acknowledged, real progress depends on translating
commitments into action, through transparency, accountability, and the political will to confront uncomfortable truths.
The forthcoming concluding observations from the Commission should be treated not as criticism to be deflected, but as
a roadmap toward genuine reform and the protection of fundamental rights for all.
You can watch the presentation sessions here: https://youtube.com/live/etoqMiXaOcY?si=EY4BqXvpafX2m1Of
https://youtube.com/live/etoqMiXaOcY?si=PbkHPvAyTBzyTudW
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