figure has increased to an average of 7.1%, indicating how widespread human rights violations are
becoming.
Case Files Highlights
Food and other Aid distribution discrimination keeps increasing at an alarming rate and the
nature of resultant violations have further morphed into different forms. Citizens are still being
victimised for supporting opposition parties and as a result deprived of needed food and other aid.
This deprivation is taking an increasingly repressive and at times violent nature. On 10 July 2019 in
Mt Darwin North Mukumbura Ward 34, Conceal Chiromo a Zimbabwe African National Union
Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) activist summoned villagers at Kamutsenzere village for a community
distribution of maize from the department of Social Welfare. When villagers assembled, Chiromo
stated that only devoted ruling party supporters will receive the food aid. Villagers were told to
return home and get ruling party regalia as evidence of their support for Zanu PF. Chiromo was
quoted saying “Kana uri we Zanu PF enda unotora, zambiya rako, scavha, nechose chauinacho
chinoratidza kuti uri we musangano” (If you are affiliated to the ruling party, bring the evidence in
form of ruling party regalia to prove that you are indeed Zanu PF member).
In Guruve North Ward 19 at Negomo Primary School, villagers were warned to pay Council levies
to continue benefitting aid. On 1 July 2019 Zanu PF Councillor Ranganai Nzvimbo told village
heads that villagers with outstanding $5 council levies will cease to benefit inputs or maize from
government. Furthermore, Councillor Nzvimbo and village head Amon Gunyere and his committee
compelled beneficiaries to pay $4.50 each towards transportation of maize. This is despite
government having previously reiterated that people are not supposed to pay anything before
receiving food aid; however the situation on the ground is different. In Chinhoyi on 24 July at
Chengetanai Old People’s Home the elderly were forced to contribute $1 for the transport. In a
number of instances, we have also received reports that Social Welfare Department personnel as
well as private transport operators are colluding and fixing transport costs at ridiculous rates when
villagers want to transport their received goods home.
The permissiveness of the Social Welfare Department in letting ruling party officials preside over
the distribution process is a very contentious issue which enables this violation. In some instances,
these officials have become demigods who determine if one is to receive aid or not and if slighted
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