#4YEARSON
Police and other state agents have openly and actively
applied the law selectively in favour of the ruling party.
FOOD and other AID
Food and other aid continue to
be used as tools for coercion and
ZPP recorded 359 cases of
discrimination of people during
aid distribution.
Many in rural communities rely
on aid, and Zanu PF used its
influence in government to
influence the determination of
who gets or does not get aid.
Those who choose not to support
the party or participate in its
activities are left out. The goal is
to intimidate, isolate, weaken and
impoverish members of the
community who have the courage
to assert their Constitutionally
guaranteed right to freedom of
association and assembly. Zanu
PF has used this strategy across
the country and each month, ZPP
recorded an average of 30 such
cases. Just as the last November,
the cases rise this month when
government avails inputs under
the Presidential and Pfumvudza
schemes. Equitable distribution of
aid regardless of people’s diverse
political affiliation is a hallmark
of the recognition of the ‘strength
in our diversity’ that President
Mnangagwa spoke about when he
was sworn in, in 2017. In that
regard, his government has failed
citizens who pinned a lot of hope
on the government.
STATE SECURITY BIAS
Throughout the year 2021, Zanu
PF and the Zimbabwe Republic
Police took turns to lead the list
of human rights violators and
for the past three months, Zanu
PF has taken the lead,
contributing to over 50 percent
of all violations while the ZRP
has come second at an average
30 percent each month.
Police and other state agents have
openly and actively applied the
law selectively in favour of the
ruling party. For example,
despite the suspects in the
alleged murder of MDC Alliance
supporter Nyasha Zhambe
Mawere being known, police have
not made any arrests. State
security agents are supposed to
discharge their duties with
impartiality and professionalism
and this is not happening. The
irony is that after soldiers shot
dead six civilians on 1 August
2018, President Mnangagwa
established a Commission to
enquire into the incident. The
Commission led by former South
African president Kgalema
Motlanthe, came up with
recommendations for the reform
of the state security system. This
has not happened and three years
later, Zimbabwe is drawing
towards another election with a
state security system that is
heavily biased towards the ruling
party.
In the end, it is the citizens who
are at the receiving end of human
rights violations because the
police, who should protect
people, and the ruling party,
which is supposed to work for all
Zimbabweans, are colluding to
violate rights for the political gain
of Zanu PF.
OUR KEY ASKS
In light of this, ZPP calls on the
following:
•
Government should
institute investigations of all
serious human rights abuses over
the past four years and ensure
that citizens get justice. State
security agents who have acted
outside their mandate should be
brought to book without fear or
favour.
•
Government should reverse
and cease the fast tracking of
Draconian legislation such as the
PVO Amendment Bill meant to
shut down civil and democratic
space. This will restore
confidence in the country and
government and result in the
nation focusing on the real
development agenda.
•
Government should
genuinely open up space for
national cohesion, dialogue,
healing and reconciliation and not
work towards increasing the
levels of polarisation and
intolerance through the
widespread use of state
institutions to suppress dissent
and alternative voices.
•
State Security reform is long
overdue and government should,
without delay, implement the
recommendations of the
Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry,
which set out what state security
agents are expected to do to deal
with and avoid the repeat of
abuse of citizens as witnessed on
August 1, 2018, when soldiers
fired live ammunition at
protesters, killing six and injuring
dozens others.
•
Zimbabwe’s Constitution
provides a basis for the
enjoyment of human rights by all
citizens. The government should
therefore embrace a culture of
Constitutionalism and ensure that
all citizens exercise and enjoy the
socio-economic rights due to
them.