Monthly Monitoring Report
March 2024
Major Highlights
Systematic partisan distribution
of relief food aid worsens as
food shortages
In the midst of an El Nino induced drought, partisation and unfair
distribution of food aid will increase the vulnerability of the
Zimbabweans who are food insecure. In the month of March,
ZPP recorded 12 cases of politicisation of food aid where
citizens
suspected
of
being
opposition
members
were
discriminated against and denied access to food aid. ZANU PF
officials have been at the center of a continued abuse of power,
violation of human rights and manipulation of food aid, a means
used to compel ordinary citizens to become members of the
ruling party. Civil servants such as teachers have also been
victims of the malpractice at the behest of traditional leaders. An
incident was recorded in Nyanga North where some teachers
from
Source: Newsday Zimbabwe
three
Secondary
schools
approached
Headman
Nyamudeza to register for food aid. The traditional leader
saidthe teachers will “never get any support because they are
opposition supporters.” A high ranking ZANU PF official and Member of Parliament for Nkayi North, Sithembiso
Nyoni, was on record warning citizens that in the wake of the drought, “non-ZANU PF members should join the
ruling party or risk being left out in receiving food aid.” Nyoni was distributing food rations in Ward 5 at Shu
Shine under Gobhi village. Other ZANU PF activists have also been on record intimidating villagers that if they
do not support ZANU PF they will suffer. ZPP is worried that vigilant citizens who stand up for their rights will
be discriminated against and suffer from hunger while those that succumb to the pressure will have their rights
violated including political rights, the right to equality and non-discrimination and freedom of association and
assembly among others.
Political violence and harassment
12 cases of political violence and harassment were recorded in the month of March. These included 2 cases of
intra party violence in the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). ZANU PF members assaulted a male victim
aged 42 in Ward 20, Nketha Constituency. The assailants, who are also suspected to be members of the
Forever Associate Zimbabwe (FAZ), assaulted the victim for openly criticising the 23 August harmonized
electoral process citing that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Observer mission among
others also condemned the elections. The victim was dragged out of his house at night and was later found
dumped along Plumtree road with minor injuries. The case was reported to the police but no arrests have been
made so far. An elected councilor for Ward 30 in Chivi and a member of the CCC was brutally assaulted by 4
ZANU PF members near Madyangove Primary School. The councilor was on his way to a school development
meeting and it is suspected that the assailants wanted to stop him from attending the meeting with the intention
of making sure their motions were advanced without the councilor’s objections. One of the perpetrators was
only identified as Mazhandu. He sustained injuries on his left leg and his ear. The incident was reported to the
Zimbabwe Republic Police at Chivi Growth Point, but no arrest has been made.
5