Zimbabwe Peace Project
CONCLUSIONS
The Zimbabwe Peace Project’s observation of the June 14, 2025, by-elections revealed a
troubling pattern of systemic human rights violations. The documented cases of
harassment, intimidation, assisted voting abuse, and the partisan involvement of traditional
leaders are in direct violation of Zimbabwe’s Constitution, particularly Sections 58, 59, 60,
and 67 which guarantee freedoms of association, assembly, expression, and political
participation. The use of state and party-affiliated actors to intimidate voters, manipulate
electoral environments, and exclude opposition supporters from civic processes reflects a
broader culture of impunity that corrodes democratic institutions. In areas such as Chipinge
RDC Ward 5 and Gutu East, the electoral environment was marked by coercion, threats of
eviction, and violence, even involving assaults on perceived internal party dissenters. The
manipulation of the assisted voting process, where voters were coerced into declaring
illiteracy represents a deeply disturbing tactic to compromise electoral choice. The
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documented presence of traditional leaders as polling agents
for the ruling party further
violates the Traditional Leaders Act and distorts the neutrality expected from custodians of
community welfare. Political violence post-election, as seen in intra-party clashes in
Chipinge, also reflects dangerous fault lines within dominant political formations that pose
risks to citizen safety.
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