EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Time’s a quarter to X!
January is often a complex month. It is a time of
reflection and planning.
The body of a leader of a machete artisanal
mining gang in Shamva (name supplied) lies in
the mud after he was murdered by his fellow
gang members. This followed a disagreement
over the sharing of mining proceeds. Violence in
mining areas has gone unabated and this month,
machete gangs contributed to just over two
percent of all violations
January is often a complex month. It is a time
of reflection and planning.
2021 was a tumultous year and ZPP recorded
over 2468 human rights violations and the
entry into 2022 marked the beginning of
heightened electoral activity.
It was the month when President Emmerson
Mnangagwa proclaimed March 26 as the date
for by-elections in consituencies and wards
where elected representatives were recalled, or
died.
This proclamation sent many political players
into a fever as they sought to position
themselves to participate.
This is the same month when Zanu PF prepared
for and conducted its primary elections to
select candidates that would contest on behalf
of the party on March 26.
In the same month, Douglas Mwonzora, who
had all along claimed to lead the MDC-T,
announced that he was now leader of the MDC
Alliance, ironically after he had led a recall of
councillors and legislators for belonging to the
Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance.
This turmoil in the opposition added to
political tensions in the country and on 24
January, two days before the nomination court
sat to register candidates for the March 26 byelections, Chamisa announced he and his
supporters were forming a new outfit, called
the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), and
were dumping the name MDC Alliance.
The political bombshells did not stop there as
Thokozani Khupe, Vice President to
Mwonzora’s MDC-T, announced a split of the
party, and her taking over leadership of the
other faction. In the same breath, though
confusing many who watched the political
game of takeovers, Dr Khupe’s lawyers had
written to Mwonzora after she had been
suspended arguing, Mwonzora had expelled
himself from the MDC-T when he claimed
leadership of the MDC Alliance.
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