PROVINCIAL OUTLOOK
Midlands
In July 2025, a total of nine human rights violations were recorded in the Midlands Province, affecting 511
individuals (246 women and 265 men) across various communities, particularly in Vungu and Gokwe districts.
The violations reflect a continued erosion of civil and political rights, as well as economic injustices linked to
partisan manipulation of public resources and services. A particular incident occurred at Lower Gweru Mission
Business Centre, where a village head publicly humiliated a villager during a community meeting by ordering
him to chant a ruling party slogan as punishment for allegedly supporting the opposition. The villager, who
refused to comply, was threatened with retaliation, instilling fear and creating an environment of political
intimidation. This act directly violates the rights to dignity, freedom of conscience, and political association.
Other widespread violations included the coercion of households in Ward 8 in Vungu District to surrender
portions of their grain harvests to the Grain Marketing Board through village heads in exchange for previously
received agricultural inputs, regardless of whether families had harvested enough to feed themselves. This
practice, enforced by village heads, reflects a distortion of aid distribution mechanisms and violates the right
to food and economic security. At the same time, political interference in development aid was rampant, with
ruling party officials and councillors reportedly using partisan loyalty as a condition for accessing public goods.
Additionally, at an inter-district council meeting in Çhirumanzu South on 24 Jul, ZANU PF leaders instructed
local institutions, including schools and health centres, not to accept support or donations from individuals
unaffiliated with the party, effectively politicising access to social services. This directive undermines the
principles of neutrality in service delivery and infringes on the right to education and healthcare. Collectively,
these violations blend coercion, economic exploitation, and exclusion from development opportunities,
undermining democratic participation and entrenching fear among ordinary citizens.
Matabeleland North
In Matabeleland North, four human rights violations were documented in July, underscoring systemic neglect in
public service delivery and the impact on vulnerable populations affecting 147 people (84 women, 63 men
including 5 PWDs). At AMR Primary School in Lupane West, the head has repeatedly sent pupils home over
unpaid fees, despite government policy stating that no child should be denied access to education for
financial reasons. Many of the affected learners come from remote areas like Jotsholo and St Lukes and rely on
arranged transport, making their premature dismissal both logistically unsafe and academically disruptive. This
practice violates the right to education and further entrenches inequality. In the healthcare sector, Nkayi
District Hospital in Ward 29 is grappling with a severe shortage of essential medicines. Patients, including the
elderly and mothers with young children, are being told to buy basic drugs from private pharmacies. One
mother brought her two-year-old child with chest problems to the hospital and was simply told to buy
paracetamol, exposing the inaccessibility of public healthcare for the poor. These incidents represent a
deeper failure by public institutions to uphold the rights to education and health and reflect a broader crisis of
governance and public accountability in rural Zimbabwe.