KEY VIOLATIONS
MARCH VIOLATIONS
HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION
AND THREATS OF VIOLENCE
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Restricted freedom of assembly
escalation in harassment, intimidation, and threats
Restrictred Freedom of Expression
of violence—particularly targeted at individuals
Assault
exercise their constitutional rights. 27 human
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Threats of Violence
In March 2025, Zimbabwe witnessed a disturbing
expressing dissenting views or attempting to
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Restricted access to social services
rights violations related to threats of violence,
Unfair distribution of food aid
which affected 606 people (322 men and 284
Impeded access
women), were documented. Community members
Unjustified arrests
in Mvurwi, Mashonaland Central Province were
threatened in WhatsApp groups by unidentified
actors using South African phone numbers,
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Unlawful eviction
MDP
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warning them against participation in the planned
March 31 demonstrations and considering supporting the ruling party. These activists vowed to surveil participants, take
videos, and submit names to law enforcement reminiscent of the 2019 crackdown during fuel protests, where MDC Alliance
activists were arrested. In Midlands Province, in Chiwundura (wards 10, 11, and 12), ruling party youths conducted door-todoor campaigns warning villagers not to engage in any political action perceived to oppose the 2030 agenda, reinforcing a
climate of fear. A group of men casually discussing the political situation at a Tafara bottle store in Harare were intimidated
by plain clothes security agents, demonstrating the state’s reach into private conversations. In Murehwa Ward 30,
Mashonaland East, two male CCC activists assaulted a ZANU PF supporter and issued death threats against him, targeting
him for his political affiliation with the ruling party.
On March 31, At Agape Christian Junior School in Makoni Central, Manicaland ,ZANU PF operatives entered school premises
to record teacher attendance, pressuring the headmaster to recall absent staff and creating an atmosphere of coercion
even within educational institutions. Some teachers had stayed home, fearing possible eruption of violence as a result of the
M31 protests. In Glendale, members of a Mazowe South constituency WhatsApp group were threatened through private
messages for discussing poor service delivery, discouraging civic participation and silencing voices critical of government
performance. Additionally, in St Mary’s Constituency, Chitungwiza, police called and threatened a human rights activist for
facilitating a capacity building workshop, warning him of physical assault and forcing cancellation of the event, an act
emblematic of shrinking civic space.
These incidents collectively reflect a sustained assault on civil and political rights, including freedoms of expression,
association, and peaceful assembly as enshrined in sections 58, 59, and 61 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution. The use of
surveillance, intimidation, and political policing not only violates fundamental rights but instills a pervasive culture of fear that
suppresses public discourse, discourages activism, and undermines efforts toward democratic, peace and the enjoyment of
human rights in Zimbabwe.
ENVIRONMENTALIST ABDUCTED
On 5 March 2025, a female environmental rights defender and leader of an environmental advocacy organisation in
Murehwa District, was abducted under alarming circumstances. The victim had been engaged in a legal dispute with a local
investor who had financially supported her organisation but later attempted to seize control of the project. Despite the case
being slated for court, the investor requested an out-of-court settlement, scheduled for the day the abduction occurred. The
victim was found a week later, showing clear signs of torture, including bite marks and the effects of having inhaled unknown
substances. She suffered from amnesia and seizures upon hospital admission. The incident raises grave human rights
concerns, including violations of the right to security, freedom from torture, and the right to a fair legal process. It also
underscores the dangers faced by rights activists in Zimbabwe including environmental rights defenders, particularly when
their work challenges powerful political and economic interests. The abduction was allegedly orchestrated by the local
investor, raising an urgent need for accountability and protection of human rights defenders.
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