TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN ZIMBABWE
The Zimbabwe Peace Project commends the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC)’s statement on
the occasion of the International Day for Victims of Enforced Disappearances (30 August 2025). The
commission, among other stakeholders, reaffirmed that enforced disappearances constitute a grave
violation of fundamental rights including the right to life, personal liberty, human dignity, personal security,
freedom from torture, and the right to a fair trial as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe and
international instruments. The Commission highlighted the ongoing concern over unresolved cases such as
that of journalist Itai Dzamara, urged the Government to strengthen investigations, and called for the
ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances
and the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT), both of which Zimbabwe has not yet acceded
to. The statement underscored the duty of the State and all institutions to work together to end enforced
disappearances and prevent future violations.
While the ZHRC statement rightly outlines the legal framework and State obligations, it lacks specific and
updated data on current trends and victims of enforced disappearances. The Zimbabwe Peace Project
documented 16 enforced disappearances between 2024 and 2025 affecting 19 people (11 men and 8
women), pointing to a continuing and serious pattern of abuse that goes beyond individual cases. This
evidence underscores the scale and gendered impact of the violations, which could have been reflected in
the Commission’s statement so as to align and not seem detached from lived realities on the ground. The
statement could have been strengthened and made to be victim-centred by including recent statistics,
testimonies, and a clear demand for accountability and justice for affected individuals and their families,
alongside the legal calls for treaty ratification.
10 STEPS BACKWARDS
Systematic breach of political rights?
In a deeply troubling incident documented in Murewa
North’s Ward 30 at Zihute Hall, Honourable Daniel Garwe,
a Member of Parliament for Murewa North and a
government minister, addressed a ZANU PF meeting and
issued chilling threats, declaring that anyone supporting
Blessed Geza would be “mashed by hand.” He warned
that anyone supporting or tolerating the ideas of former
ZANU PF member Blessed Geza, known for his criticism of
Agenda
2030,
which
seeks
to
extend
President
Mnangagwa’s stay in power beyond 2028, would be
crushed.
Such inflammatory remarks constitute not only hate speech but also a direct assault on constitutionally
protected rights. Section 61 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe guarantees freedom of expression, including
the right to seek, receive and impart ideas without fear. Section 58 affirms the right to freedom of assembly
and association, while Section 67 explicitly guarantees every citizen the right to form, join and support a
political party of their choice, and to campaign freely for it. By threatening violence against those with
differing political views, Garwe’s statements represent a clear regression of these fundamental freedoms
and a systematic breach of political rights. When senior public officials resort to incitement, they undermine
the dignity, security, and democratic participation of citizens, fostering fear, silencing dissent, and
criminalising political diversity. Such conduct stands in direct violation of Zimbabwe’s constitutional
obligations and its commitments under international human rights law, demanding urgent accountability.
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