PROVINCIAL OUTLOOK
Manicaland
Masvingo
In October, Manicaland Province witnessed 16 documented
In October, Masvingo Province recorded three notable
human rights violations with a pattern of political
human
intimidation, assaults, and failures in service delivery. In one
intimidation, and harassment. In Gutu Ward 6, a woman
of the most serious cases, a victim in Mutare, was violently
living with a disability was forcibly displaced from her land
assaulted by CID officers who beat him with a broomstick
by a traditional leader, highlighting violations of property
and log over a personal dispute dating back to church,
rights and protections for vulnerable persons. In Mwenezi
resulting in a broken hand; his wife and children were also
Ward 4, a male resident was accused of organizing the one
threatened, demonstrating gross abuse of power and
million men march on 17 October and was assaulted by
violations of personal security. Political coercion was
ZANU PF supporters, sustaining injuries, illustrating politically
evident in Nyanga South, where Ward 15 councillor
motivated
Panganai Kavenga forced opposition party members to
participation. Additionally, in Gutu Ward 24, nurses at a
attend a GMB silos rally under threat of losing agricultural
medical facility were harassed and intimidated for
inputs. In Chipinge Rural Ward 7, a 17-year-old girl who
accepting donated blankets without ZANU PF approval,
once eloped returned home, was assaulted and locked
demonstrating interference in professional and humanitarian
away by relatives who used force to restrain her
activities. Collectively, these incidents underscore the ways
movements, violating her right to personal security. Other
in which political power, social vulnerability, and arbitrary
incidents included forced political participation, assaults
authority continue to undermine the enjoyment of rights,
by police and CID officers, and intimidation linked to grain
including personal security, freedom of association, property
collection,
rights,
collectively
undermining
civic
freedoms,
personal security, and access to essential services.
rights
violations
violence
and
and
professional
of
displacement,
the
suppression
autonomy,
political
of
impeding
civic
full
participation in community and development processes.
Bulawayo
Matabeleland North
In Bulawayo, five human rights violations were documented
In the reporting month, 13 human rights violations were
in October, with the most severe involving the suppression
documented with violations ranging from failure to provide
of political expression and a deadly hate-driven attack. A
service delivery related human rights and unjustified arrest
planned press conference by political actors titled
and detention. In Hwange members of the state security
“Constitutional
to
organisation and police officers accompanied Chinese
Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Crisis” was forcibly blocked
investors to forcibly connect a water pump at a local dam,
when state security agents and suspected ZANU PF
preventing
activists surrounded the Bulawayo Club, ordered the venue
appropriation of community resources. Five villagers were
to withdraw its permission, and dispersed participants,
arrested and assaulted by riot police, illustrating the use of
including accredited journalists. Anti-riot police cordoned
force to suppress dissent and restrict civic participation.
off the area, creating a climate of intimidation and
Compounding these abuses, residents in Hwange Ward 5
effectively silencing dissent. In a separate grave incident, a
faced severe service delivery failures, with a local hospital
woman was brutally assaulted and later died after an
lacking running water, forcing maternity patients and others
attack
sexual
to rely on buckets while toilets remained blocked, creating
orientation, a case that highlights ongoing discrimination
critical health hazards. These incidents reflect violations of
and targeted violence, with her partner also reported
the rights to personal security, freedom of assembly, access
missing. The violations reflect shrinking civic space,
to essential services, and health, underscoring how state
intolerance of dissent, and inadequate protection of
and private actors’ actions continue to undermine citizens’
vulnerable groups, undermining rights to life, association,
basic rights and well-being.
Crossroads:
motivated
by
Citizens
allegations
about
Respond
her
villagers
from
protesting
against
the
equality, and freedom of expression in Bulawayo.
Report
Human Rights Violations
0774883417 0774883406
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