METHODOLOGY
This report is based on reports from ZPP long-term community based human rights monitors who observe,
monitor and record cases of human rights violations in the constituencies they reside. ZPP deploys a total of
420 community-based primary peace monitors (two per each of the 210 electoral constituencies of
Zimbabwe). These community-based monitors reside in the constituencies they monitor. They compile
reports that are handed over to ZPP provincial coordinators who man the different ZPP offices in the ten
administrative provinces of Zimbabwe. Upon receipt and verifications of the reports from the monitors, the
provincial coordinators compile provincial monthly monitoring reports, which are then consolidated at
national office into the ZPP monthly monitoring reports published in retrospect.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report covers recorded incidents of civil and political rights violations from the ten provinces of
Zimbabwe for the month of April 2015. The report also highlights the food situation in the provinces
and focuses on how food and other aid continue to be used as a political tool. The highlight of the
reporting period has been the by elections set for June 10, 2015 across the country. Campaigns for
this election have been characterized by threats, intimidation, physical violence and vote buying
through the distribution of rice and other commodities.In the month of April 226 violations were
recorded and these emanated from intra and inter party conflicts fuelled mainly by the pending by
elections.
A disturbing trend noted across the country has been the politicization of traditional leadership.
Traditional leaders like headman have been accused of openly siding with political parties in the
discharge of their duties. This action is ultra vires the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Section 281) which
clearly states that traditional leaders must not be members of any political party or act in a partisan
manner or further the interests of any political party.
Intra party conflict is still endemic across the country with cases reported from across the political
divide. As indicated in Figure 1 the majority of the intra party cases were reported within Zanu PF.A
case of intra party violence was also recorded within the MDC T and this reflects a disturbing culture
of violence that has become pervasive across the political divide.
An analysis of the reports received by ZPP in April 2015 notes that the number of victims of violence
in Zanu PF and opposition MDC-T are strangely nearly the same. An alarming increase is noted on
the number of Zanu PF victims of violence, with only 49 victims affiliated to Zanu PF in March, in
April the number of Zanu PF victims of violence rose to 154. This threefold increase reflects the
protracted factional fights within Zanu PF, which have continued to fuel conflict. Another
observation is that there is also an increase in the number of perpetrators of violence who are
aligned to MDC- T. In March 18 perpetrators were from the MDC T party and the number almost
doubled to 35 in April. The trend reflects the growing intra party conflict within the opposition
party.There has been an increase in the number of male victims of violence, the number of male
victims almost doubled from 224 in March to 418 in April. This trend could be indicative of the rise in
the attack on political activists the majority of whom are male. Female victims of violence increased
from 116 in March to 182 in April. This indicates that women are targeted in political violence as
activists in their own right and as mothers, sisters or spouses of activists.
Threats, harassment and intimidation characterized the mobilization of communities to contribute
to Independence Day celebrations held across the country. Communities were forced to financially
contribute to the celebrations and those who did not pay were sometimes viewed as “Gamatox”
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