THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT |ZIMBABWE I 2017 Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CAT) and its Optional Protocol. At the Universal Periodic Review of Zimbabwe in Geneva held in November 2016 and concluded in March 2017, the government rejected the recommendation by member States to ratify and domesticate the UN Convention against Torture. There was no sense of urgency on the part of government to align domestic laws with the constitution, four years after the Constitution Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013, came into effect. and clean water. Systemic corruption in the public sector by political elites worsened the economic situation, as national resources were diverted into the pockets of a few politically connected individuals, at the expense of the provision of essential public services to most Zimbabweans. Food aid continued to be distributed along partisan lines. Considering the above, the Forum recommends the following actions to the government of Zimbabwe: Ratify and domesticate the UN Convention 1 against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and its Optional Protocol and the International Convention on Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances and criminalize and prosecute all cases of torture and enforced disappearances; The country came under threat of adverse constitutional amendments following the first amendment to the Constitution, which was passed in July as Amendment (No.1) amending section 180 of the Constitution.The amendment gives the president power to appoint the Chief Justice, deputy Chief Justice and the Judge President of the High Court undermining constitutionalism and compromising the independence of the judiciary. The political terrain was also influenced by voter registration that commenced in September using the new Biometric Voter Registration system. This resulted in voter registration mobilisation by different political parties that fuelled violence in some parts of the country. On a positive note, the right to register and vote in elections was extended to the so- called aliens following a High Court ruling in November. This means that registered “aliens” will for the first time, vote during the 2018 elections. On the economic front, the economy was virtually at a standstill; prices of basic goods skyrocketed amid high unemployment. The spiraling unemployment rate, exacerbated by the closure of industries, relegated most Zimbabweans to abject poverty. Many Zimbabweans resorted to informal trading for their livelihoods. However, this occupation was beset with numerous challenges regarding regulation resulting in running battles with regulating authorities often assisted by the police. 2 3 4 5 Uphold constitutionalism, democracy, and the rule of law through the holding of credible, free and fair elections in 2018. Legitimacy and authority to govern must only be derived from citizens through democratic elections; Ratify the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and speedily implement electoral reforms to ensure non-violent, free, fair and credible 2018 elections; Investigate human rights abuses during the military coup of 15 November 2017 as called for by the National Transitional Justice Working Group (NTJWG) and endorsed by the Forum; Urgently prioritize the realignment of all domestic laws with the Constitution; and Improve the social, economic and political 6 environment for all citizens to enjoy the rights The right to health, education and safe water were and fundamental freedoms guaranteed both violated through the government’s inability to have in the Constitution and under international these rights accessible to everyone. Service delivery law; in most towns and cities remained a challenge with poor waste management and erratic supplies of safe 11