THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT |ZIMBABWE I 2017 how weak the pillars of democracy in Zimbabwe are and vindicates the endless calls by the human rights community for reform of state institutions and for a separation between the institutions of government and the ruling party. The year 2017 proved once again that the human rights violations in Zimbabwe are hardly sporadic violations but are systematic with state apparatus playing a key role. The interdependence nature of human rights was further reaffirmed. As the economic meltdown continued, social unrest increased. The police were the easy tool for the state to deal with social unrest as they continued to use heavy-handed tactics to deal with vendors and silence dissenting voices. Executive Summary by Blessing Gorejena, Executive Director Zimbabwe went through very dramatic experiences in 2017. Political temperatures within the ruling ZANUPF party reached boiling point on 15 November 2017, when the military overthrew Robert Mugabe’s government. Nine days later, Mugabe’s former deputy, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa was sworn in as Zimbabwe’s new President. The nine days in which the country was under the control of the military are shrouded in mystery. The country’s constitution was completely overthrown as the President was effectively put under house arrest; members of the Presidential Guard and the police were reportedly disarmed. Scores of people were reportedly disappeared and others reportedly murdered during the so-called bloodless coup. Journalists at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and Zimpapers were reportedly beaten as the military took control of State media information management. For human rights defenders, it was difficult to collect information and many violations that happened during the nine days of total military control will never be known. On 15 November 2017, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum convened a meeting and issued a statement calling for a speedy return to constitutionalism. The 15 November 2017 collapse of the government of Zimbabwe is testimony of In past years, we have reported about perpetrators in general. In this report we introduce a ranking system to help identify the worst perpetrators of human rights. For 2017, quantitatively, ZANU-PF and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) were the main perpetrators of human rights violations. In 2017 only, ZRP were the lead perpetrator in illegally evicting 933 families. In terms of severity, Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) was the worst violator of human rights leading to the death of five people in Chiadzwa, in Marange diamond fields. Other perpetrators included, the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), traditional leaders, municipal police, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), and some school authorities. Other human rights violations in the form of murders, torture, abductions, arbitrary arrests and detention, assaults, harassment and intimidation and violation of fundamental freedoms were documented during the year. A total of five murder cases were documented from Chiadzwa in Marange diamond fields. Freedom of expression and of the media was severely restricted and journalists were sometimes assaulted during the scope of their employment. State agents continued to abduct and torture activists as a means of punishment and intimidation. At policy level, the government continues to fall behind in obligations to protect and fulfill human rights. No commitment was shown to ratify the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, 10