Figure 1 shows the trends for a number of selected violations, and, as can be seen, there is a marked
change in the pattern of violations over the years. There is the steady decline, from 2002, in torture,
while there is a steady increase in assault and displacement, with, of course, the very large rise
associated with Operation Murambatsvina.10 Unlawful arrest and detention shows a fluctuating
course, but there is a generally upward trend from 2002, which is associated with the promulgation
of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).
Figure 1
Comparison of selected violations, July 2001 to December 2005 (mean monthly figures)
Unlawful arrest & detention
Torture
Political discrimination
Displacement
Assault
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
These general statistics make it plain that organized violence and torture have taken place on a very
large scale since July 2001 at least. There are, of course, earlier reports dealing with the Food Riots in
1998,11 as well as the organized violence and torture that took place between February 2000 and July
2001,12 and, relevant to this discussion, they unfortunately do not provide statistical information
that can easily be compared with the data available from the monthly Political Violence reports.
10
See Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Chaos Out of Order or Order Out of Chaos? A Preliminary Report on Operation
Murambatsvina, June 2005, and The Aftermath of a Disastrous Venture: A Follow Up Report on Operation Murambatsvina,
August 2005. See also the UN’s Report of the Fact-Finding Mission to Zimbabwe to assess the Scope and Impact of Operation
Murambatsvina by the UN Special Envoy on Human Settlements Issues in Zimbabwe Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, July 2005.
11
See Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Human Rights in Troubled Times: An Initial Report on Human Rights Abuses
During and After Food Riots in January 1998 (Harare: The Human Rights NGO Forum, 1998); Zimbabwe Human Rights
NGO Forum, A Consolidated Report on the Food Riots 19–23 January 1998 (Harare: The Human Rights NGO Forum, 1999).
12
See Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Report on Political Violence in Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland
West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands (Harare: The Human Rights NGO Forum, 2000);
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Report on Pre-election Political Violence in Mberengwa (Harare: The Human Rights
NGO Forum, 2000); Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Who Is Responsible? A Preliminary Analysis of Pre-election
Violence in Zimbabwe (Harare: The Human Rights NGO Forum, 2000); Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, A Report
on Post-Election Violence (Harare: The Human Rights NGO Forum, 2000); Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, Human
Rights and Zimbabwe’s June 2000 Election (Harare: The Human Rights NGO Forum, 2001).
4