JUNE 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62313-0220
The Elephant in the Room
Reforming Zimbabwe’s Security Sector Ahead of Elections
List of Abbreviations .......................................................................................................... ii
I. Summary ......................................................................................................................... 1
II. Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 5
To the Unity Government of Zimbabwe ...................................................................................... 5
To the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) ................ 5
To the Government of South Africa ........................................................................................... 6
To the European Union, the United States, and the United Nations ........................................... 6
III. Methodology ................................................................................................................. 7
IV. Background ................................................................................................................... 8
V. Zimbabwe’s Security Sector Legal Framework............................................................... 12
VI. Security Sector Political Interference ............................................................................ 17
The Military ............................................................................................................................ 17
Zimbabwe Republic Police ...................................................................................................... 23
Central Intelligence Organization ........................................................................................... 28
VII. The Unity Government Response ................................................................................ 30
VIII. A Roadmap to Credible, Free and Fair Elections .......................................................... 35
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ 37