Human Rights Archive Zimbabwe

Democratic free and fair elections are an integral component of international human rights law as recognised at the apex of the Human Rights system in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Universal Declaration).

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) monitored the human rights situation prior to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) primary elections that had been initially scheduled for 17 May 2018.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) monitored the human rights situation during the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) primary elections conducted on 29 April 2018. The aim of these elections were to select candidates to represent the party in national elections in the categories of Council, National Assembly, Senate and Provincial Council.

Report on the Bikita By-Election

The report highlights the findings of the ZHRC before, during and after the elections and the ZHRC’s own observations.

Complaints of alleged forceful collection of serial numbers from community members in Marondera Rural (Rapids Farm), in Bocha Marange and Mutasa Districts of Manicaland Province were lodged with the ZHRC.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) monitored and assessed the 2018 harmonized elections held on the 30th of July 2018. The primary objective was to ensure that the elections were conducted freely and fairly in accordance with national legal frameworks, and regional and international instruments that advance the observance and respect for human rights and freedoms of all citizens.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC/Commission) joins the nation and other peace loving Zimbabweans in condemning, in the strongest sense, the use of live ammunition and excessive force on unarmed protesting citizens by the army on 1 August 2018.

The Commission issued its preliminary election monitoring report on the 2nd of August 2018 covering the period up to 31 July 2018. This statement is therefore a summary of findings on the election related human rights situation by the ZHRC in the period from 1 August to 6 August 2018.

This report is based on the information received from the monitors deployed across the country and from complaints received.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC/Commission), in line with its monitoring mandate as provided for in Section 243(1)(c) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, deployed monitors throughout the country’s 10 Provinces. The monitoring activities which have been undertaken by the ZHRC project a holistic picture of the electoral environment

Veritas notes that when giving evidence before the Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence of 1st August, our Attorney-General, Prince Machaya, was absolutely clear on the correct legal position of who can deploy the army onto the streets.

Detailed information about the Commission of Inquiry was given in our Commissions Watch bulletin dated 25th September 2018 [link]. Its terms of reference are set out in full in the Presidential proclamation appointing the Commission

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has released a series of reports about politically partisan distribution of food and other State aid before and after polling in the 30th July election.

On the 14th September the President published a proclamation (No 6 of 2018) establishing the Commission [The proclamation can be viewed on the Veritas website – link] and the seven Commissioners were sworn in on the 19th September.

The Commission deployed a total of 23 teams spread across the 10 Provinces of Zimbabwe. The monitors were able to collect information which forms part of this preliminary report.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) advises all stakeholders that it has deployed election monitors in all parts of the country, with effect from 23 July to 6 August 2018, to monitor the Harmonised Elections scheduled for 30 July 2018 as well as the post-election

CATHOLIC COMMISSION FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE IN ZIMBABWE ELECTION OBSERVATION REPORT FOR 2018 ZIMBABWE HARMONIZED ELECTIONS

Pastoral Letter of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference on the National Elections of 30 July 2018.

Pastoral letter of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops on Preparing for the Zimbabwe 2018 National Elections.

ZCBC Pastoral Letter on July Elections , Shona Version

The ESN-SA deployed a 23 member Mission from Zimbabwe and the region (Southern and East Africa). The Mission observed the last stages of the pre-election period, Election Day, and immediate post-election. The ESN-SA, met civil society, political parties, the Electoral Commission, other observer missions, the Police and other stakeholders for briefings on the pre-election environment.

STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE TETE ANTONIO, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA AND HEAD OF THE SADC ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION (SEOM) TO THE 2018 HARMONISED ELECTIONS IN THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE.

This report presents ZESN’s observations of each sector of the electoral cycle: the pre-election, the polling, and the post-election periods.

Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections were the first to be observed by the Commonwealth in 16 years. The Commonwealth last observed Zimbabwe’s 2002 Presidential Election. As such, this observation mission provided a unique opportunity to accompany Zimbabwe on a critical leg of its democratic journey.

The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) organized the Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission (ZIEOM) for the 2018 Zimbabwe presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections (referred to locally as “harmonized” elections).

The data collected reported six hundred and eighty eight human rights violations, which have been incorporated into the Shutdown Atrocities Report of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (of which ZPP is member).

The report is a reflection of the monitoring and observation of the 2018 electoral process by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum).

In the period leading up to elections violence, threats and intimidation were used extensively to coerce voters. Politicians of the ruling party and their supporters made statements indicating that the ballot would not be secret and that reprisals would be taken if people voted in certain ways.

There is a clear difference between the electoral climate preceding the current 2005 parliamentary elections on the one hand and the previous parliamentary elections of 2000 and presidential elections of 2002 on the other. The latter elections were characterised by an intense interest and excitement amongst Zimbabwean voters.

This report considers the actual period of voting and the first one hundred days thereafter.

As Zimbabwe moves towards the holding of a general election, which, according to President Mugabe, will be held in May 2000, the political situation has become increasingly troubled and violent. There have been violent clashes between supporters of the ruling party, ZANU (PF) and the main political opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

This report is a follow-up to “Who is Responsible?: A preliminary analysis of pre-election violence in Zimbabwe”, which was released in June 2000 by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. It sought to catalog emerging allegations of gross human rights violations committed during the run-up period to the June 2000 Parliamentary Elections and aimed to establish certain facts about the nature of political violence during that time.

This document, and the factual assertions herein, is based on reports of the ensuing violence received from civic organisations and those published in the press.

This briefing paper describes the pre-election environment in Zimbabwe and concludes it is not possible to hold free and fair elections under the prevailing conditions.

The aim of this report is to provide succinct coverage of the election that brought the GPA to a close and also provide some pointers to the future of Zimbabwean politics.

The 2008 Harmonised Election in Zimbabwe was arguably the most historic of the post-independence elections, as for the first time in the last 28 years the ruling party lost its parliamentary majority and the President lost the first round of the Presidential election. This result represented the culmination of a decade of political and civic opposition to a former liberation party whose legitimacy has been greatly eroded by nearly three decades of intolerant rule.

The analysis in this Report is based on the data contained in the Monthly Violence Reports of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. Since July 2001, the Forum has been reporting monthly totals of cases of organised violence and torture.

The mission observed that the degree of human rights violations in the country follows a recurring pattern that usually culminates during electoral periods. The country was facing a political deadlock where the leading parties, especially ZANU-PF, were unlikely to reach any agreement likely to improve the political environment, since the MDC considered the implementation of the reforms foreseen by the GPA as a pre-condition for the organisation of elections, while ZANU-PF called for elections as a means to put an end to the prevailing deadlock.

THIS REPORT COVERS ALL THE REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE NCA DURING THE PRE ELECTION PERIOD (FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2005), THESE BEING FROM ALL PROVINCES EXCEPT MANICALAND COVERING 105 CONSTITUENCIES. A TOTAL OF 383 REPORTS WERE SUBMITTED, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 3 REPORTS PER CONSTITUENCY.

This report covers all the reports received by the NCA for February 2005, coming from 8 Provinces, and 56 Constituencies. It summarises the position that pertained during the last 2 weeks of February. Unfortunately, no data had been submitted from either Manicaland or Mashonaland West by the time of writing, but it is submitted that the data nonetheless do give a good overview of the national picture in February 2005.

In Zimbabwe, in the past five years, elections have been elevated to the only constitutive principle for determining legitimacy, aided considerably by the position of the African nations, and South Africa in particular.

On March 29, 2008, Zimbabweans will participate in presidential, parliamentary, senatorial, and local government elections synchronized for the first time, following changes to Zimbabwe’s constitution in September 2007. As the elections near, all indications are that once again the people of Zimbabwe will not be able to freely exercise their civil and political rights and vote for the candidates of their choice.

This report assesses the legislative and electoral reforms undertaken by the unity government and analyzes the quality of those reforms and their capacity to create an environment conducive to credible, free and fair elections. Human Rights Watch has found that the contending parties have focused on only one aspect of reforms—securing agreement on the necessary legal and administrative requirements for free and fair elections.

This report is based on research conducted by Human Rights Watch in Zimbabwe’s Harare, Bulawayo, the Midlands, Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Central and West provinces in November and December 2012, and in February 2013. The report illustrates how the partisanship of the security forces’ leadership has translated into abuses by these forces against the MDC and civil society organizations across the country and in political interference.

Human Rights Watch calls on SADC member states to urge the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that in the days remaining before the election, efforts are made to guarantee that all candidates are able to campaign freely and openly throughout Zimbabwe, that all candidates have access to the media, that journalists and observers are allowed to observe the election process in all areas of the country, and that voters are allowed to choose a candidate and vote in an environment free of intimidation.

This report, based on investigations in Zimbabwe, describes the scale of the abuses and identifies those responsible—officials from ZANU-PF, often working through proxy forces of so-called war veterans and youth militia, backed by members of the armed forces and police. Local institutions have identified at least 2,000 beatings and cases of torture.

Violence and other forms of violations are expected to be less in Chimanimani West comparatively to the 2008 and 2013 cases. However, it is worrying that unorthodox covert means can be used by the ruling party in a bid to win the elections while in the process violating the people’s right to vote peacefully.

Amnesty International has concluded from its inquiries that there is evidence that the Government of Zimbabwe is either instigating or acquiescing in serious violations of human rights including extrajudicial executions, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Amnesty International researchers have been monitoring the human rights environment in Zimbabwe as the country approaches the 31 March parliamentary elections. Although there are fewer reports of politically-motivated violence than has been the case in previous elections, Amnesty International is concerned that human rights are being systematically violated in the context of election campaigning.

This monograph is based on detailed observation of the election petitions held in the High Court of Zimbabwe, as well as testimonies available from victims seen during the General Election and the subsequent bye-elections. A team of researchers attended all the court hearings, making notes of all proceedings, as well as studying the case notes held by the AMANI Trust and the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum.

This present monograph concentrates upon the human rights violations that took place during the bye-elections that took place in 2000 and 2001. None of these bye-elections came about as a result of the election petitions, as all those cases decided were immediately appealed and are still pending in the Supreme Court. All the bye-elections took place due to the death of the incumbent. Zanu(PF) won all these elections, amidst continued allegations of gross human rights violations and electoral irregularities.

This monograph focuses on the electoral irregularities, including gross human rights abuses, during the period preceding the June 2000 Parliamentary elections. This election marked the first time a strong opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had challenged the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu (PF)) in the political arena.

State organized violence increased following the rejection of the Government sponsored constitution in the referendum at the beginning 2000. The violence was initially sporadic and confined to one or two areas at a time but as the 2000 parliamentary elections approached, it became more intense and widespread. The state trained and deployed more people in an effort to control perceived supporters of the newly formed opposition.

The report Focuses on the 30 July 2018 Harmonized elections whereby the EU says the elections were competitive, the campaign was largely peaceful and, overall, political freedoms during the campaign, including freedom of movement, assembly and speech, were respected. However, the misuse of state resources, instances of coercion and intimidation, partisan behavior by traditional leaders and overt bias in state media, all in favor of the ruling party, meant that a truly level playing field was not achieved, which negatively impacted on the democratic character of the electoral environment.

Regulations made by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission updated to incorporate all amendments until 8 June 2018.

This is an update to the report published by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum) on the 15th of August 2018. It captures the reports documented by members of the Forum from 1 to 31 August 2018. A total of 274 violations have been documented in this period.

This report is a follow-up to the preliminary report produced by the Women’s Trust (TWT) and the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) in early 2014 on the effectiveness of the SiMuka! Zimbabwe, Woman, Get Counted! Register to Vote! in getting women to register to vote and to vote. This report goes further to note that whilst it is encouraging to see women turn out to vote in elections, and even more gratifying to see that the turn out can be strongly increased by woman to woman advocacy, there is always need to conduct a reality check on the actual process of the election and its outcome.