Table 2
Violation
Number [%]
Arson
1 [1.7%]
Beating
32 [55%]
Death of family member
7 [12.1%]
Destruction of home/property
27 [46.6%]
Unlawful Detention
11 [18.9%]
Abduction/kidnapping
6 [10.3%]
Rape
3 [5.2%]
Torture
3 [5.2%]
Other [threats, intimidation, etc]
35 [60.3%]
Torture and rape were only reported by 3 persons, but beatings [55%], destruction of property [46%], and
other violations [60%] were commonly reported. This is a profile seen in many human rights reports, and
especially those from 2008. (1)
The clients can thus be accurately described as trauma survivors. The highest improvement rate was
obtained for the whole sample, which again was probably due to the presence of clients with non-clinically
significant scores. The interesting finding was that, for the clinically severe group [10 or more], the
improvement was markedly less.
Table 3
Total sample
Pre-test
Post-test
Improvement
Mean[Sd]
Mean[Sd]
No[%]
10.43 [3.29]
5.67 [2.68]
39 [67%]*
11 [2.82]
5.91 [2.66]
34 [65%]*
12.76 [2.02]
6.82 [2.79]
15 [46%]*
[n=58]
Score [7 or more]
[n=53]
Score [10 or more]
[n=44]
*t-test: p=0.000001
Statistical analysis showed significant change for all three groupings.
Finally, a contrast was made between men and women in the sample, but no differences were found
1 There is a very large literature on violence in Zimbabwe, and, for a selection dealing only with 2008, see the following: Zimbabwe
Human Rights NGO Forum (2008), If you can’t join them, beat them! Post-election violence in Zimbabwe. An alert of the Zimbabwe
Human Rights NGO Forum & the Research and Advocacy Unit. 5 May 2008. HARARE: ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM;
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (2008), Damned Lies? Post Election Violence in Zimbabwe. Report produced by the Research
& Advocacy Unit. August 2008. HARARE: ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM; Solidarity Peace Trust (2008), Desperately
Seeking Sanity: What Prospects for a New Beginning in Zimbabwe? 29 July 2008. DURBAN: SOLIDARITY PEACE TRUST; Solidarity
Peace Trust (2008), Punishing Dissent, Silencing Citizens: The Zimbabwe Elections 2008 . 21 May 2008. JOHANNESBURG:
SOLIDARITY PEACE TRUST; CSVR (2009), Subliminal Terror? Human rights violations and torture in Zimbabwe during 2008. Report
prepared for the Centre of Violence and Reconciliation by Tony Reeler. June 2009. JOHANNESBURG: CSVR.