ZESN Report on the 31 July 2013 Harmonised Elections Some human rights violations actually emanated from provisions in the law, which violate civil and political rights. For instance, Zimbabwean law does not provide for out-of-country voting by citizens domiciled abroad unless they are on official government business. This violates the rights of citizens’ right to vote. Restrictive broadcasting laws and the fact that the broadcasting environment is dominated by the state also violates the rights of citizens to participate from a business perspective i.e. to establish their own broadcasting businesses. It also limits the rights of citizens to have access to diverse sources of information, which enhances their knowledge and therefore their ability to choose, especially during an election. Political tolerance also remained low with polarisation characterising the environment as the state media often magnified this intolerance. Intimidation, allegedly mostly committed by ZANU PF supporters, received significant media attention, although there was little done to curb its occurrence. Several reports noted that the country’s political landscape is still blighted by fear that citizens have associated elections with violence to the extent that many are reluctant to participate in elections at all.50 ZESN’s observers reported in their regular reports that in some areas people were afraid to express their true opinions, or even to associate with ‘wrong’ elements, including reading newspapers of their choice. These freedoms of association were further violated by people being forced to attend ZANU-PF meetings and buy party cards, in some cases as a precondition to receiving food, loans and other necessities.51 For some non-governmental organisations and community-based groups, working on soft issues the environment was relatively safe. Those organisations working in health and education were able to operate without much hindrance. For those working in the field of political education and civil rights, the situation was significantly different. These groups faced challenges, especially as they were sometimes denied police clearance to conduct workshops and seminars. Employees and volunteers working for several of these organisations were arrested. Cases of harassment of civil society activists continued during the countdown to the elections and persist in the post-election period. A number of these arrests centred on the fact that groups were alleged to have been conducting voter education illegally, without the consent and supervision of ZEC. The table below shows recent cases of the arrest, detention or harassment of CSO activists in 2013 and are in addition to the harassment of these groups that has been taking place since the formation of the GNU in 2009. 50 51 ‘‘Voting Intentions in Zimbabwe, A margin of terror?’ Afrobarometer, August 2012. ZESN Long Term Observers. 51 | P a g e