Human Rights Monitoring Report - Kubatana

In April, the cases of kidnapping/abduction doubled from 9 in March to 20. There was 1 murder and 3 cases of politically
motivated rape. It was in April that saw the heavy handedness of state security agents as they tried to block the ZCTU called stayaway.
Government threatened to withdraw the licences of any company that complied with the stay away and most companies
could not risk this and thus opened their doors.
In May, cases of harassment went up to 395 from 337 in April. Assault cases recorded went down from 229 in April to 176 in
May. There were 17 cases of kidnapping/abduction recorded, 2 of rape and 2 of murder.
In June there has been a marked increase in incidences recorded from 671 in May to 792. Incidences of harassment/intimidation
and assault still record the highest. There is an increase in food aid discrimination with 34 incidences recorded. Operation
‘Dzikisa mutengo’ started in June but its effects were mainly felt in July.
Of the 4122 cases documented between January and June 2727 were violations in the Northern region representing 67% of the
total violations.
The trend is the same in all the months that more incidences are recorded in the Northern region more than the Southern. There
are more constituencies in the Northern than the Southern. This could have also meant that there is a denser network of ZPP
monitors in the Northern region than the Southern as monitors are constituency based monitors in each constituency. Furthermore,
there are more ‘no go’ areas for the opposition in the Northern region than the Southern region. In light of the impending
Constitutional Amendment 18 that seeks to increase constituencies, ZPP anticipates more constituencies to the rural areas of the
Northern region more than the Southern region.
Harassment/intimidation and assault continue to be ways by which fear is instilled among the citizens. Fear has ensured that
Zimbabweans do not participate in the democratic process. The images of battered civil society and opposition leaders after
March 11 have refreshed the memory of many who might have forgotten what the Zimbabwean government is capable of. The
sight of the images for many in rural and urban areas has meant that they do not want to cross the path of the government and the
ruling party if given the choice. The sight of the injuries sustained by the leaders tortured in police custody for some means that
those are paths never to be crossed.
The Catholic Bishops’ pastoral letter is one other factor that saw the rise in incidences of harassment and intimidation as Catholic
priests were targeted. The fact that the state President personally attacked the Bishops made the situation worse.
There are strange cases being recorded since May, for example suspected or known members of the opposition are being denied
burial space in their communities by their traditional leaders. For expressing their own opinion and exercise the rights to associate
and to choose whom to associate with citizens are now being banished from their places of birth.
There have also been several cases of health staff denying those of a different political affiliation, an opportunity to be treated. In
one incident a ruling party member was refused treatment on the basis of his political affiliation while in the other case an
opposition MDC supporter was denied the same.
The diamond rush in Manicaland has had its fair share of violations. Women were victims of inhuman searches of their private
parts. Some citizens have been hospitalized for injuries sustained when they were assaulted by the police whenever they were
found in the area. A mother of two is currently in hospital nursing exploded buttocks sustained when she was assaulted by the
police.
© ZPP Programmes Dept. June 2007
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