Human Rights Abuse in Zimbabwe

Targeted groups for abuse

1) Foreigners

2) Political figures

3) Locals

- Children

- Women

- Media companies

Perpetrators of the abuse

Basically the government is responsible for most of the abuses. As for the different cases mentioned above, the abuse is carried out by different organizations run by the government.

Abuse of Authority

Case 1 - Law enforcement agencies

They are a source of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. According to Human Rights Watch, there have been a growing number of cases in which police have assaulted and tortured opposition supporters and civil society activists. One such example of abuse was the arrest and physical abuse of trade union activists, including key political figures of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions is the dominant central trade union federation in Zimbabwe. The general secretary of ZCTU is Wellington Chibebe and the president is Lovemore Matombo. In the 1990s ZCTU grew increasingly opposed to the government of Robert Mugabe. ZCTU was the main force behind the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change.

Another similar case was the arrest of student activist leader Promise Mkwanazi. He was detained at a police station in Bindura for five days without charge and was physically abused by the policemen.

Case 2- Child soldiers

Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) is responsible for the National Youth Service. These children who had been recruited to National Youth Service have been trained to handle weapons and brutality. ZANU- PF is accountable for many acts of politically-motivated violence and is frequently under the influence of government-issued narcotics. These children are not mentally developed and mentally disturbed as they have been exposed to brutality and violence at a young tender age.

Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front

ZANU-PF is a Zimbabwean political party that was the ruling government in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU.

Case 3- No tolerance for civil liberties

In Zimbabwe, the freedom of assembly is severely restricted by law. Miscellaneous Offences Act (MOA) are used to violently disrupt peaceful demonstrations and justify the arrest of civil society activists. In some cases, the activists are held for more than the legally allowed limit, often without charge.

Under the Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) requires journalists and media companies to register with the government-controlled Media and Information Commission (MIC) which gives the government powers to deny people to work as journalists. The government only allows local journalists who are supporters of its political views and foreign journalists are often denied visas. The state controls all broadcast media - According to Freedom House, the government also monitors e-mail content.

Case 4- Discrimination against women

Women are at the losing end in Zimbabwe as economic dependency and social norms make it difficult for them to tackle the problem of sex discrimination. Traditions like forced marriages are still a common sight despite measures being implemented. One pressing issue is domestic violence against women. Although labour legislation disallows sexual harassment at work, such occurrences are common and usually not being looked into. Many women do not know of their rights to property, inheritance and divorce despite having such laws put in place.

Response from the government

The government of Zimbabwe has generally responded to accusations of human rights violations from Western countries by counter-accusals of colonial attitudes which divert attention to other developed countries. This reduces the severity of accusation directed to them.