The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) say the ruling Zanu PF and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) continue to dominate the list of human rights violators ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
According to a latest ZPP July report, the ruling party since April launched a campaign to threaten and intimidate opposition supporters in rural areas.
“We note that Zanu PF has continued to dominate the list of human rights violators, at 50 percent, followed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), which contributed to 24 percent, or 354, of all the violations ZPP recorded. The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), was responsible for 29 (four percent) of all violations recorded while the Zimbabwe National Army was responsible for 12 violations.
“For the ruling party, it has always been about its escalating thirst for domination ahead of the 2023 elections. ZPP notes that the party has, since April, launched a systematic campaign to threaten and intimidate opposition supporters in rural areas such that by the time the official campaign period begins for the 2023 elections, villagers would have lost the little that remains of their voice and chance to choose leaders of their choice.
“On the ZRP, it is so much about the police’s continued use of archaic and selective methods of law enforcement. The ZRP continues to be an enforcer for the ruling party, ready to arrest those that do not agree with the ruling party, and prepared to look away when the ruling party is on the wrong side,” said ZPP
The report says citizens have become vulnerable to human rights violations with law enforcement agents powerless to protect them for various reasons.
“The CCC, which has remained on the receiving end of violence, with 196 of its members being victims in July, also contributes to human rights violations as internal fights surfaced in the party formed in January this year. ZPP continues to express concern over the 31 cases of politicisation of food and other aid and the 138 cases of harassment and intimidation as well as the18 cases of unlawful detention and 42 assaults recorded.
“This points to a situation where Zimbabweans have become more and more vulnerable to human rights violations without any form of protection or any source of recourse and law enforcement agents continue to prove to be either incapacitated, partisan or unaware of their mandate to protect Zimbabweans,” said the report
