By Ebi Kesiena
Latest report from the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) indicates a decline in human rights violations in the country, with cases dropping from 145 in April to 132 in May.
According to the reports, Zanu-PF political organisation which has been the ruling party of Zimbabwe since independence emerged as the primary perpetrator, responsible for 61.83% of the reported incidents.
The violations included partisan distribution of food aid, assault, harassment, intimidation, and infringements on equality and non-discrimination rights.
Additional reported offenses encompassed unlawful detention, theft, displacement, and property damage. Notably, human rights breaches were also observed during the public hearings for the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill in mid-May.
The report provided a regional breakdown of violations, listing 22 in Masvingo, 20 each in Midlands and Harare, 19 in Manicaland, 17 in Mashonaland West, 12 in Mashonaland Central, and 11 in Mashonaland East. Bulawayo recorded five violations, while Matabeleland North and South each noted three.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and municipal police were implicated in 13.36% and 9.54% of the violations, respectively. State security officials and the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) were each responsible for 0.76%.
The majority of victims were ordinary citizens (87%), followed by CCC-affiliated individuals (8.79%), informal traders (3.49%), and Nelson Chamisa supporters (0.65%). Zanu-PF affiliates comprised 0.07% of the victims. In terms of gender, 41.25% of the victims were female, while 58.75% were male.
Against this data, ZPP has called on the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and other government entities to investigate and ensure justice for the victims.
The report also highlighted a recent incident where police officers used violence against opposition supporters at a political rally.
