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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
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zimbabwe
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82 total results foundAuthor: Global Witness Title: Return of the Blood Diamond: The Deadly Race to Control Zimbabwe's New-Found Diamond Wealth Summary: Zimbabwe’s Zanu PF political and military elite are seeking to capture the country’s diamond wealth through a combination of state-sponsored violence and the legally questionable introduction of opaque joint-venture companies. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, set up to end the trade in conflict diamonds, has repeatedly failing to react effectively to the crisis. Details: Washington, DC: Global Witness, 2010. 23p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Conflict Diamonds Shelf Number: 119414 |
Author: Partnership Africa Canada Title: Diamonds and Clubs: The Militarized Control of Diamonds and Power in Zimbabwe Summary: This report exposes some of the players who have been at the forefront of the plunder of diamonds in Chiadzwa, Marange. It shows how the Chiadzwa diamonds are fuelling the ongoing political conflict in the region. Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2010. 29p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Diamond Smuggling Shelf Number: 119548 |
Author: Mavhinga, Dewa Title: Deliberate Chaos: Ongoing Human Rights Abuses in the Marange Diamond Fields of Zimbabwe Summary: Human rights abuses remain rampant in Marange, the diamond-mining area of eastern Zimbabwe. Military personnel continue to engage in forced labor and to punish those who seek to mine outside of soldier-run syndicates. Torture, beatings, and harassment are also prevalent in this community, which faces forced relocation without adequate compensation from the diamond-rich areas in which they make their homes. As this report went to press, a Zimbabwean civil-society activist was in prison for having divulged sensitive information about persistent human rights abuses in Marange. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, an international group that monitors the diamond trade and seeks to restrict the sale of conflict diamonds, meets in Israel in June 2010. Kimberley Process members should suspend Zimbabwe and withhold shipment of diamonds from Marange until the abuses documented by Human Rights Watch have ceased. Zimbabwe should comply with recommendations made by the Kimberley Process in November 2009 to demilitarize the diamond fields and end the rampant smuggling of diamonds. As Zimbabwe recovers from a man-made humanitarian crisis, Human Rights Watch also calls on the government to account for lost diamond revenue from Marange and use this revenue to improve socioeconomic conditions in the country. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 21, 2010 at: http://www.hrw.org/node/90988 Year: 2010 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Diamonds Shelf Number: 119849 |
Author: Kasambala, Tiseke Title: Perpetual Fear: Impunity and Cycles of Violence in Zimbabwe Summary: Two years since the formation of a power-sharing government that was expected to end human rights violations and restore the rule of law, politically motivated violence and the lack of accountability for abuses remains a serious problem in Zimbabwe. Perpetual Fear: Impunity and Cycles of Violence in Zimbabwe, examines the impunity that prevails in Zimbabwe by updating illustrative cases of political killings, torture, and abductions by alleged government security forces and their allies that took place during and after the presidential election run-off in 2008. There has been little or no accountability for these crimes. Cases of political violence that have been filed by victims or their relatives have largely been ignored by the police or have stalled in the courts. And the government has failed to respond to calls by local nongovernmental organizations for investigations into abuses. With a referendum and elections planned for 2011, the lack of accountability and justice for past abuses raises the specter of further violence, and poses a significant obstacle to the holding of free, fair, and credible elections. Human Rights Watch calls on the power-sharing government to immediately embark on credible, impartial and transparent investigations into serious human rights abuses and discipline or prosecute those responsible, regardless of their position or rank. The government should put transitional justice mechanisms in place while reforming the criminal justice system to ensure that it meets international legal standards. Ending impunity for past and ongoing abuses is essential if Zimbabwe is to end violence and firmly establish the rule of law. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2011. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2011 at: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2011/03/08/perpetual-fear Year: 2011 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Criminal Justice Systems Shelf Number: 120960 |
Author: International Bar Association. Human Rights Institute Title: Partisan Policing: An Obstacle to Human Rights and Democracy in Zimbabwe Summary: This is the executive summary of the report of a fact-finding visit to the Republic of Zimbabwe by experts on behalf of the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) between 11-18 August 2007. The fact-finding visit was prompted by increasing international, regional and domestic concerns at the apparent erosion of the rule of law in Zimbabwe. These concerns related to unlawful police action in the country, police excesses and brutality and the intimidation of civilians, human rights activists, the organised legal profession, trade unions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The delegation was sent to investigate the status of the rule of law and administration of justice in that country and, in particular, the role of the police in the administration of justice. The issues were to be analysed within constitutional and relevant regional and international standards, and the administration of justice processes in Zimbabwe. The particular focus area was the role of the police in the administration of justice. Specifically, to evaluate the relationship between the police, lawyers and prosecutors, and to prepare a report on the situation in Zimbabwe for dissemination. The report contains recommendations for the immediate and long term measures necessary to protect and uphold the rule of law and administration of justice in Zimbabwe and prevent impunity for human rights violations. Details: London: International Bar Association, 2007. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2011 at: www.ibanet.org Year: 2007 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Human Rights Shelf Number: 121006 |
Author: IDASA Title: Women and Law Enforcement in Zimbabwe Summary: The women of Zimbabwe have had varying experiences with national law enforcement agencies and many of them are unpleasant. These experiences are the same regardless of whether the women are activists or not, but perhaps worse for female activists. Police officers have been responsible for some of the most serious human rights and rule of law violations in Zimbabwe today. Police brutality in Zimbabwe extends to opposition politicians, students, trade unionists, journalists and members of civil society organisations, this paper however focuses on women. Women have encountered torture, assault, harassment, intimidation, and imprisonment at the hands of the police, who act in breach of their professional and legal obligations. The police have a responsibility to respect human rights, but the fate of women activists, especially those from Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) members, tells a different story. In a series of reports from 2007, WOZA demonstrated the perils of both being an activist and female5, showing the kinds of abuse and the consequences of abuse at the hands of the police. From a sample of 1983 WOZA members, 42% reported assault, 33% reported physical torture, 64% reported humiliating and degrading treatment, and 78% reported political threats. Many violations occurred during the course of protests where the police were the perpetrators, but it was also the case that equally many took place in police custody. The female members of the NCA have also suffered the same fate; as they stated in a 2009 study, 70% of the perpetrators of violence were from various branches of the police force6. Assault was the most common violation, mentioned by 80% of these members, and the weapons used in the assaults were baton sticks and booted feet, part of the uniform of the police. The brutality meted out against female civil rights activists, is well documented, with one of the most notorious cases being that of Jestina Mukoko, Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project. Jestina was abducted from her home by members of the Central Intelligence Organization on December 3, 2008, and held captive in police custody for several weeks, where she was brutally beaten, tortured, forced to confess to an alleged plot to mount a terrorist incursion from neighboring Botswana, and subsequently imprisoned before being brought to court, where she was eventually granted bail on February 27, 2009. Jestina‟s experience of police intimidation was not an isolated incident; another example is the case of Gertrude Hambira, now living in exile in South Africa after being harassed by senior law enforcement agents and members of the Joint Operations Command [JOC]. Police abuse is not the privy of women activists, even women who attempt to report domestic violence are frequently disrespected, and often told to go back home and resolve their differences with their partners. The Domestic Violence Act came into force in 2007, and was hailed as one of the most progressive laws for the advancement of women in Zimbabwe. Despite this Act being in place, women continue to be subjected to abuse by their partners as there is a general reluctance by the police to enforce the Act and protect abused women. The manner in which the police handle women will potentially undercut women‟s confidence in the police‟s ability to deal with domestic violence issues. Many police officials view domestic violence as a “private” matter, best left behind closed doors. This has resulted in attitudes and systems that minimize police responses and discourage specialized responses to women who are victims. The conduct of the police is a breach of Section 5 of the Domestic Violence Act, and numerous international treaties, as they frequently decline to listen to complaints, investigate them, advise complainants, facilitate access to medical assistance, and ensure the women are aware of the legal remedies at their disposal. Whilst women are protected by law as citizens of Zimbabwe, this becomes ineffective when the protection cannot be implemented, and especially when the ones supposed to offer protection are perpetrators of violence and intimidation. Women and children should be confident and feel secure when they see a policeman or a soldier. There is need to restore confidence in law enforcement agents so that they protect women and their dignity. Details: Harare, Zimbabwe: Research and Advocacy Unit, 2011. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2011 at: http://peacewomen.org/assets/file/Resources/UN/ssr_womenlawenforcementzimbabwerau_rau_01march2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Police Misconduct (Zimbabwe) Shelf Number: 121007 |
Author: Partnership Africa Canada Title: Zimbabwe, Diamonds and the Wrong Side of History Summary: This report describes the role of diamonds in the Zimbabwean economy and their place in the country’s increasingly repressive governance. It describes growing evidence of smuggling, the militarization of diamond resources and the killing of dozens of unarmed diamond diggers by the police and armed forces of Zimbabwe. The report describes the lacklustre role in all of this played by the Kimberley Process, the multilateral body designed to regulate the world’s trade in rough diamonds, but whose members lack the initiative and the will required to investigate smuggling and non compliance, and who lack the courage required to denounce gross human rights violations in the diamond industry. The health of the world’s diamond market comes down to consumer choice. To maintain customer confidence, the onus is on the world’s diamond industry and the Kimberley Process to demonstrate beyond doubt that the diamonds it certifies are clean, and that questionable Zimbabwean goods are not tainting the wider world of diamonds. The report concludes with strong recommendations to the United Nations Security Council, the governments of Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the Kimberley Process. Our hope is that this report will strengthen the hand of Zimbabwe’s new Unity Government, safeguard human rights and put some backbone into the Kimberley Process. Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2009. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Occasional Paper # 18: Accessed November 8, 2011 at: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/18_Zimbabwe-Diamonds_March09-Eng.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Diamond Smuggling Shelf Number: 123260 |
Author: Fischer, Carolyn Title: Bioeconomic Model of Community Incentives for Wildlife Management Before and After CAMPFIRE Summary: This paper formulates a bioeconomic model to analyze community incentives for wildlife management under benefit-sharing programs like the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) in Zimbabwe. Two agents influence the wildlife stock: a parks agency determines hunting quotas, and a local community chooses to either aid or discourage outside poachers. Wildlife generates revenues from hunting licenses and tourism; it also intrudes on local agriculture. We consider two benefit-sharing regimes: shares of wildlife tourism rents and shares of hunting licenses. Resource sharing does not necessarily improve community welfare or incentives for wildlife conservation. Results depend on the exact design of the benefit shares, the size of the benefits compared with agricultural losses, and the way in which the parks agency sets hunting licenses. Details: Washington, DC: Resources for the Future, 2005. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper 05-06: Accessed May 8, 2012 at: http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-05-06.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Poaching Shelf Number: 125178 |
Author: Milliken, Tom Title: The Decline of the Black Rhino in Zimbabwe: Implications for Future Rhino Conservation Summary: This report presents an evaluation of Zimbabwe's Black Rhino conservation strategy in the face of continuous poaching and illegal trade in rhino horn, and an assessment of future options for rhino conservation. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC, 1993. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/123/1239704147.pdf Year: 1993 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Illegal Wildlife Trade Shelf Number: 128052 |
Author: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights Title: Pre-Trial Detention in Zimbabwe: Analysis of the Criminal Justice System and Conditions of Pre-Trial Detention Summary: This analysis of the criminal justice system and conditions of pre-trial detention in Zimbabwe was conducted to better understand the variance between the policy and legislative frameworks that govern pre-trial detention and the conditions in detention facilities in Zimbabwe, and to provide concrete recommendations to improve the situation. It was undertaken in the context of a country emerging from over a decade of socio-economic collapse, aspects of which had negatively affected the justice delivery system. Researched and produced by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Law Society of Zimbabwe, the study found that the number of pre-trial detainees was found to be high - approximately 30 percent of the total prison population - due to inefficiencies in the country's justice delivery system. Direct and indirect political control of the criminal justice system has also meant that the independence and neutrality of key institutions - such as the police, Attorney-General's office and the judiciary - has often been hindered. Severe underfunding, capacity constraints and poor conditions of service among institutions within the justice delivery system have also contributed to increasing inefficiency in caseflow management, which has resulted in unnecessarily prolonged stays for many PTDs. This excessive detention undoubtedly violates inmates' rights to freedom, dignity and a fair and speedy trial as enshrined in the constitution as well as in other national, regional and international statutes. The situation of human rights defenders and detainees held for political reasons was found to be worse, with political vendettas seemingly taking pre-eminence over the execution of justice. The conditions in pre-trial detention were found to be despicable and inhumane, and amounted to violations of the detainees' rights. The report also highlights the plight of female inmates, children incarcerated alongside their mothers and juvenile offenders, as well as other concerns, such as overcrowding in prisons, run-down infrastructure and the shortage of basic services, nutritious food and adequate clothing. The study concludes that, while the country has an apparently adequate legislative framework to enable the realisation of the rights of pre-trial detainees, the implementation of these legislative provisions remains the major obstacle - due primarily to funding shortages, institutional capacity constraints, and the slow recovery in the country's socio-political and economic fortunes. The report concludes with a number of key recommendations, including the establishment of an integrated caseflow management system to enable more rapid processing of cases; more effective implementation of the parole system; an increase in government funding to upgrade the infrastructure at detention facilities, and provide adequate nutrition and clothing; and an improvement in social amenities so as to meet humane standards of treatment for detainees. The report also argues that improved conditions of service for employees within various institutions in the criminal justice system - such as the police, prison services, Attorney-General's office and judiciary - would complement efforts to improve professionalism and efficiency in the country's justice delivery system. However, there is also an overarching need for socio-economic and political stability in Zimbabwe to pave the way for the creation of an environment that allows for the optimal functioning of the criminal justice system. Conclusions and Recommendations The study found that despite a strong legislative framework - ranging from the constitution to various acts of parliament and also regional and international statues mandating rights for pre- and post-trial detainees - there were a number of challenges at the implementation level. Among the key challenges was the poor administration of criminal procedure by law enforcement institutions and agents and the judiciary, which in many cases resulted in prejudice against pre-trial detainees and the violation of their rights. Many pre-trial detainees had faced prolonged pre-trial incarceration due to the failure by the police to fully investigate their cases, so that their cases were tossed back and forth between the police and the Attorney General's Office, and they were tossed back and forth between the courts and remand prison. Meanwhile, the lack of adequate resources within the judiciary and prison services resulted in inefficiency in dealing with trials and ensuring the pre-trial detainees spent the least amount of time possible awaiting trial. There are also serious concerns about the condition of detention centres, including overcrowding, dilapidated infrastructure, and inadequate food and clothing for inmates. Unfortunately, owing to many years of neglect and underfunding, there seemed to no sustainable solutions to these problems, despite the fact that non-state actors, such as NGOs, were working hard to try and improve conditions. Recommendations: Rights of pre-trial detainees To better safeguard the rights of pre-trial detainees, there is a need for: Increased awareness and implementation of the Constitutional provisions guaranteeing pre-trial detainees their rights while they are incarcerated by all key state institutions; - Increased use of non-custodial measures such as diversion, particularly for young offenders; - Increased cooperation between criminal justice institutions to ensure the efficient flow of cases from the moment of arrest until finalisation of a trial; and - Firm judicial control over every stage of criminal proceedings. Improving conditions of service for government employees - The government must improve conditions of services for all state institutions in the justice delivery system, which would help to minimise institutional lethargy, motivate employees, promote greater effectiveness and efficiency, and reduce corruption. Improving coordination between 'sentencing' and 'custodian' authorities - A liaison committee should be established to improve coordination between the ZPS and the judiciary to help alleviate overcrowding in prisons since there is reportedly no consultation or coordination at all between the 'sentencing authority' and the 'custodian authority', which cannot refuse to accept new inmates. Strengthening caseflow management - The government and its partners should develop and implement an integrated caseflow management system, enabled by effective ICT, which will result in an automated and quicker flow of cases using an electronic filing system. - A Caseflow Management Committee should also be established to ensure that cases in the Magistrates, High and Supreme Courts are dealt with expeditiously and that in future no-one spends months or years in remand prison. - The operation of the parole system, which allows prisoners serving long sentences to be eligible for release with specific conditions before the expiry of their sentences, needs to be enhanced. - Judges and magistrates should consider travelling to prisons to hold court hearings since this would reduce congestion in the courts and consequentially the number of remand prisoners. Improving prisoners' welfare - The government should immediately fund the repair of prison infrastructure across the country, and should engage other partners, such as donor organisations and the private sector, to assist. - The involvement of volunteers, community groups and NGOs should be increased to provide meaningful programmes for prisoners since these improve morale and reduce inmate idleness. - The government - through the Department of Social welfare and with support from non-state partners - should boost funding of the Zimbabwe Prison Services so that it can adequately care for pregnant women as well as infants and children who are incarcerated with their mothers and who need play areas, bedding, clothing and food for their growth, health and developmental needs. - Prison officers need to be trained to assist pregnant prisoners by learning how to assess risk and about their extra requirements in terms of diet, nutrition, and general prenatal care. - The rehabilitation aspect within the country's prisons - particularly the thrust towards providing inmates with sustainable social, technical and economic skills so that they can reintegrate more effectively into communities upon release - needs to be strengthened. The government should also enhance collaboration with NGOs to promote better community reintegration of offenders. - Inmates should be trained on preventative health care, including basic sanitation, food preparation and personal hygiene. - Prison officers should be trained to communicate with prisoners with hearing and speech impairments. Details: Harare: ZLHR, Law Society of Zimbabwe, 2013. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 13, 2014 at: http://www.osisa.org/sites/default/files/pre-trial_detention_in_zimbabwe.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Criminal Justice Systems Shelf Number: 131893 |
Author: Kock, Michael D. Title: Report on dehorning of black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhinoceroses in Zimbabwe Summary: Following the experimental dehorning exercise carried out on white rhinos in 1991 in Hwange National Park, only 6 white rhinos have been killed by poachers. Details: Harare: Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management, 1993. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/129/1293781295.pdf Year: 1993 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Animal Poaching Shelf Number: 131200 |
Author: Oosterom, Marjoke A. Title: Being a Born-free. Violence, Youth and Agency in Zimbabwe Summary: This research report presents the findings of case study research with youth in six locations in Zimbabwe, carried out within the Power, Violence, Citizenship and Agency (PVCA) programme. It shows how young people experience growing up as citizens in a country known for its repressive regime, and highlights the differences for young men and young women. Young people consider political violence as one of many forms of violence and other challenges they face in life. Election periods bring increased risk, when youth feel targeted. After the turbulence of elections has waned, surveillance by state security agents persists, affecting how young people use the public sphere. Between elections, forms of structural violence pose more challenges to youth than physical, political violence: patronage along party or ethnic lines is a major barrier to finding jobs, and generational differences deny young people a voice. High unemployment levels can result in youth participating in violence orchestrated by political actors. This research shows also that family and peers have a strong influence on how young people choose to engage in the public sphere and respond to the polarised political environment. Youth empowerment strategies thus need to go beyond economic empowerment. This report argues that a shift in vision is required so that government, aid agencies and civil society recognise the importance of active citizenship among youth and make it a priority area for interventions. Programmes should build the citizen capabilities of young people and improve relations between them, their parents and communities, and public authority. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, 2014. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: IDS Research Report 79: Accessed May 29, 2015 at: http://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/123456789/5366/RR79.pdf;jsessionid=828CFF16569E37B6076383FAED360331?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Delinquency Prevention Shelf Number: 135801 |
Author: Partnership Africa Canada Title: Reap What You Sow: Greed and Corruption in Zimbabwe's Marange Diamond Fields Summary: The Marange diamond fields of eastern Zimbabwe could be the country's salvation. Often described as the biggest diamond discovery of a generation, Marange has undoubtedly put Zimbabwe on the diamond map. Managed right, it could have been the transformational vehicle through which the country turns around its failing economic fortunes, while also serving as an example to other African countries blessed with mineral riches. But since its discovery in 2006, Marange's potential has been overshadowed by violence, smuggling, corruption, and most of all, lost opportunity. The chief custodian of Marange is Obert Mpofu, the country's Minister of Mines. For individuals or companies wanting to secure a mining concession to exploit a slice of Marange's riches, it is ostensibly Minister Mpofu that they need to convince of the merits of their application. After President Robert Mugabe, whose office is vested with the ultimate authority over the country's natural resources, Mpofu is in theory the gatekeeper and arbiter of everything to do with Marange. In practice, however, he has deferred many of these responsibilities to the country's military chiefs. His ministerial duties also require that he serve the public good and best interests of the Zimbabwean people by responsibly managing Marange. But on his watch, the world has seen perhaps the biggest single plunder of diamonds since Cecil Rhodes. Conservative estimates place the theft of Marange goods at almost $2 billion since 2008. Far from defending the best interests of Zimbabwe, Minister Mpofu has presided over a ministry that has awarded concessions to dubious individuals with no prior mining experience, often under very questionable terms or circumstances. Due diligence of miners has been an afterthought. As Minister he has solicited and approved applications from members of Zimbabwe's security forces, including those implicated in human rights abuses in Marange. There is little consistency in how concessions are awarded, other than to ensure the details of any deal are opaque and as far beyond the scrutiny of government ministers and the public as possible. The scale of illegality is mind blowing. One confidential geologist report cited by the August 2010 Kimberley Process Review Mission to Zimbabwe claimed "in excess of 10,000,000 carats have been removed by artisanal effort over the last three years" - an amount worth almost $600,000,000 at today's depressed prices. The Review Mission also estimated illegal mining at 60,000 carats a month, ranking the illicit Marange trade at between 7th and 10th in overall world diamond production. Hundreds of millions of dollars owed to Zimbabwe's Treasury have been lost in both illegal and legal trades. Determining the actual amount is impossible, but in February 2011 fiscal update the Finance Minister Tendai Biti complained US$300 million collected by Zimbabwean Minerals Development Corporation (ZMDC) and the Mineral Marketing Commission of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) - two parastatals under Mpofu's remit - had not arrived in state coffers. Details: Ottawa: Partnership Africa Canada, 2012, 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2016 at: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Reap_What_You_Sow-eng-Nov2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Corruption Shelf Number: 145375 |
Author: Sokwanele Title: "I Can Arrest You": The Zimbabwe Republic Police and Your Rights Summary: The swearing in of Zimbabwe's coalition government on February 11, 2009 took place five months after the signing of the power-sharing agreement and almost a year after the flawed and violence-ridden 2008 elections. In his inauguration speech, the new Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, said that the "culture of entitlement and impunity ... must end." Two years later, in their report of March 2011, titled: "Perpetual Fear - Impunity and Cycles of Violence in Zimbabwe", Human Rights Watch (HRW) wrote that human rights abuses and restoration of the Rule of Law, politically motivated violence and the lack of accountability for abuses remained a serious problem. HRW warned that members of the security forces, ZANU-PF and groups allied to ZANU-PF continued to commit human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and abductions, beatings, torture and killings of members and supporters of the former opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and those critical of the ZANU-PF and its officials. Today in Zimbabwe, more than three years into the shaky and widely discredited power-sharing arrangement, arrests are escalating, corruption is rampant, human rights violations are rising once more and the Rule of Law has not been restored. All indicators are there to alert Zimbabweans, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the international community that an increasingly desperate and unpopular ZANU-PF is gearing up for the next election. This report focuses on the risk of arrest at the hands of the partisan Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) under the command of Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri, who has publicly acknowledged his allegiance to ZANU-PF. Chihuri has served as police head since 1993 and his contract has been renewed by President Mugabe 13 times since 1997. Chihuri is a member of Joint Operations Command (JOC), the junta which continues to control Zimbabwe. In a country where the Rule of Law is no longer operational and the security forces operate with impunity, every citizen is vulnerable. A chance remark in a taxi, at a pub or even at a funeral could lead to arrest and possible incarceration in one of the country's disgracefully maintained jails. Those who stand up for their rights and join demonstrations or canvass for political parties other than ZANU-PF face possible arrest, severe beatings and torture in custody. Bribery and corruption have become rampant. In a survey published by Transparency International in 2011, Zimbabwe ranked 154 out of 182 countries in terms of its level of corruption. The ZRP topped the list as the most corrupt institution and stood out as the biggest recipient of bribes among service providers. The proliferation of roadblocks across Zimbabwe's appallingly maintained road network has lead to growing frustration among road users due to the inevitable delays and the demands for bribes from increasingly brazen police officers. Although one of the most important roles of a roadblock should be to reduce the number of vehicle accidents, their contribution is seen as questionable - and rather as a money-making racket both for the police force per se and also for individual self-enrichment. The controversy surrounding the roadblocks extends beyond bribery and corruption to their more sinister roles during elections: their use as a mechanism for blocking food aid to opposition strongholds, for stopping people injured in election violence from seeking medical help and to prevent opposition officials and activists from canvassing or holding rallies. After explaining the legitimate roles of roadblocks, the report gives advice to citizens on their legal rights and provides recommendations on how to deal with police harassment and implicit or overt requests for bribes. In a section describing corruption within the ZRP as "endemic", the report provides examples in a range that includes plundering stolen properties, collusion with bag snatchers, extorting bribes from taxi drivers, demanding bribes at roadblocks, protection rackets, perverting the ends of justice, setting up diamond syndicates and murdering illegal or unlicenced miners for financial gain. Judges have also criticised police investigations of cases where vital information given to the police by State witnesses has been omitted from formal witness statements produced in court in favour of the defence. Furthermore, ZANU-PF members who have murdered MDC supporters have been freed on bail and remain at liberty. The evidence of good policing is the absence of crime. It must be subject to the Rule of Law, rather than the wishes of a powerful leader or party. It can intervene in the life of citizens only under limited and carefully controlled circumstances - and it is publicly accountable. The report explains the differences between civil policing and political policing. It also defines secret policing, where an authoritarian regime uses the police as an agent of political oppression. Citizens within a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views - which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement. The police force of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), was created by Chapter IX of the (Independence) Constitution of 1979, signed at the Lancaster House Conference. It is governed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe - which has been amended 19 times over the past 33 years - and by the Police Act. The current head of the ZRP, Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri, has served as police head since 1993 and has had his contract renewed by President Mugabe 13 times since 1997. The ZRP is bound by many international human rights standards. It is also a member of SARPCCO, a regional professional association which is committed to disseminating best practices and raising the standard of policing, including the respect for human rights. Not only is the ZRP guilty of perpetrating gross human rights, with many of the victims being opposition activists and supporters, but it is also guilty of abusing its own members. Zimbabweans and the international community were shocked in June 2009 when a secretly filmed two-minute video on You-Tube showed ZRP recruits being beaten while undergoing 'training' in Harare. Each recruit was forced to lie down and was then beaten by 'trainers' with batons, some more viciously than others, a process reportedly referred to as 'pay day'. The concept of "The Rule of Law", and the differences between "The Rule of Law" and "Rule by Law" are explained, with reference to the Constitution - and to people's rights according to the Constitution. The conclusion warns the ZRP that it faces millions of US dollars worth of law suits from political activists and human rights defenders who are claiming compensation for torture, wrongful arrest or abduction. Furthermore, a South African High Court ruled on May 8, 2012 that the South African authorities must investigate Zimbabwean officials who are accused of involvement in torture and crimes against humanity in Zimbabwe. Details: Zimbabwe: Sokwanele, 2012. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2017 at: http://acjr.org.za/resource-centre/Sokwanele-report-i-can-arrest-you.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Human Rights Abuses Shelf Number: 146699 |
Author: Global Witness Title: An Inside Job: Zimbabwe: The State, The Security Forces, and a Decade of Disappearing Diamonds Summary: Global Witness has uncovered new evidence linking Zimbabwe's state and partisan security forces to a decade of disappearing diamond wealth. Despite offering early promise and hope, diamonds have failed to benefit the Zimbabwean people. Instead, they have provided secret off-budget funding for state security forces consistently implicated in their oppression. As elections and a divisive presidential succession struggle loom, this has serious implications for Zimbabwe's democratic future, and casts serious doubt on President Mugabe's claim that private investors are solely to blame for billions of dollars of missing diamond revenues. Details: London: Global Witness, 2017. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 12, 2017 at: file:///C:/Users/pschultze/Downloads/GW_Zim_diamonds_An_inside_job__report_download_sng%20(1).pdf Year: 2017 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Diamonds Shelf Number: 147225 |
Author: University of Edinburgh Title: A Secondary Analysis of Data from Childline Zimbabwe. Summary: KEY FINDINGS - In 2014, Childline received a total of 15,446 reports; half were received by the helpline and the other half came in through one of its 31 drop-in centres located across the country. - Fifty-four per cent of all reports received in 2014 were about abuse, at a rate of 123.9 reports per 100,000 children; the remaining 46 per cent were reports of "children in need", at a rate of 106.9 per 100,000 children. - Slightly more than one in three (39 per cent) reports of abuse received in 2014 were about sexual abuse, followed by neglect (25 per cent), physical abuse (22 per cent), emotional abuse (12 per cent) and bullying (2 per cent). - Among all reports of abuse in 2014, around two in three (70 per cent) were reports about girls compared to one in three about boys (30 per cent). - Among girls reported to have experienced some form of abuse in 2014, the majority were reported as having experienced sexual abuse while the largest proportion of reports received about boys were for reasons of neglect. - Of all reports of abuse received by the helpline for both sexes in 2014, around one in three were reports about children between the ages of 13 and 15 years. - Fifty-five per cent of abuse reports about girls received by the helpline in 2014 were about those aged 13-17 years compared to 36 per cent of abuse reports made about boys for this age group. - Reports of sexual abuse received by the helpline in 2014 were more common among older age groups than younger ones, while neglect and physical abuse became less commonly reported. - Across all age groups of boys, the most commonly reported forms of abuse received by the helpline in 2014 were physical abuse and neglect; reports related to sexual abuse against girls increased with age. - At most drop-in centres in 2014, reports of abuse about girls were more likely than those about boys. - There was a 21 per cent increase in the number of reports received by Childline between 2011 and 2014. - Between 2011 and 2014, there was a 163 per cent increase in reports received by the helpline while there was a 20 per cent decrease in reports received by drop-in centres over this same time period. - Reports about sexual abuse received by Childline (through both the helpline and drop-in centres) showed a 100 per cent increase during the four-year period from 2011 to 2014. - Reports of abuse received about girls remained consistently higher than those received about boys between 2011 and 2014. - Childline has seen a 70 and 80 per cent increase in the number of reports of physical abuse against boys and girls, respectively, between 2011 and 2014; there has also been a 109 per cent increase in the number of reports of sexual abuse against girls during this time period. Details: Harare, UNICEF, 2016. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 6, 2017 at: https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/161020_Unicef_UZ_01_Final_Secondary_analysis.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 148747 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: A Bitter Harvest: Child Labor and Human Rights Abuses on Tobacco Farms in Zimbabwe Summary: Zimbabwe is the world's sixth-largest tobacco producer, and the crop is the country's most valuable export commodity, generating US$933 million in 2016. Human RightsWatch found child labor and human rights abuses on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe risk undermining the sector's contributions to economic growth and improved livelihoods. A Bitter Harvest-based on interviews with 125 people working in tobacco farming-documents how children work in hazardous conditions on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe, often performing tasks that threaten their health and safety or interfere with their education. Child workers are exposed to nicotine and toxic pesticides, and many suffer symptoms consistent with nicotine poisoning from handling tobacco leaves. Adults working on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe also face serious health risks and labor exploitation. The government and companies have not provided small-scale farmers and hired workers with enough information, training, and equipment to protect themselves from nicotine poisoning and pesticide exposure. Employers on some large-scale farms push hired workers to work excessive hours without overtime compensation, and deny or delay their wages, forcing workers to go weeks or months without pay. Tobacco grown in Zimbabwe is purchased by some of the largest multinational tobacco companies in the world. Human Rights Watch urges Zimbabwean authorities and tobacco companies to take urgent steps to end child labor and address the human rights abuses faced by small-scale farmers and hired workers sustaining the tobacco industry Details: New York: HRW, 2018. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2018 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/zimbabwe0418_web_2.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Child Labor Shelf Number: 150385 |
Author: Kasipo, Mafaro Title: Political Transition in Zimbabwe. A New Era for Organized Crime? Summary: This policy brief constitutes a first step towards developing more comprehensive assessments that will broaden our understanding of organized crime and illicit markets in Zimbabwe. It analyzes the development of illicit economies during the three periods of political transition that occurred in Zimbabwe since the country attained independence in 1980, and looks ahead to the current phase of transition under its new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose young administration was cemented by victory for his party at the polls on 30 July 2018.The brief outlines the relationship between Zimbabwe's political transitions and its illicit economies, in particular the central role played by the state in controlling, shaping and benefiting from organized crime. Certain forms of state-sponsored illicit activity have been prevalent during specific phases in Zimbabwe's political trajectory, but are not exclusive to those transitions.In Zimbabwean politics, illicit economies have been a mainstay of the patronage system that ensured that the ruling party, ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front), remained in power for 37 years under Robert Mugabe. Arguably, therefore, there is a possibility that illicit economies will continue to pose a threat to the implementation of a legitimate constitutional democracy in the post-Mugabe era. Details: Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2018. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 4, 2018 at: http://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TGIATOC-Zim-Organised-Crime-Report-WEB.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Illicit Markets Shelf Number: 151343 |
Author: Fry, Deborah Title: Addressing Social Norms that Underpin Violence Against Children in Zimbabwe: Findings and Strategic Planning Document Summary: Executive summary This report highlights key findings from a social norms study conducted in Zimbabwe to understand the drivers of violence affecting children. Many drivers of violence against children may not be social in nature and instead are related to structural or interpersonal risk factors. However, many drivers of violence are normative in nature. In order to prevent the root causes of these manifestations of violence, we need to understand the elements of what makes a belief a social norm. Several theorists have written about what defines a social norm and how best to measure social norms. Many agree there are four key tenants: (1) measuring ones beliefs about others, (2) their social expectations, (3) who they believe the reference group is - or those people important for the decision or behaviour in question and, (4) the anticipated reaction of others to following or not following the social norm in the form of possible sanctions. This document describes the social norms findings from the study across four areas: 1. Child marriage 2. Intersections of violence and adolescent sexual and reproductive health 3. Adolescent relationship violence 4. Violence in educational settings focusing specifically on corporal punishment in schools and violence in 'bush boarding' or informal school accommodation arrangements. Particular attention is paid to the intersections of age, gender and disability and, based on the data, theories of change are proposed. These theories represent a comprehensive description and illustration of how and why a desired change to social norms is expected to happen in a particular context for the issues identified. Key findings There are several normative beliefs and expectations that are common across topic areas. By unpacking these similarities and differences, programming can be enhanced to achieve more effective results with limited resources. Details: Harare: Ministry of Public Services, Labour and Social Welfare, 2016. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 1, 2018 at: https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/Social_Norms_and_VAC.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Adolescent Relationship Violence Shelf Number: 153135 |
Author: United Nations Industrial Development Organization Title: Follow the Money: Zimbabwe. A Rapid Assessment of Gold Supply Chains and Financial Flows Linked to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Zimbabwe Summary: This report provides a rapid assessment of the gold supply chains, financial flows, and power dynamics of the Zimbabwe ASGM sector and related gold trade, and a baseline for this type of analysis. Research consisted of a desk review and a limited number of key informant interviews conducted in Zimbabwe by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) in Harare and the Mutare district of Manicaland province in December 2017. Interviews were conducted with small number of key informants from various government bodies, including the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development (MMMD) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), as well as civil society organisations active in the sector, and private sector actors directly engaged in ASGM and the related gold trade. Of particular, note, the 2015 Pact report A Golden Opportunity: Scoping Study of Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining in Zimbabwe played an important role in informing this report. Pact used a mix of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis in the Kadoma and Shurugwi districts in the Mashonaland West and Midlands provinces respectively to inform the report. Details: Vienna; Geneva: Authors, 2019. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 24, 2019 at: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Zimbabwe-ASGM_28.04.18_0-1.pdf Year: 2019 Country: Zimbabwe Keywords: Gold Trade Shelf Number: 156611 |