Highlights

Report of the 2012 International Conference on Transitional Juctice

May 17, 2013

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum today presents the report of the International Conference on Tra...

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Human rights monitoring report, February 2013 by The Zimbabwe Peace Project

May 7, 2013

Executive Summary February 2013 saw the government and President Robert Mugabe proclaiming the date for the constitutional referendum March 16, 2013. The proclamation set the stage for political parties in the inclusive government to campaign for a “yes” vote. Although the move did not see any significant movement in the number of cases of politically motivated violence, a number of political meetings were reportedly banned raising tensions across the country. On the legal front the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) led by Professor Lovemore Madhuku challenged the referendum date arguing that the date would not give enough time for other political actors to campaign and let alone for the public to be able to access the draft constitution. The month under review saw an escalation of the Zimbabwean state’s campaign against prodemocracy and human rights organisations with a series of office raids followed by confiscation of documents and arrests. The death of twelve year old Simbara...

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Referendum Report by Zimbabwe Election Support Network

April 25, 2013

On the 16th March 2013, the people of Zimbabwe voted in a historic Referendum for the New Constitution for their country, the second time they have done so since achieving independence in 1980. The first time was in February 2000 when citizens rejected the draft constitution but 13 years later, they overwhelmingly endorsed the draft supreme law. This paves the way for the enactment of the draft into the substantive new constitution for the country, signalling the end of a long and rugged road. This also clears the way for the anticipated watershed elections before the end of the year, bringing to an end a fragile coalition government. The draft constitution followed a protracted and highly contested process led by the Parliamentary Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) drawn from Members of a two chamber Parliament of Zimbabwe in April 2009. COPAC reflected the composition of the 7th Parliament (2008-2013) in terms of the three parties to the Global Political Agreement signed in Septem...

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Bulletin 82: Human rights monitoring: Role and significance

April 25, 2013

This human rights bulletin explains the role and significance of human rights monitoring, whose legitimacy has been questioned and after human right monitors have been subjected to incessant attacks. Read more …Bulletin 82 English

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Violence against women and children: A preliminary study into societal perceptions

April 18, 2013

Executive Summary Violence against women and children is a common phenomenon in Zimbabwe. It occurs, both in the private and public spheres, catalysed by a number of factors that stem from the way in which society is structured. These factors include culture, tradition, religion, politics, and the economy. These factors contribute to shaping societal perceptions of why violence against women occurs, how society perceives the victim and the perpetrator, and how society responds to address cases of violence against women. Amidst all the other forms of violence against women such as wife battering and ritual killings, rape and other forms of sexual violence are becoming increasing social ills in Zimbabwean society. In order to gain some understanding about public perceptions of sexual violence, RAU carried a small preliminary study. This report is based on the results of this study, which was done through the administration of a questionnaire prepared by RAU with a special focus on rape a...

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Proposed ‘proportional representation’ requires clarity

April 17, 2013

In this article, Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) discusses the issue of proportional representation as proposed in the new constitution which stipulates that an Act of Parliament must provide for the conduct of elections, and in particular, for a system of proportional representation for the election of persons to the seats in the Senate, the seats reserved for women in the National Assembly and the procedure for filling vacancies in those seats. RAU concludes that’it is apparent, at least as far as the main political parties are concerned, that issues relating to proportional representation presently fall with the group of unknown unknowns’. Read more here: Proportional representation

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Quantitative comparative analysis of 2008 elections & 2013 Referendum

April 17, 2013

Zimbabwe Elections support Network compiled this quantitative comparative analysis of the Zimbabwe Election commission 2008 Parliamentary results & 2013 Referendum Results. View the analysis here: Comparison of ZEC March 2008 harmonised results & 2013 Referendum results

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The need to sort out the electoral system before elections

April 17, 2013

In this paper, Professor Elklit of Aarhus University argues that prior to the implementation of the constitution, a number of politically delicate issues must be looked into. Decisions on these issues will be a precondition for organizing the new elections. To name a few of these examples, it is unclear as to what proportional representation (PR) system shall be used. It is also unclear how many candidates that political parties will be required to have on their party lists and whether those candidates will be allowed to stand in one or more races.He concludes that this situation can best be characterised as unfinished business by the politicians and it means that political parties in Zimbabwe cannot hold their primaries and decide on their candidates until they know what the rules of the game(s) will be. It will also not be possible to hold Nomination Courts and the Zimbabwean Election Commission (ZEC) cannot seriously start to prepare for the election, including the procurement of ba...

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Calls for Zimbabwe to halt ongoing suppressions and respect fundamental freedoms

April 12, 2013

(Banjul—April 9, 2013; On behalf of Zimbabwean Civil Society Organisations, The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum has calledupon the Government of Zimbabwe to respect the rule of lawa and all the rights enshrined in the African Charter, in their submissions to the ongoing 53rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission. Read more here: ACHPR statement by the Forum on March 2013 On the sidelines of the same Session, The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights (RFK Center), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), and the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (NGO Forum) hosted a gathering of over 50 of Africa’s top human rights advocates in Banjul, The Gambia yesterday to discuss the current shrinking space for civil society in Zimbabwe. Read more here: RFK Centre, ZLHR&NGO Forum Highlight Pattern Of Suppression In Zimbabwe

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State levels new allegations agaisnt Mutetwa

April 9, 2013

THE Attorney General’s Office has concocted new ludicrous allegations against prominent human rights lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, in a desperate bid to bolster its case against the feisty legal practitioner. State prosecutors on Friday 5 April 2013 served the human rights lawyer’s attorneys with the concocted allegations together with State papers to prepare for her trial which commences on 27 May 2013 and is expected to last until 31 May 2013 at Harare Magistrates Court. A perusal of the State papers show that prosecutors have now supplemented the State papers by adding new allegations that were previously not included in the original State papers used during Mtetwa’s initial remand proceedings last month. The State has now embellished its papers with new allegations, which now reads: “ Stop whatever you are doing, it’s unconstitutional, illegal and undemocratic. You confused cockroaches” as well as “Murimbwa dzaMugabe” which prosecutors translated to mean “You are Mugabe’s dogs”. In the ...

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The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum) is a coalition of nineteen human rights NGOs in Zimbabwe.

Its mission is to reduce organized violence and torture, cruel inhuman and degrading treatment; to challenge impunity and to foster a culture of accountability and the building of institutions of non-violence, tolerance and the respect for human rights in Zimbabwe.

The Forum’s activities include transitional justice work, research and documentation, and public interest litigation. Learn more about us.

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