According to a recent report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Zimbabwe authorities have come under fire for their inability to guarantee a free and fair electoral process in the impending general election on August 23. The report emerged from a two-week-long investigation, involving interviews with representatives from the main opposition party, election observer groups, lawyers, human rights activists, and the general populace.
The researchers maintain that Zimbabwe has failed to ensure the basic human rights outlined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as well as the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
Among the issues raised in the report are accounts of measures employed by Zimbabwe authorities to obstruct opposition party gatherings. As per a survey from the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, the ruling party, Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), allegedly used the police and military resources to prevent political rallies led by opposition parties, especially in rural regions where large populations reside. In contrast, ZANU-PF appears to have encountered no such constraints when organizing meetings and rallies.
Notably, 25 members of the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC), the largest opposition party, were arrested by the police in January. Additionally, the report flagged the ruling party’s alleged manipulation of the judicial system for detainment and arbitrary conviction of political adversaries. In a prominent example, CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere was convicted for “publishing or communicating falsehoods” in April.
In the recent past, the Zimbabwe government has passed legislation that heavily restricts freedom of movement, association, and assembly. The 2019 Maintenance of Peace and Order Act grants regulatory powers to the police over public meetings and events. An amendment to the Private Voluntary Organization Act is poised to further curb the operation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), particularly those affiliated politically in the government’s viewpoint.
In the wake of these findings, HRW has urged Zimbabwe authorities to eliminate all improper and unlawful interference in the election-related activities that are safeguarded by domestic, regional, and international human rights law and standards.
The full report on these findings can be read in detail here.