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Human rights monitoring report - September 2007
Zimbabwe Peace Project
November 08, 2007

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Executive Summary

Partisan Distribution of food and other forms of Aid is the first national report to be produced by Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) in 2007 after the pilot project carried out in Manicaland between August and October 2006.

The major objective of producing this report is to avail adequate information based on live cases of food violations in Zimbabwean communities. This is intended to enhance awareness on the food violations in a bid to curtail the practice by calling on the stakeholders, chief of which is the Government to be responsible for the citizens' food welfare and to desist from violations.

A total of 267 cases of food related violations are recorded in this report. Masvingo and Midlands recorded the highest incidents of partisan distribution of food. The highest percentage of victims by political party affiliation were members of MDC with 70% of victims, followed by 8% victims from Zanu PF, 19% were non affiliated. A total of 3% victims were recorded from the NGO sector country wide.

The major findings emanating from this report are that cases of discrimination on political party affiliation and participation in NGO activities are abound in the food distribution process. In all provinces, distribution of food and seed from the Grain Marketing Board was the most polarised aid. Traditional leaders, councillors and community food committees mostly recommended by Zanu PF leaders orchestrated the removal of non-ruling party members from the list of beneficiaries. Beneficiaries were expected to chant ruling party slogans and to produce party affiliation cards before receiving food.

MDC party members were mostly at the receiving end of the food related violations but there were two recorded incidents in Manicaland where MDC members orchestrated violence against distributors of food who were known to be affiliated to Zanu PF.

A total of 30 incidents are outlined in the report were children's rights to food were violated. Five cases of unwanted sexual advances and harassment in exchange of food were highlighted.

Eight cases of abduction, three of malicious damage to property 13 of physical attack and one case of grievous bodily harm were recorded in the food related violence in all the country's provinces under review.

Thousands of Zimbabweans are going hungry as access to food continues to diminish. Food is a human right recognised in international human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 and the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, 1966 which Zimbabwe upholds.

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