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ZPP September 2008 human rights violations report
Zimbabwe Peace Project
September 2008

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Overview

Background

Fifteen September 2008 is poised to leave an indelible imprint in Zimbabwe's protracted search for lasting national peace and socioeconomic stability. The day was witness to the signing of a historic power-sharing Agreement between ZANU PF and the MDC factions which should form the basis for an all-inclusive Government. Among other things, the deal saw the appointment of the leadership of the MDC faction as Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister-designates with signatories making public commitments to walk the Agreement by forming an all-inclusive Cabinet. The fanfare, pomp, and conciliatory language and global glare that graced the occasion carried the promise of the dawn of a new era characterized by political tolerance, social healing and nation building.

Despite this promising start, the historic deal is yet to take off as all efforts at implementing the deal ended in deadlocks with the political leadership reportedly disagreeing on the sharing of ministries, especially the strategic ministries of defence, home affairs, information, finance and justice.

The political deal appears under siege with forces opposed to an all-inclusive Government reportedly re-grouping and re-strategizing to ensure that the deal hardly sees the light of the day. Provincial reports suggest that the deal was grudgingly received by its key stakeholders with some high profile hardliners reportedly ridiculing it as a sell-out Agreement. Its take off was further weakened by the fact that signatures were put on paper before the signatories agreed on how ministries will be shared. A cloud of mistrust also lingers among the signatories to the deal, scenarios that have relegated all power sharing enforcement efforts to a circus of deadlocks and reverse jiving with negotiations going one step forward only to go five steps backwards. The political-will to sustain the power-sharing momentum is visibly low with unilateralism and winner-take-all inclinations taking centre stage. Unilateral allocation of ministries with all key ministries reportedly under ZANU PF may be interpreted as flying in the spirit of power-sharing. In fact, as the historic month came to a close, visible progress was yet to be realized.

Observed scenarios

Despite the signing of the 15 September power-sharing Agreement, the idea of an all-inclusive Government is yet to be fully accepted within ZANU PF structures with some war veterans reportedly moving around telling people not to believe ZTV and radio explanations about the all-inclusive Government. In fact, in most provinces, meetings by MDC councillors and MPs are reportedly denied by chiefs and village heads or youths.

Political intolerance remains on the low side with anti-MDC slogans still gracing most ZANU PF rallies, print and electronic media. Since the signing of the deal there has been an upsurge in incidents of intra party violence with members of the same political party reportedly clashing over differences on the 15 September Agreement. MDC members are still viewed as sell-outs with incidents of people being harassed and assaulted for being members of the MDC, for attending MDC T meetings, wearing opposition regalia, commenting on the economy and inter-party Talks, for celebrating the signing of the 15 September Agreement or the appointment of the MDC President as Prime Minister -designate, among other things.

While physical violence has visibly subsided, verbal and psychological violence remains cause for concern with most political language evidently discriminatory, intimidating and abusive. Those who returned to their villages after the signing of the 15 September political deal are reportedly going through gruelling interrogations, assaulted, and in some cases made to pay acceptance fines and in the event of failure threatened with eviction.

While this feet-dragging and preoccupation with power continues unabated, all is not well a-ground as the 220 million inflation rate has virtually reduced the bulk of Zimbabweans to perpetual window-shoppers ever racing behind soaring prices. For the first time since independence, public examinations [Grade Seven, O and A-levels] have been postponed following a full-term of no learning in schools while State Universities remain indefinitely closed reportedly because the requisite infrastructures are not in place.

The continued political impasse is also having its toll on the food situation in the country with all provinces reportedly food-disaster zones. According to a recently released World Food Programme report, 2 million Zimbabweans facing starvation while by January 2009 the number is projected to have increased to 5 million. GSF sources are reportedly bulking under pressure with some GMB outlets going for months without maize supplies, scenarios that have seen some villagers surviving on wild fruits and boiled vegetables. While thee ban on food relief agencies has been lifted, there have been delays in NGO food distribution as a number of these relief agencies are reportedly still facing some operational constraints. Food politics, looting and diversion of GMB maize meant for the starving villagers as well as selling of scarce maize in foreign currency has reportedly worsened the food crisis in Zimbabwe.

In some provinces, it is reportedly pay-back-time for those that fomented violence in the run up to the 27 June elections with reports that brutalised and harassed Mudzi villagers are now demanding justice for the alleged misdeeds of ZANU PF militias by employing unorthodox means-the use of voodoo, a development that has reportedly had a devastating psychological impact on the ringleaders of the command bases.

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