Watchdog: Traditional Leaders Responsible For Nearly Half Of Human Rights Violations In Rural Areas

Traditional leaders in Zimbabwe have been accused by a leading human rights watchdog of being responsible for nearly half of the human rights violations occurring in rural areas. Civil society organizations (CSOs) have been closely monitoring human rights abuses across the country and are concerned that traditional leaders have shifted their focus from leading community development to actively involving themselves in partisan politics.

These allegations have emerged in the wake of reports that traditional leaders have been engaging in intimidation, abuse, and the politicisation of food aid distribution programs. According to Tapiwanashe Chiriga, an advocacy officer from Heal Zimbabwe Trust, traditional leaders accounted for 40% of all human rights violations in Zimbabwe this year alone. Chiriga told NewsDay:

In the run-up to the 2023 elections, village heads were illegally appointed ZANU PF cell chairs and became the epicentre of a litany of human rights abuses including but not limited to intimidation, partisan deprivation of government aid, forced attendance and participation of their subjects at ZANU PF meetings, rallies and activities.

On election day, they marshalled their subjects to the polling stations forcing them to vote for the ruling party. 

The continued partisan conduct by these traditional leaders is largely a result of ignorance of the law and the few who know the law are afraid of losing their positions thanks to ZANU PF’s control of appointment processes. Some have been forced to support the ruling party because of the politics of patronage.

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Chiriga stressed the need for traditional leaders to adhere to their constitutional mandate and protect the rights of their communities.

Wilbert Mandinde, the acting director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, expressed concern over the increasing politicisation of traditional leaders, accusing them of aligning themselves with specific political parties and abusing their authority. Mandinde stated that some traditional leaders have overstepped their boundaries and engaged in issues of political violence, which is beyond their mandate.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) recently reported that traditional leaders engaged in voter intimidation by identifying and taking down the names of those who voted for opposition parties. These actions raise significant concerns about the impartiality and integrity of traditional leaders.

In a policy brief released in June 2022, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) noted that traditional leaders have been characterised as “willing enablers” of the ruling party, with allegations of their involvement in politically-motivated violence, electoral malpractices, and partisan distribution of food aid. ZimRights expressed concern that traditional leaders have become an extension of ZANU PF, eroding the institution’s local ownership and compromising its neutrality.

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