Supporters of opposition political parties in Zimbabwe are reportedly being removed from the lists of beneficiaries for food aid and farming inputs distribution in rural areas.
According to the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) Monthly Monitoring Report for September 2024, the distribution of food aid is occurring along partisan lines.
The report highlights nine separate incidents in which a total of 85 individuals were denied aid due to their political affiliations. Reads part of the report:
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In one of the 19 villages in Ward 8 in Vungu district, only 14 families have been benefiting from government-sponsored food aid in a village of about 65 families.
The narration from some of the victims indicates that when a decision to increase the number of beneficiary households was made, instead of adding from the rest of the families in the village, additional beneficiaries from the ruling party were added from other villages because the rest of the families were deemed unfit due to their political affiliations.
One of the victims narrated: “We are not getting the food rations because they say go and feed from your Father’s plate. We are not even told about the distribution but sometimes we are told by people that our names were on the list and were called out but we do not get the food, meaning someone is benefitting on our behalf”.
In Mwenezi North’s Ward 4, Kraal Head Chitemere is accused of only issuing the Pfumbvudza inputs solely to ruling party supporters, further marginalizing those who do not align with the political elite.
In Mwenezi North, Ward 4 Kraal Head Chitemere of Village 2, discriminately excluded two families from potential beneficiaries of fertiliser under the Pfumvudza supporting scheme stating that they never attend ZANU PF meetings and were not participating in the party activities. He declared the seedling program was for ruling party supporters only.
The families, facing a hostile environment, requested a letter from Chitemere to relocate to other villages but were denied, labelling them CCC members and claiming their movement to other villages would negatively impact others.
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Traditional leaders are reportedly forcing villagers to participate in labour-intensive infrastructure projects, presenting these initiatives as part of a “food for work” program. Reads the report:
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These have been noted in Vungu district in Midlands, Masvingo North, Bikita East, Gutu Central and Mutare North among others. In Ward 10, Mutare North in Manicaland, kraalhead Phanuel Hama Marange is leading the villagers who benefit from the social welfare distributed food aid in making damaged roads.
The villagers work with bare hands and use their own tools such as shovels, wheelbarrows and hoes.
Reports also state that villagers are fined US$1 should they absent themselves. In a similar incident in Bikita South in Masvingo, villagers who wanted to benefit from food aid were assigned duties under the food for work program and worked for two months but have not received the promised aid.
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Opposition supporters in Zimbabwe are being denied food aid and farming inputs because of their political affiliations. The Zimbabwe Peace Project found that 85 individuals were denied help because of their links to opposition parties. Traditional leaders are making villagers work on infrastructure projects in exchange for food aid, with some facing fines if they don't participate. The situation is worsening for opposition supporters in rural areas, with even aid distribution being done along party lines. This unfair treatment is causing hardship for those who don't support the ruling party.

Opposition Supporters Denied Food Aid In Rural Areas | Report

Suspected ZANU PF activists allegedly assaulted members of the opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) at Siabuzuba Business Centre in Binga on 30 November 2022.
According to the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), two of the victims of the assault were injured and admitted to Binga Hospital. ZPP said in a statament:
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A ZANU PF campaigning team assaulted CCC members ahead of the 3 December by-elections. Two of the victims who were injured were Zuze Dube of Samende AND Delampuli of Fulunga village. They were injured and admitted at Binga Hospital.
The assailants included George Chasombwa, Jamutias, Candidate Misheck Mwinde, and MacDonald Siamwebo.
It is alleged that the assailants used logs and knobkerries to carry out the assault. Tumune the son of MP Gabhuza was beaten his CCC T-shirt was taken as he was stripped naked.
Assistant District Administrator Marinyame, a ZANU PF member, was also beaten at Kariyangwe by these unknown people around 1700hrs.
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ZPP said the matter was reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

CCC Activists Attacked And Injured In Binga - ZPP

The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) has condemned the politicisation of education after ZANU PF and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education reportedly assigned teachers to mobilise learners for anti-sanctions marches on Tuesday, 25 October.
In a statement, ZPP said it was regrettable that learners were made to abandon lessons and take part in the march at a time some of them are writing public examinations. ZPP said:
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ZPP reports that the ruling party ZANU PF has mobilised pupils from different schools in Harare to convene for an anti-sanctions march and exhibition at Moffat Primary School in Arcadia, Harare. 
The activity is being engineered by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Some teachers across the province have been assigned to mobilise pupils to do arts, particularly poetry, drama, and traditional dances during the anti-sanctions campaign.
This is in violation of Section 75 (a) of the Constitution which states that all citizens and permanent residents of Zimbabwe have a right to education.
This is also during the time students are sitting for their final examinations. ZPP condemns the politicisation of the education system.
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ZANU PF Mobilised Schoolchildren For Anti-sanctions March - ZPP

The ZANU PF Central Committee elections held over the weekend were marred by violence, disenfranchisement, and vote buying, a Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) report claims.
The Central Committee is ZANU PF’s highest decision-making body outside Congress and members were contesting for 304 positions.
In its report, ZPP said some war veterans were blocked from voting in Kadoma while in Zvimba South, Phillip Chiyangwa reportedly bussed his supporters and booked them for a sleepover at his rural home. Reads the report:
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Elections in Kadoma were marred by violence. Absolom Zvidzai won 32 votes against 30 for Jimayi Muduuri and some war veterans were not allowed to vote.
In Chimanimani there are 4 candidates namely Joshua Sacco, Nokuthoula Matsikenyere, a Mrs Chikuni and David Chemweisaziya. These candidates have cases of vote buying in their area.
In Zvimba South in ward 6 legislator Chiyangwa Philip bused at least 40 party supporters to his rural home.
A beast was slaughtered and other district members were booked rooms for a sleepover at Murombedzi growth point and the rest were accommodated at his rural home.
Ziyambi Ziyambi who is in Zvimba West reportedly offered voters cell phones and other lucrative items.
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Violence, Vote-buying, Disenfranchisement Marred ZANU PF Elections - ZPP

The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) has said it recorded 257 human rights violations in August, with ZANU PF and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) being the main perpetrators.
In its report titled “Politics Ruling the law in Zimbabwe”, ZPP said ZANU PF was responsible for 51% of the human rights violations. Part of the report reads:
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In August, ZPP monitored and documented 257 human rights violations, with 3,321 victims identified [2,334 Males and 987 Females, including 31 (14M/17F) people with disabilities (PWDs).
The majority of human rights cases were perpetrated by the ZANU PF party, responsible for 51% of the violations, followed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) at 28%.
The general citizens populated the highest percentage of victims, 89%, and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters followed with 11%.
Law enforcement agents and the ruling party have collectively subjected the citizens of Zimbabwe to gross human rights violations.
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ZPP also said there was systematic intimidation of opposition members by suspected ZANU PF activists, with traditional leaders playing a significant role in instilling fear into the populace. | <a href="https://cite.org.zw/257-human-rights-abuses-recorded-in-august/">CITE</a>

Zimbabwe Peace Project Records 257 Human Rights Abuses In August

The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), a local human rights pressure group says the country has joined the league of the world’s repressive government.
ZPP made the assertions in its monthly report for September, noting that the government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa has continuously used the Covid-19 pandemic to stifle rights and freedoms of citizens. Reads the report:
<blockquote>In September, Zimbabwe turned the corner and joined, full time, the dark list of the world’s repressive regimes, where citizens are reduced to nothing but subjects who are not part to deciding how the country is run in sharp contrast to the tenets of democracy and good governance.
As has been the case for the past six months, government continued to use Covid-19 as an excuse to stifle rights and freedoms guaranteed by the supreme law, and as evidenced by the nature of human rights violations this month, the violations went a notch up, and were more than ever before, systematic and methodical.</blockquote>
The report comes at the backdrop of an increase in the number of alleged state security brutality against the citizenry and government critics.
The pressure group also said collective action and dialogue were needed but observed that was a long call since the ruling Zanu PF and government are in denial that there is a crisis in the country.
The recommendations are made when previous efforts to bring all stakeholders to the table were in vain mainly because of the demands made by ZANU PF and MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.
President Mnangagwa initiated the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), which ZPP said failed to achieve intended goals as the impasse between the government and the citizenry remains intact.
More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-now-in-league-of-repressive-regimes-report/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewZimbabwe</a>

Zimbabwe Joins The League Of World's Repressive Govts - ZPP

The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), a human rights watchdog, has warned that Zimbabwe is headed for conflict due to the deteriorating economic situation.
In its latest report for July released on Tuesday, ZPP said:
<blockquote>The month of July had sadly not brought much to celebrate for Zimbabweans as the country is cascading into the precipice of conflict amid a continued deterioration in living conditions.
The economy is officially experiencing hyperinflation as the Zimbabwean dollar has shed 41,57% during this month (July) alone…</blockquote>
The organisation bemoaned the alleged harassment of members of the public by ruling party activists when they complain about the worsening economic situation. The report further said:
<blockquote>The situation obtaining in the country shows deteriorating living conditions. Most concerning is the harassment and intimidation by mainly ruling party representatives of the public when they express their frustrations about poor living conditions.
One such incident happened in Beitbridge, Dulibadzimu township when Finot Ndou threatened to kill Marshall Mbedzi for criticising President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.</blockquote>
The war veterans have also been accused of sowing fear and despondency among the citizenry through intimidation. The report added:
<blockquote>Sentiments expressed by Deputy Minister of Defence and War Veterans Victor Matemadanda at a meeting in Gweru on July 27 that government will unleash the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) to crush any ‘violent’ protest have further highlighted the increasingly prominent role that war veterans are playing in sowing fear and despondency.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/08/zim-on-precipice-of-conflict-zpp/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewsDay</a></h4>

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