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Asylum Research Centre Zimbabwe: Country Report /shutterstock.com The situa�on in Zimbabwe Wasan Ritthawon 15 January 2015 (COI up to 27 November 2014) Cover photo © 27 November 2014 (published 15 January 2015) Zimbabwe Country Report Explanatory Note Sources and databases consulted List of Acronyms CONTENTS 1. Background information 1.1. Geographical Information 1.1.1. Map of Zimbabwe 1.2. Political institutions and structures 1.2.1. Government structure 1.2.2. Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) 1.2.2.1. Internal power struggles 1.2.3. Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) – T 1.2.3.1. Internal power struggles 1.2.4. Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) - N 1.2.4.1. Internal power struggles 1.2.5. Other recognized political parties 1.3. Overview of socio-economic situation 1.3.1. Overview 1.3.2. Unemployment and poverty 1.3.3. Food insecurity 1.3.4. The welfare system 1.3.5. Life expectancy and mortality rate 1.3.6. Access to health providers and medication 2. Main Political Developments 2.1. New constitution adopted in May 2013 2.2. National election in July 2013 2.2.1. Results 2.2.2. Violence inthe run-up to and during the election 2.2.3. Voter irregularities 2.2.4. Verdict of election monitors 3. Rule of Law and the Administration of Justice 3.1. Security and law enforcement 3.1.1. Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) 3.1.2. Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) 3.1.3. Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) 3.1.4. War Veterans 3.1.5. ZANU-PF Youth Service/Youth Militia/Green Bombers/Border Gezi Youths 3.2. Corruption 3.3. Judicial system 3.3.1. Unfair trial of political activists 3.3.2. Political interference in court decisions 1 3.3.3. Impunity 3.3.4. Legal aid and witness protection 3.4. Extra-judicial killings and abductions 3.5. Arbitrary arrest and detention 3.6. Torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, and unlawful use of force 3.6.1. State security forces 3.6.2. Parastatal actors 3.7. Death penalty 3.8. Prison conditions 3.8.1. Deaths in detention 3.8.2. Pre-trial detention 4. Civil and Political Rights 4.1. Freedom of expression, association, and assembly 4.1.1. Incidents of politically motivated violence 4.1.2. Treatment of Elected government officials and political activists 4.1.2.1. Elected government officials 4.1.2.1.1. MDC officials by the security forces/ ZANU-PF aligned actors 4.1.2.1.2. MDC officials by the MDC 4.1.2.1.3. ZANU-PF officials by the security forces/ ZANU-PF aligned actors 4.1.2.2. Members of political parties 4.1.2.2.1. MDC party members by the security forces/ ZANU-PF aligned actors 4.1.2.2.2. MDC party members by the MDC 4.1.2.2.3. ZANU-PF party members by ZANU-PF/ ZANU-PF aligned security forces 4.1.2.2.4. ZANU-PF party members by MDC party members 4.1.2.2.5. Transform Zimbabwe members by the security forces/ ZANU-PF aligned actors 4.1.2.2.6. National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) members by ZANU-PF/ ZANU-PF aligned security forces 4.1.2.3. Treatment of suspected MDC supporters/government critics by the security forces/ ZANU-PF aligned actors 4.1.3. Treatment of other perceived political activists 4.1.3.1. Election monitors 4.1.3.2. Teachers 4.1.3.3. Students 4.1.3.4. Protestors 4.1.3.5. Lawyers 4.1.4. Treatment of civil society and human rights activists 4.1.5. Treatment of civil servants 4.1.6. Treatment of trade unionists 4.2. Freedom of the Media 4.2.1. Control of the internet and the media / censorship 4.2.2. Treatment of critical journalists, bloggers, etc. 4.3. Freedom of Conscience and Freedom of Religion (including spiritual movements) 4.3.1. Legal framework 4.3.2. Religious demography 4.3.3. Treatment by state actors 4.3.4. Treatment by members of society 4.3.5. Religious practices and human rights violations 4.4. Freedom of movement 2 5. People internally displaced by violence and human rights violations 5.1. Scale of internal displacement 5.2. General conditions of internal displacement 5.3. 2013 Election-related displacement 5.4. Farm workers and others displaced by land reform or facing other human rights violations 5.4.1. Legal framework 5.4.2. Overview of land reform programme 5.4.3. Current displacement and human rights violations 5.5. Urban “clear-up” operations (including continued displacement resulting from Operation Murambatsvina in 2005) 5.5.1. Legal framework 5.5.2. 2005 Operation Murambatsvina and its ongoing effects 5.5.3. Current “clear-up” operations 5.6. Persons displaced by mining activities in Manicaland province 5.6.1. Background to the Marenge diamond fields and the situation in the Arda Transau resettled communities 5.6.2. Situation throughout 2013/2014 5.7. Persons displaced by government-backed dam project in Masvingo province 6. Women and Children 6.1. Women’s rights in the new Constitution 6.2. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) 6.2.1. Politically motivated violence 6.2.2. Domestic violence and rape 6.2.2.1. State response to violence against women 6.2.2.2. Availability of shelters and services 6.3. Trafficking 6.3.1. Availability of shelters and services 6.4. Birth registration and birth certificates 6.5. Child labour 6.6. Child rape and abuse 6.7. Education 6.8. Harmful cultural practices 6.8.1. Under-age marriage 6.8.2. FGM 6.9. Socio economic situation for women and desperate survival measures 7. Minority ethnic groups 7.1. Ndebele 7.1.1. Legal framework 7.1.2. Treatment by State actors 7.1.3. Treatment by members of society 7.2. Whites 7.2.1. Legal framework 7.2.2. Treatment by State actors 7.2.3. Treatment by members of society 7.3. Other ethnic minorities 7.3.1. Legal framework 7.3.2. Treatment by State actors 7.3.2.1. San 3 7.3.2.2. Tonga 7.3.3. Treatment by members of society 8. Stateless persons, including farm workers of foreign descent 8.1. Background information pre-2013 8.2. Current situation 9. Persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities 9.1. Legal framework 9.2. Treatment by State actors 9.3. Treatment by members of society 10. Persons with disabilities, including persons with albinism 10.1. Legal framework 10.2. Treatment by state actors 10.2.1. Access to education 10.2.2. Access to employment 10.2.3. Access to health services 10.2.3.1. Treatment of Albinos 10.3. Treatment by members of society 11. Persons living with HIV 11.1. Statistics in relation to HIV/AIDS 11.2. Legal framework 11.3. Access to treatment 11.3.1. National coverage of antiretroviral therapy 11.3.2. Children’s access to antiretroviral therapy 11.4. Treatment by state actors 11.5. Treatment by members of society 11.5.1. Access to housing 11.5.2. Access to education 11.5.3. Specific treatment of single mothers 11.5.4. Specific treatment of children 11.5.5. Specific treatment of sex workers 4 Explanatory Note This report presents country of origin information (COI) on Zimbabwe up to 27th November 2014 on issues of relevance in refugee status determination for Zimbabwean nationals. The COI presented is illustrative, but not exhaustive of the information available in the public domain, nor is it determinative of any individual human rights or asylum claim. All sources are publicly available and a direct hyperlink has been provided. A list of sources and databases consulted is also provided, to enable users to conduct further research and to conduct source assessments. Research focused on sources published in 2014 and 2013 (covering events in 2013, not before) and all sources were accessed between November 2014 and early January 2015. This document is intended to be used as a tool to help to identify relevant COI and the COI referred to in this report can be considered by decision makers in assessing asylum applications and appeals. However, this document should not be submitted in full or in isolation as evidence to refugee decision making authorities. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, the authors accept no responsibility for any errors included in this report. 5 Sources and databases consulted Not all of the sources listed here have been consulted for each issue addressed in the report. Additional sources to those individually listed were consulted via database searches. This non- exhaustive list is intended to assist in further case-specific research. To find out more about an organisation, view the ‘About Us’ tab of a source’s website. Databases All Africa Child Rights International Network European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI) Kubatana Relief Web UNHCR Refworld Zimbabwe Situation Sources Afro Barometer Afrol News Aidsmap AIDSPortal Amnesty International Article 19 Avert Bertelsmann Foundation ‘Transformation Index BTI 2014: Zimbabwe Country Report’ Christian Solidarity Worldwide CIA World Factbook Civil Society Monitoring Mechanism (CISOMM) Committee to Protect Journalists[Zimbabwe country page] Disabled People’s International Eldis Freedom House Gay Star News Handicap International Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation [HIV/AIDS site] Herald [state owned newspaper] Human Rights Watch Inclusion International Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre International Coalition for Religious Freedom International Crisis Group International Disability Alliance International Federation for Human Rights International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission International Labour Organisation (ILO) International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans and Intersex Association International Organization for Migration Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) Institute for Security Studies [Zimbabwe country page] Institute for War and Peace Reporting[Zimbabwe country page] 6 Leonard Cheshire Disability International
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