Country of Origin Information Report Zimbabwe December 2007
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COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT ZIMBABWE 12 DECEMBER 2007 Border and Immigration Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE ZIMBABWE 12 DECEMBER 2007 Contents PREFACE LATEST NEWS EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE, FROM 1 DECEMBER 2007 TO 12 DECEMBER 2007 REPORTS ON ZIMBABWE PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED SINCE 1 DECEMBER 2007 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.06 2. ECONOMY............................................................................................ 2.01 Indigenisation and Empowerment Bill ....................................... 2.11 3. HISTORY.............................................................................................. 3.01 Post-Independence ...................................................................... 3.04 Matabeleland Insurgency 1983–87 ............................................. 3.05 Matabeleland Insurgency – Political developments.................. 3.06 4. LAND REFORM..................................................................................... 4.01 5. SANCTIONS AND COMMONWEALTH SUSPENSION .................................. 5.01 6. ELECTORAL HISTORY .......................................................................... 6.01 Parliamentary Elections – March 2005 ....................................... 6.01 Senate Elections – November 2005 ............................................ 6.12 By-Elections in 2005 .................................................................... 6.17 By-Elections in 2006 .................................................................... 6.18 By-Elections in 2007 .................................................................... 6.22 7. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS...................................................................... 7.01 The Government Imposes Price Cuts ........................................ 7.01 The Government Crushes Student Demonstrations................. 7.11 Student protests......................................................................... 7.11 8. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 8.01 Constitutional Amendment (No 17) Bill...................................... 8.08 Constitutional Amendment (No 18) Act...................................... 8.14 9. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 9.01 State Structures............................................................................ 9.01 Zimbabwean Electoral Commission........................................... 9.03 ZANU-PF........................................................................................ 9.05 ZANU-PF discuss extending Mugabe’s term of office ............... 9.13 Mugabe secures endorsement for 2008 .................................... 9.17 Human Rights 10. INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 10.01 11. SECURITY FORCES............................................................................. 11.01 Police............................................................................................. 11.10 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 11.19 Torture ....................................................................................... 11.24 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 11.35 Armed forces ................................................................................ 11.37 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 12 December 2007. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 12 DECEMBER 2007 ZIMBABWE Patriotic Guards ........................................................................... 11.49 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 11.50 Torture ....................................................................................... 11.51 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 11.53 Central Intelligence Organisation ............................................... 11.54 Other government forces ............................................................ 11.73 ZANU-PF Youth ............................................................................ 11.73 Compulsory service............................................................... 11.78 Recruitment........................................................................... 11.83 Treatment of recruits in the NYS scheme ............................. 11.85 Actions of the youth militia .................................................... 11.89 Impunity................................................................................. 11.99 War Veterans ................................................................................ 11.100 Avenues of complaint .................................................................. 11.117 The Office of the Ombudsman................................................... 11.117 12. MILITARY SERVICE ............................................................................. 12.01 Conscientious objection.............................................................. 12.05 13. JUDICIARY ......................................................................................... 13.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 13.02 Judicial independence................................................................. 13.04 14. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .......................................... 14.01 15. PRISON CONDITIONS .......................................................................... 15.01 16. DEATH PENALTY ................................................................................ 16.01 17. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ...................................................................... 17.01 Freedom of political expression ................................................. 17.01 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 17.09 Growing civil unrest and protests............................................... 17.19 Opposition demonstration suppressed/leaders tortured......... 17.26 Background................................................................................ 17.27 11 March 2007 and subsequent events..................................... 17.31 Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) stay-away ......... 17.37 Mugabe threatens the diplomatic community ............................ 17.39 The crackdown continues .......................................................... 17.42 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 17.54 The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) ......................... 17.54 Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) ......................................... 17.74 18. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA....................................................... 18.01 Treatment of journalists .............................................................. 18.20 19. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .......... 19.01 Human rights activists................................................................. 19.01 20. FREEDOM OF RELIGION ...................................................................... 20.01 Religious groups .......................................................................... 20.09 21. WITCHCRAFT ..................................................................................... 21.01 22. ETHNIC GROUPS ................................................................................ 22.01 Shona ............................................................................................ 22.02 Ndebele ......................................................................................... 22.04 Whites............................................................................................ 22.07 Asians............................................................................................ 22.10 Farm workers of Malawian, Zambian and Mozambican origin. 22.14 Albinos .......................................................................................... 22.20 Other ethnic minorities ................................................................ 22.22 23. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS ..................... 23.01 Legal rights .............................................................................. 23.01 Government attitudes.............................................................. 23.05 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 12 December 2007. iii Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. ZIMBABWE 12 DECEMBER 2007 Societal ill-treatment or discrimination ................................. 23.07 24. DISABILITY ........................................................................................ 24.01 25. WOMEN ............................................................................................. 25.01 Political rights..............................................................................