JULY 2017 of Coalitions and Interfaces Monthly Monitoring Report
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JULY 2017 JULY 2017 Of coalitions 1 and interfaces Monthly Monitoring Report JULY 2017 2 JULY 2017 3 JULY 2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ABOUT ZPP There has been nearly 50% increase in the number of The organisation was founded in 2000 by church-based and human rights violations from 150 in June to 223 in July, human rights organisations. The current members of ZPP are Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), Zimbabwe as reported by Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP). This is Council of Churches (ZCC), Catholic Commission for owing to a wide array of human rights violations ranging Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ), Counselling from the right to life, political rights, right to personal Services Unit (CSU), Habakkuk Trust, Zimbabwe Human security, freedom of association, freedom from arbitrary Rights Association (ZimRights), Civic Education Network Trust (CIVNET), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights eviction, property rights and the right to food among (ZLHR) and Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ). others. Cases of theft and looting reached their highest in April when 26 cases were recorded. The numbers ZPP was established with the objective of monitoring, dropped to 18 in May, 10 in June and this month they documenting and building peace and promoting the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts. The peace rose notably to 23. project seeks to foster dialogue and political tolerance through non-partisan peace monitoring activities, mainly The violations reported in July stand out in that it is through monitors who document the violations of rights in reported 10 artisanal miners lost their lives in clashes the provinces. with security agents and security guards. In Mutare West The monitors, who at full complement stand at 420, and Chiadzwa conflict around the extraction of constitute the core pool of volunteers, supported by three diamonds and gold has been brewing for a long time and Regional Coordinators. The Regional Coordinators relate continues to take a toll on human life. High with the national office headed by the National Director and programme officers in various units. unemployment has resulted in conflicts worsening as more people resort to artisanal mining as a means of Presidential youth interface rallies and preparations for making a living. Heroes Day commemorations led to a sharp hike of cases of intimidation and harassment from 85 in June to ZanuPF persists as the party with the highest number of 141 in July. perpetrators of violence. In June ZanuPF was responsible for 72.5 % of violations and the percentage reduced to This month ZPP received reports that government 61.1 in July Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is second employees and business people were forced to contribute and responsible for 24.2% of violations compared to money from 50 cents upwards. In a circular that ZPP is 18.5% in June. The total number of victims reduced in possession of, information was disseminated to from 1392 (597 females and 795 males) to 1184 (438 different government stakeholders. On 21 July, Guruve females, 708 males and 38 unknown). However, it is the District Schools Inspector, Phineas Dambudzo, adverse with perpetrators as the numbers increased. convened a meeting with 86 school heads and instructed There were 342 perpetrators in June and the number has them to contribute money towards Heroes Day inclined upwards to 435 in July. commemorations. See Annexure 1 for the circular sent to teachers. The period under review was dominated by violations that rooted partly from the presidential youth interface Fundraising is an ongoing exercise for presidential youth rallies and preparations for Heroes Day interface rallies. Citizens who have been coerced to commemorations. Heroes Day is one of the events that contribute $1 in Chakari and Sanyati have been told that has been highly politicised with ZanuPF supporters the money is meant for transporting people to and from taking responsibility of mobilising people and resources the presidential youth interface rally slated for Chinhoyi. for the day. Heroes Day is commemorated in August In previous rallies, for instance in Marondera and annually and in weeks leading ZanuPF party members Lupane, those that went against their will have reported and lower level office bearers have been known to coerce that no food was served; they were deserted and left to citizens to pool resources in their different localities. find their own way back home after the rally. 4 JULY 2017 Numerous human rights violations have been propelled officials usually take charge of food aid distribution and by presidential youth interface rallies. Students have take advantage of power and side-line those with been forced to attend rallies forgoing classes resulting in divergent views. Harare, Mashonaland East and Central right to education being violated. At the Lupane rally recorded medium threat levels while the rest of the that was held at Somhlolo Stadium about eight schools provinces remained low. Harare, Mashonaland East and were forced to ensure attendance of students. The Central owe their rankings to the violation of freedom to schools Mabhikwa, Jotsholo and Fatima secondary demonstrate and petition compounded by cases of schools, Lupane, Mtshibini, Kusile, and Roman Catholic intimidation and harassment as well as discrimination. primary schools. Civil and political rights have also been violated, in particular the right to freedom of association In July there were socio economic rights violations and assembly when people are forced to attend the where school administrators have continued to bar ZanuPF rallies. ZPP recorded 34 incidences of this pupils from attending classes based on the parents’ nature. inability to pay school fees in full. Schools that have turned away learners include Kapotesa, Nharira, Some statements at the rallies have been noted to have Forrester J P and St Nicholas primary schools. Schools the potential of inciting political violence. At the rally in continue to expel students despite that mid-year Matabeleland North, President Robert Mugabe said, examinations are underway. Some school heads have “….there are groups that move around beating people. been accused of even turning away exam classes like No, that is not our way of doing things. If you see them, grade sevens. According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability give them the punishment they deserve. Do not even wait Assessment Committee (ZimVac) 2017 Rural for the police to come.’’ Other statements have incited a Livelihoods assessment, 63% of learners in rural areas fresh wave of farm invasions by ZanuPF youths as the have been turned away for failure to pay school fees. President continues to encourage the youths to take back With such huge figures Zimbabwe faces challenges of land. For instance on 2 June at the Marondera rally realising the Sustainable Development Goals and in the President Mugabe said, “We are going to take those farms case of primary education the stance is ultra vires section and re-distribute to our youths, some of whom did not 75 (1) (a) which provides for a basic state funded benefit from the land reform programme.’’ At another education. presidential youth interface rally that was held in DATA GATHERING Masvingo on 30 June ZanuPF secretary of youth affairs, Kudzanai Chipanga urged President Mugabe to make Information contained herein is based on reports from ZPP land available in the province for the youth. long-term community based human rights monitors, who observe and record cases of human rights violations in the Village heads and other community leaders continue to constituencies they reside. ZPP deploys a total of 420 contribute to the upward surge of human rights community-based primary peace monitors (two per each of violations. This report has cases of people threatened the 210 electoral constituencies of Zimbabwe). The with eviction for deviating from supporting ZanuPF. In monitors compile reports that are handed over to ZPP Binga North, Sanyati, Chiwundura, Muzarabani South, Coordinators who man the different ZPP regional offices in the ten administrative provinces of Zimbabwe. Upon Mazowe West and Mudzi North community leaders are receipt and verification of the reports from the monitors, on record threatening those in the opposition with the Coordinators compile provincial monthly monitoring eviction if they do not support or vote for ZanuPF. reports, which are then consolidated at the national office into the ZPP Monthly Monitoring Report. This report Food violations slightly increased with 25 recorded contains some of the violations recorded by ZPP, the during the month of July from 18 recorded the previous organisation has a data base with the rest of the injustices month. The highest were recorded in Matabeleland and gladly shares it with interested stakeholders. North (7) and Mashonaland Central (6). ZanuPF 5 JULY 2017 The Dashboard: Incident Statistics at a Glance Unknown 85.2% MDC-T 11.4% ZanuPF, NCA, Mthwakazi NPP, ZimPF, PDP ZanuPF 2.1%, NCA 0.7%, Mthwakazi 0.3%, NPP 0.2%, ZimPF 0.1% and PDP 0.1% ZanuPF 61.1% ZRP 24.2% Unknown 9.6% MDC-T 4.1% CIO 0.7%, War Vet 0.2% 6 JULY 2017 Analysis of Violence Victims by Gender 438 38 708 1184 Analysis of Violence Perpertrators by Gender 3 40 392 435 7 JULY 2017 Recorded Intra-Party Violations Province MDC-T ZANUPF MDC-N ZimPF PDP Total Bulawayo 0 0 0 0 0 0 Harare 0 0 0 0 0 0 Manicaland 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mash Central 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mash East 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mash West 0 0 0 0 0 0 Masvingo 0 5 0 0 0 5 Mat North 0 1 0 0 0 1 Mat South 0 0 0 0 0 0 Midlands 0 1 0 0 0 1 Overall Total 0 7 0 0 0 7 7 intra party violations were recorded for ZanuPF only for July Distribution of violence by type across provinces ACTS Midlands Byo Mat.