ZIMBABWE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 25 March 2011 ZIMBABWE 25 MARCH 2011 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE FROM 22 FEBRUARY 2011 TO 24 MARCH 2011 Useful news sources for further information REPORTS ON ZIMBABWE PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 22 FEBRUARY 2011 AND 24 MARCH 2011 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Public holidays ..................................................................................................... 1.06 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.07 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 Remittances .......................................................................................................... 2.06 Sanctions .............................................................................................................. 2.08 3. HISTORY (19TH CENTURY TO 2008)............................................................................. 3.01 Matabeleland massacres 1983 - 87 ..................................................................... 3.03 Political events: late 1980s - 2007...................................................................... 3.06 Events in 2008 - 2010 ........................................................................................... 3.23 Parliamentary elections: March 2008 ................................................................. 3.23 Presidential elections: March – June 2008......................................................... 3.27 Global Political Agreement and formation of the Government of National Unity: September 2008 – February 2009 ......................................... 3.29 MDC disengages from the transitional government ........................................... 3.32 Mr Tsvangirai calls off MDC boycott of GNU...................................................... 3.34 GNU reaches an impasse – early 2010.............................................................. 3.36 Constitutional Outreach Programme .................................................................. 3.37 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (1 OCTOBER 2010 – 21 FEBRUARY 2011)............................ 4.01 The power-sharing government and possible elections................................... 4.01 Electoral roll outdated......................................................................................... 4.05 Mr Tsvangirai faces potential treason charge ................................................... 4.06 Mugabe’s health ................................................................................................... 4.08 MDC-M elects a new leader ................................................................................. 4.09 Violence in Harare ................................................................................................ 4.13 5. CONSTITUTION.......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 The executive branch........................................................................................... 6.03 The legislative branch.......................................................................................... 6.04 Political parties..................................................................................................... 6.05 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 8.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 21 February 2011. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 24 March 2011. 25 MARCH 2011 ZIMBABWE Police..................................................................................................................... 8.07 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 8.12 Central Intelligence Organisation ....................................................................... 8.14 Other government forces..................................................................................... 8.19 National Youth Service (aka ZANU-PF youth militia) ......................................... 8.19 War veterans...................................................................................................... 8.27 Human rights violations by security forces and pro-ZANU-PF groups ........... 8.29 Arbitrary arrest and detention............................................................................. 8.33 Torture, ill-treatment, harassment and use of excessive force ........................... 8.37 Extra-judicial killings........................................................................................... 8.48 Disappearance ................................................................................................... 8.52 9. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 9.01 10. JUDICIARY................................................................................................................ 10.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 10.02 Independence & fair trial...................................................................................... 10.04 Penal code ............................................................................................................ 10.14 11. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 11.01 12. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 12.01 Children................................................................................................................. 12.07 13. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 13.01 14. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 14.01 Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 14.03 Constitutional outreach programme ................................................................... 14.09 Freedom of association and assembly............................................................... 14.12 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 14.21 Teachers ............................................................................................................ 14.23 Politically motivated human rights violations ................................................... 14.28 Level of incidents: 2008 – 2010.......................................................................... 14.28 Incidents in early 2011 ....................................................................................... 14.33 Perpetrators of political motivated human rights violations................................. 14.39 Mobilisation of security forces and ZANU-PF supporters................................... 14.45 Distribution of politically motivated human rights violations in 2010 ............. 14.53 Demography....................................................................................................... 14.53 National overview of human rights violations in 2010......................................... 14.54 Human rights violations by province (1 October 2010 to 21 February 2011)...... 14.62 Bulawayo ....................................................................................................... 14.64 Harare............................................................................................................ 14.69 Manicaland..................................................................................................... 14.82 Mashonaland Central..................................................................................... 14.91 Mashonaland East ......................................................................................... 14.99 Matabeleland North........................................................................................ 14.105 Matabeleland South ....................................................................................... 14.111 Mashonaland West ........................................................................................ 14.117 Masvingo........................................................................................................ 14.121 Midlands......................................................................................................... 14.135 15. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA............................................................................... 15.01 Media law and monitoring ................................................................................... 15.07 Print media...........................................................................................................