COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT ZIMBABWE 2 MAY 2007 Border and Immigration Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE ZIMBABWE 2 MAY 2007 Contents PREFACE LATEST NEWS EVENTS IN ZIMBABWE, FROM 20 APRIL 2007 TO 2 MAY 2007 REPORTS ON ZIMBABWE PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED SINCE 20 APRIL 2007 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.06 2. ECONOMY............................................................................................ 2.01 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 2004 .................................................................... 6.17 By-Elections in 2005 .................................................................... 6.22 By-Elections in 2006 .................................................................... 6.23 7. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS...................................................................... 7.01 Opposition demonstration suppressed/leaders tortured ......... 7.01 Background................................................................................ 7.02 11 March 2007 and subsequent events..................................... 7.07 The crackdown continues .......................................................... 7.13 Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) stay-away ......... 7.20 Mugabe threatens the diplomatic community ............................ 7.22 8. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 8.01 Constitutional Amendment (No 17) Bill...................................... 8.08 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 Human Rights 10. INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 10.01 11. SECURITY FORCES............................................................................. 11.01 Police............................................................................................. 11.09 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 11.18 Torture ....................................................................................... 11.23 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 11.32 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 2 May 2007. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 2 MAY 2007 ZIMBABWE Armed forces ................................................................................ 11.34 Patriotic Guards ........................................................................... 11.45 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 11.46 Torture ....................................................................................... 11.47 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 11.49 Central Intelligence Organisation ............................................... 11.50 Other government forces ............................................................ 11.65 ZANU-PF Youth ............................................................................ 11.65 Compulsory service............................................................... 11.71 Recruitment........................................................................... 11.76 Treatment of recruits in the NYS scheme ............................. 11.78 Actions of the youth militia .................................................... 11.82 Impunity................................................................................. 11.91 War Veterans ................................................................................ 11.92 Avenues of complaint .................................................................. 11.107 The Office of the Ombudsman................................................... 11.107 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 ...................................... 17.08 Growing civil unrest and protests............................................... 17.17 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 17.24 The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) ......................... 17.24 18. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA....................................................... 18.01 Treatment of journalists .............................................................. 18.21 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............................................................................................ 22.08 Asians............................................................................................ 22.12 Farm workers of Malawian, Zambian and Mozambican origin. 22.15 Albinos .......................................................................................... 22.21 Other ethnic minorities ................................................................ 22.23 23. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS ..................... 23.01 Legal rights.............................................................................. 23.01 Government attitudes.............................................................. 23.03 Societal ill-treatment or discrimination ................................. 23.05 24. DISABILITY ........................................................................................ 24.01 25. WOMEN ............................................................................................. 25.01 Political rights............................................................................... 25.02 Social and economic rights......................................................... 25.05 Cultural norms/consequences.................................................... 25.08 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 2 May 2007. iii Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. ZIMBABWE 2 MAY 2007 Violence against women.............................................................. 25.14 Legal provisions and access to the law..................................... 25.22 26. CHILDREN.......................................................................................... 26.01 Basic information ......................................................................... 26.01 Age of consent..........................................................................