In
its
2024
Annual
Report,
ZimRights
said
the
violations,
ranging
from
forced
displacement
to
restricted
access
to
social
services,
“highlight
systemic
failures
and
a
politicisation
of
basic
rights
and
services,”
pointing
to
a
worsening
national
human
rights
climate.
“The
data
on
perpetrators
reveals
a
troubling
trend,”
the
report
states.
“ZANU
PF
members
were
identified
as
responsible
for
1
359
violations,
followed
by
local
government
officials
and
police
forces.”
The
Zimbabwe
Republic
Police
(ZRP)
was
linked
to
4
697
incidents,
raising
further
concerns
about
the
use
of
law
enforcement
to
silence
dissent.
The
report
notes
that
4457
women
and
3,822
men
were
victims
of
abuses,
including
109
people
with
disabilities.
Urban
centres
such
as
Harare
and
Bulawayo
recorded
the
highest
rates,
with
1,170
females
and
912
males
affected
in
the
capital
alone.
ZimRights
said
the
leading
types
of
violations
included
unjustified
arrests,
inhuman
treatment,
abductions,
hate
speech,
restricted
movement,
and
politically
biased
food
aid.
“4,687
individuals
were
affected
by
restricted
access
to
social
services,”
it
stated,
“indicating
systemic
barriers
to
essential
services,
likely
exacerbated
by
political
affiliations.”
The
organisation
is
also
campaigning
for
the
repeal
of
the
colonial-era
Vagrancy
Act,
which
it
says
“criminalises
homelessness
and
disproportionately
impacts
vulnerable
populations.”
On
31
July
2024,
ZimRights
submitted
a
petition
to
Parliament.
“A
key
victory
this
year
was
securing
an
audience
in
Parliament
to
present
our
petition
to
repeal
the
Vagrancy
Act,”
the
organisation
said,
describing
the
effort
as
a
testament
to
“the
power
of
grassroots
mobilisation
and
the
vital
role
local
communities
play
in
driving
legal
reforms.”
ZimRights
presented
evidence
to
the
Parliamentary
Portfolio
Committee
on
Defence,
Home
Affairs,
War
Veterans,
and
Security
Services,
highlighting
the
Act’s
incompatibility
with
Zimbabwe’s
Constitution
and
the
African
Charter
on
Human
and
Peoples’
Rights.
Despite
the
climate
of
repression,
the
report
describes
2024
as
“a
year
of
impact
and
transformation.”
ZimRights
recruited
2
057
new
members,
formed
96
Human
Rights
Action
Committees,
and
hosted
52
legal
aid
clinics
across
the
country.
“Our
approach
is
clear:
shifting
power
to
the
people.
We
believe
real
change
starts
at
the
community
level,”
the
report
says.
The
launch
of
the
CollectiVibe
digital
platform
also
marked
a
new
era
of
digital
mobilisation.
“The
platform
revolutionised
how
we
engage
with
communities,
enabling
real-time
collaboration
and
advocacy,”
the
organisation
noted.