Zimbabwe Faces Fresh Scrutiny Over Human Rights Abuses

The government has been accused of widespread rights violations, including torture, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on free expression, according to a new report by the United States Department of State.

The Zimbabwe 2024 Human Rights Report says there were "no significant changes in the human rights situation" over the past year, warning that abuses remain systematic and largely go unpunished.

"Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; arbitrary arrest and detention; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom; trafficking in persons, including forced labor; [and] significant presence of the worst forms of child labor," the report stated.

The report notes that police and security forces continued to harass opposition members, journalists and civil society activists.

It cited the arrest of more than 160 activists in the run-up to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Harare many of whom were held without bail.

"The government regularly used arbitrary arrest and detention as tools of intimidation and harassment," the report said.

Rights groups also reported torture of detainees by state agents. In July, four activists abducted at Robert Mugabe International Airport were tortured, with one suffering severe injuries before being charged with disorderly conduct.

"Impunity for politically motivated violence remained a problem," the report concluded, noting that investigations into state-linked killings in 2018 and 2019 had still not been resolved.

Although Zimbabwe's constitution guarantees free speech, the report said these rights were "limited by law" and routinely violated in practice.

It pointed to the July 2023 amendments to the criminal code which introduced harsh penalties for citizens accused of "injuring the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe."

Civil society groups said the changes had a "chilling effect" on free expression.

The report also criticised new labour laws that "criminalised the right to strike" and documented abuse of workers by some Chinese-owned mining firms. In one case, two Chinese nationals were deported for hanging mine workers from heavy machinery.

On child protection, the report noted that "despite legal prohibitions, some rural families and religious groups continued to force girls to marry," with one in three girls married before 18.

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