This Report analyzes politically motivated and food-related human rights violations in the run up to the 27 June run-off of 2008. Since the release of the ZPP Post Election Violence Report No. 2 of May 2008 which had, among other things, postulated an escalation in election violence, questions have arisen about the extent to which these postulations have remained consistent with unfolding scenarios in the run up to the June election. Also of interest is how this presidential run-off [the first of its kind in Zimbabwes post independence electoral history] will influence trends and patterns of violence.
In the wake of the 4th of June 2008 Government Order suspending the operations of a number of nonprofit food aid agencies [CARE, Save the Children] until after the 27 June 2008, interest has also arisen about the possibility of food politics in the election campaign. This interest is well-founded given that people in rural areas have three main ways of accessing maize, namely through government food for work program, buying it directly from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), and through donor schemes for school pupils and the under fives- sources that are vulnerable to political manipulation.