Zimbabwe

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Zimbabwe Image File history File links Zimbabwe_coa. ... Politics of Zimbabwe takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Zimbabwe is both head of state and head of government. ...

President Robert Mugabe Parliament Senate House of Assembly 2007 political crisis Political parties: ZANU-PF - MDC Elections: Pres.: 2002 - 2010 Parl.: 2005 - 2010 Provinces Human rights Foreign relations

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There are widespread reports of systematic and escalating violations of human rights in Zimbabwe under the rule of President Robert Mugabe and his party ZANU-PF. This page contains a list of presidents of Zimbabwe. ... Robert Gabriel Mugabe (born 21 February 1924) is a Zimbabwean politician and the current President of Zimbabwe. ... The Parliament of Zimbabwe consists of two chambers: The Senate (Upper Chamber) The House of Assembly (Lower Chamber) This politics-related article is a stub. ... The Senate of Zimbabwe is the upper chamber of the countrys bicameral Parliament. ... The House of Assembly of Zimbabwe is the lower chamber of the countrys bicameral Parliament. ... This is a list of political parties of Zimbabwe Current Parties Movement for Democratic Change National Alliance for Good Governance Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front - ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Ndonga Zimbabwe Peoples Democratic Party Zimbabwe Youth in Alliance International Socialist Organisation Conservative Alliance of Zimbabwe - At one... The Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) has been the ruling political party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and renaming the party... The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was founded in 1999 as the official opposition party to the Zanu-PF party led by Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. ... Politics of Zimbabwe Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Zimbabwe ... Presidential elections will be held in Zimbabwe in 2010. ... Poster of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change accusing the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front of election fraud Parliamentary elections were held in Zimbabwe on March 31, 2005. ... Parliamentary elections will be held in Zimbabwe in 2010. ... Zimbabwe is divided into 8 provinces and 2 cities with provincial status: Bulawayo (city) Harare (city) Manicaland Mashonaland Central Mashonaland East Mashonaland West Masvingo Matabeleland North Matabeleland South Midlands Categories: | ... Since independence, Zimbabwe has enunciated and follows a policy of active nonalignment. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... This page contains a list of presidents of Zimbabwe. ... Robert Gabriel Mugabe (born 21 February 1924) is a Zimbabwean politician and the current President of Zimbabwe. ... The Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) has been the ruling political party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and renaming the party...

According to human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch the government of Zimbabwe violates the rights to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly and the protection of the law. There are assaults on the media, the political opposition, civil society activists, and human rights defenders. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights.[1] Founded in the UK in 1961, AI compares actual practices of human rights with internationally accepted standards and demands compliance where these... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... Title page of a European Union member state passport. ... Group of women holding placards with political activist slogans: know your courts - study your politicians, Liberty in law, Law makers must not be law breakers, and character in candidates photo 1920 Freedom of assembly is the freedom to associate with, or organize any groups, gatherings, clubs, or organizations that one... The rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. ... The meaning of opposition-Hostile attitude or action: a disapproving attitude toward something and a wish to prevent it, or action taken to show disapproval of and prevent something Public opposition to the plan was growing. ...

Opposition gatherings are frequently the subject of brutal attacks by the police force, such as the crackdown on a March 11, 2007 Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) rally. In the events, party leader Morgan Tsvangirai and 49 other opposition activists were arrested and severely beaten by the police. After his release, Morgan Tsvangirai told the BBC that he suffered head injuries and blows to the arms, knees and back, and that he lost a significant amount of blood. The police action was strongly condemned by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, the European Union and the United States.^[1] While noting that the activists had suffered injuries, but not mentioning the cause of them,^[2] the Zimbabwean government-controlled daily newspaper The Herald claimed the police had intervened after demonstrators "ran amok looting shops, destroying property, mugging civilians, and assaulting police officers and innocent members of the public". The newspaper also argued that the opposition had been "wilfully violating the ban on political rallies".^[3] March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was founded in 1999 as the official opposition party to the Zanu-PF party led by Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. ... Morgan Tsvangirai - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Ban Ki-moon (IPA pronunciation: (born June 13, 1944 in Eumseong, North Chungcheong, Korea) is a former South Korean politician who succeeded Kofi Annan as the Secretary-General of the United Nations on January 1, 2007. ...

Personal freedom

There is a widespread consensus among human rights organizations that systematic violations of the right of personal freedom and integrity are frequent in Zimbabwe, especially towards suspected members of the political opposition. The violations are perpetrated by government supporters as well as law enforcement agencies, and incude assaults, torture, death threats, kidnappings and unlawful arrests and detentions. Torture is defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he...

The law enforcement agencies are a major source of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. According to Human Rights Watch, there is a rising incidence of cases when police have assaulted and tortured opposition supporters and civil society activists. One example is the arrest and subsequent beatings of a group of trade union activists at Matapi police station, following protests on September 13, 2006. The unionists were initially denied medical and juridical assistance. Another similar case is the arrest of student activist leader Promise Mkwanazi on May 29, 2006. Mkwanazi was detained at a police station in Bindura for five days without charge. During this time he was repeatedly stripped, shackled and beaten with batons by policemen, accusing him of trying to overthrow the government.^[4] Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... A Trade Union (Labour union) ... is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Students occupying Sheffield town hall over the introduction of higher education fees Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

From 2001 to September 2006, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum has recorded over 1 200 cases of human rights violations by the law enforcement agencies, including 363 cases of torture, 516 cases of assault, 58 cases of death threats, 399 cases of unlawful arrest and 451 cases of unlawful detention. Many of these incidents include multiple victims.^[5] The organization finds that the law enforcement agencies are encouraged to perpetrate abuses by statements made by high-ranking members of the ruling party ZANU-PF.

Operation Murambatsvina

In May 2005 the government of Zimbabwe embarked on Operation Murambatsvina, a programme of mass forced evictions and demolition of homes and informal businesses in poor urban areas. According to eyewitnesses some people were beaten by the police and in the turmoil several people allegedly lost their life. Examining the result of the operation, Anna Tibaijuka, the UN Special Envoy on Human Settlement Issues in Zimbabwe, reported that some 700 000 people had lost their homes, their livelihoods or both, and that a further 2.4 million people had been affected in varying degrees, stating that the operation "was carried out in an indiscriminate and unjustified manner, with indifference to human suffering, and, in repeated cases, with disregard to several provisions of national and international legal frameworks". The report concluded that the operation violated several key human rights, including the right to life, property and freedom of movement. ^[6] 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Wikimedia Commons has media related to: May 2005 Deaths in May May 26: Eddie Albert May 25: Ismail Merchant May 25: Sunil Dutt May 25: Graham Kennedy May 22: Thurl Ravenscroft May 21: Howard Morris May 21... Siya-so Home Industries area in Mbare township before Operation Murambatsvina Operation Murambatsvina (Shona: Operation Drive Out Trash), also officially known as Operation Restore Order, is a large scale Zimbabwean government campaign to forcibly clear slum areas across the country. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The city of San Francisco, an example of an urban area. ... Dr Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka is an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). ...

Respect for civil liberties

Freedom of assembly

In Zimbabwe, freedom of assembly is severely restricted by law. The legal framework is further stretched in practice, with law enforcement closely monitoring opposition demonstrations and public gatherings. There are many reports of the arrest and subsequent beating of demonstrators. According to the Human Rights Watch report "You Will Be Thoroughly Beaten": The Brutal Suppression of Dissent in Zimbabwe, laws such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Miscellaneous Offences Act (MOA) are used to violently disrupt peaceful demonstrations and justify the arrest of civil society activists. In some cases, the activists are held for more than the legally allowed limit, often without charge.^[7] Group of women holding placards with political activist slogans: know your courts - study your politicians, Liberty in law, Law makers must not be law breakers, and character in candidates photo 1920 Freedom of assembly is the freedom to associate with, or organize any groups, gatherings, clubs, or organizations that one... A man carries a sign at the September 24, 2005 anti-war protest, a demonstration in Washington, D.C. American Civil Rights March on Washington, leaders marching from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963. ...

Freedom of the press

In its 2006 Freedom in the World report, Freedom House finds that Zimbabwe's already very poor freedom of expression and freedom of the press has deteriorated still further. The 2002 Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) requires journalists and media companies to register with the government-controlled Media and Information Commission (MIC) and gives the government powers to deny people to work as journalists. An amendment enacted in 2005 introduced prison sentences of up to two years for journalists working without accreditation. Oppositional and independent newspapers have been ordered to close by the authorities, and journalists are intimidated, arrested, and prosecuted, with the support of laws criminalizing the publication of "inaccurate" information. Foreign journalists are regularly denied visas, and local correspondents for foreign publications have been refused accreditation and threatened with deportation. The state controls all broadcast media as well as major dailies such as The Chronicle and The Herald. The coverage is dominated by favorable portrayals of Robert Mugabe and the ZANU-PF party and attacks on government critics. According to Freedom House, the government also monitors e-mail content.^[8] Map reflecting the findings of Freedom Houses 2007 survey, concerning the state of world freedom in 2006, which is widely used by researchers and correlates highly with other measures of democracy[1]. Free  Partly Free  Not Free Countries highlighted in blue are designated Electoral Democracies in Freedom Houses... This map reflects the findings of Freedom Houses 2006 survey Freedom in the World, concerning the state of world freedom in 2005. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Freedom of the press (or press freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A journalist is a person who practices journalism. ... Deportation is the expelling of someone from a country. ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

According to the U.S. State Department, a local NGO has quoted State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa as stating the authorities would "not relent in their determination to hound into extinction the country's few remaining alternative sources of information."^[9] The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States Government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... The term non-governmental organization (NGO) is used in a variety of ways all over the world and, depending on the context in which it is used, can refer to many different types of organizations. ...

Political freedom

While some African election observers deemed the 2005 parliamentary election reflective of the will of the people, the general consensus is that these and prior elections in Zimbabwe have not been free and fair, with widespread electoral fraud. Candidates and supporters of the opposition party, MDC, have been restricted from campaigning openly in some areas, and have faced harassment, violence and intimidation. Government food stocks have been offered to voters in exchange for their votes. The media coverage has been strongly biased in favour of ZANU-PF.^[8] On election day, many potential voters, particularly in constituencies dominated by the opposition, were turned away. The main reason for this was that they tried to vote in the wrong constituency due to inadequately publicized redistricting. Election observers also noted voter intimidation at polling stations. In one incident, police took no action when a ZANU-PF candidate threatened to shoot MDC polling agents. Vote reporting discrepancies heavily favoring the ruling party suggest that tolls were manipulated.^[9] A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... Election monitoring is the observing of an election by non-partisan, usually international observers. ... Poster of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change accusing the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front of election fraud Parliamentary elections were held in Zimbabwe on March 31, 2005. ... Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. ... A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... The process known as redistricting in the United States and redistribution in many Commonwealth countries is the changing of political borders (in many countries, specifically the electoral district/constituency boundaries) usually in response to periodic census results. ... Electoral fraud is the deliberate interference with the process of an election. ...

Discrimination

Discrimination against women

Women are disadvantaged in Zimbabwe, with economic dependency and social norms preventing them from combating sex discrimination. Despite legal prohibitions, customs such as forced marriage are still in place. Domestic violence against women is a serious problem. While labor legislation prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace, such harassment is common and generally not prosecuted. While the law recognizes women’s right to property, inheritance and divorce, many women lack awareness of their rights.^[9] Gender discriminaton is discrimination based on gender. ... Forced marriage is a term used in the Occident to describe traditional arranged marriages in which one or more of the parties (usually the woman) is married without his/her consent or against his/her will. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Labour law (American English: labor) or employment law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which addresses the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. ... Sexual harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. ... Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ...

Discrimination against persons with disabilities

While government buildings by law are required to be accessible to persons with disabilities, implementation has been slow. Persons with disabilities also face severe societal discrimination, since traditional belief view them as bewitched.^[9] Look up disability in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Persecution against LGBT people

President Mugabe has publicly bashed homosexuals, blaming them for Africa's ills. Common law prevents homosexual men, and to a lesser extent homosexual women, from fully expressing their sexual orientation. In some cases it also criminalizes the display of affection between men. The criminal code has been amended to define sodomy to include "any act involving physical contact between males that would be regarded by a reasonable person to be an indecent act."^[9] The persecution of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals is the practice of attacking a person, usually physically, because they are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay or transgender. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... François Elluin, Sodomites provoking the wrath of God, from Le pot pourri de Loth (1781). ...

Government response

The government of Zimbabwe has generally responded to accusations of human rights violations from Western countries by counter-accusals of colonial attitudes and hypocrisy, claiming that countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States are guilty of similar or worse transgressions, for example in the Iraq War. For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...

In a speech at the inaugural session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on June 21, 2006, Zimbabwe's Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Patrick Chinamasa, assured that Zimbabwe would "respect the human rights of all its people". However, he accused "developed countries" of funding local NGOs with the goal of "undermining our sovereignty, creating and sustaining local opposition groups that have no local support base, and promoting disaffection and hostility among the local population against their popularly elected government".^[10] The United Nations Human Rights Council is an international body within the United Nations with the purpose of addressing human rights violations. ... Hunters a cool hobo For other uses, see Geneva (disambiguation). ... June 21 is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 193 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Notes

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ...

External links

• Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
• Zimbabwe Country Report on Human Rights Practices - 2006 - U.S. Department of State
• World Report 2007: Zimbabwe - Human Rights Watch
• "You Will Be Thoroughly Beaten": The Brutal Suppression of Dissent in Zimbabwe - Human Rights Watch
• Report 2006: Zimbabwe - Amnesty International
• Zimbabwe: Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights (2006) - International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
• Zimbabwe: 2006 Country Report - Freedom House
• Zimbabwe: Freedom of the Press 2006 - Freedom House