Introduction
On 27 March 2020, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a National Lockdown followed by the gazetting of SI 83 of 2020 Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. On day 10 of the lockdown, The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum) continued to monitor the implementation of this declaration. According to official statistics by the Ministry of Health and Child Care as of 8 April 2020, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases remained at eleven (11). However, a third individual succumbed to the pandemic raising the number of deaths to three (3). The increase in deaths relating to COVID-19 is a cause for concern given the continuous defiance of COVID-19 measures by members of the public and security forces. With three deaths out of eleven confirmed cases, our mortality rate is about twenty-seven percent (27%). This is very high. The third death also comes at a time when President Mnangagwa reclassified all produce markets as essential services leading to the operationalisation of high-risk areas such as Mbare Musika.
This report encompasses reports covering the 10 provinces of the country through reports received from the following Forum Members: Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP); Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA); Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR); Counselling Services Unit (CSU); Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR); Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
General Atmosphere
In a positive note, Manicaland COVID-19 Taskforce chairperson Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba announced that farmers whose produce was destroyed on 3 April 2020 during a ZRP led raid on Sakubva farmers market in Mutare will be compensated by the government. The affected farmers are required to register with the provincial taskforce for them to be able to receive part of the $600 million being extended to small businesses, vendors and the elderly by the government. Generally, the scarcity of potable water and the continuous rise in prices of basic commodities remain the primary reasons for the defiance of the lockdown by community members nationally. In an effort to increase hygiene at community boreholes in Harare, Community Water Alliance (CWA) and Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) distributed hand sanitizers in Budiriro and Glenview.
Kwekwe Town Council reportedly destroyed vending stalls and structures that were built on undesignated areas. Town Council officials also destroyed goods that were locked up in some of the tuckshops and structures that they destroyed.
Pick N Pay supermarket in Gweru was crowded with community members who were queueing for mealie meal. The long queues which included children and the elderly did not follow the recommended social distance. The majority of the community members went home empty-handed as police officers dispersed the chaotic crowd riled up by the alleged corruption of Pick N Pay employees who were extending favours to their friends and families. [WU1] In Zengeza East in Unit J and Unit K in Chitungwiza, a ZANU PF member only identified as Mhofu was moving around with fellow party members collecting names of people who would allegedly benefit from the government food aid programme during the lockdown. A similar report was received from Nyachityu in Mutare, where village members were summoned to ZANU PF supporter’s homestead identified as Taurai Marange to register their names for the government food relief programme.
In Epworth, there were long queues of people seeking medical assistance at Domboramwari clinic. The area leading into the clinic was crowded with community members anxiously waiting for their turn. As part of COVID-19 measures, the clinic has instituted that only 4 people are allowed to come into the clinic at a given time to avoid congestion. However, people were crowded in the waiting areas and not adhering to recommended social distance.
In Mbare, scores of people were seen enjoying a football match at an open field near Matapi flats. The crowd of people were in close contact with each other without maintaining social distance. Similar sporting events in similar defiance of the COVID-19 policies were also reported in Highfields. OK Supermarket which is at Zindoga Shopping Centre, in Waterfalls, was crowded with community members who were queueing for mealie meal and groceries. The long queues which included children and the elderly did not follow the recommended social distance. It was however noted that police officers and security guards who were controlling this queue had face masks and gloves and ensured that customers were sanitized before entering the supermarket. A military truck with soldiers and police officers was observed going around the Southlea Park area ensuring that people stayed indoors.
In Chimanimani, World Food Programme distributed food aid at Mhandarume and Chakohwa. Necessary social distance measures were exercised.
Attack on Journalists [WU2]
ZRP officers arrested TellZim journalist Beatific Ngumbwanda in Chiredzi and accused him of violating the lockdown regulations as stipulated in terms of Statutory Instrument (SI) 82 of 2020. Ngumbwanda who was following up on a story of a suspected COVID-19 death at Chiredzi District Hospital was conducting his lawful professional duties and despite producing his media accreditation card, he was detained for almost two hours before the police subsequently decided to release him without charging him. This arrest comes after the announcement by the Police General Headquarters on 30 March that journalists are free to discharge their work as they are categorised as essential services. Ngumbwanda is the 5th journalist to be arrested and detained by ZRP officers since the lockdown started on 30 March 2020.
Assaults
In Bindura, ZRP officers unlawfully assaulted people at Mupandenyama shopping centre and Progress shopping centre. It was reported that a total of 17 people were assaulted with baton sticks and some were forced to perform degrading and humiliating tasks such as crawling and singing whilst they were being assaulted. It was reported that the ZRP officers indiscriminately assaulted people without any provocation. Cases of harassment by ZRP officers were also reported in Chipadze and Chiwaridzo.
Arrests
Sixteen (16) people were arrested at Magunje growth point and charged with public drinking. The 16 people were taken to Magunje police station where they were detained for more than 5 hours. During detention, the arrested persons were bundled up in a room with poor ventilation, social distance protocol was not followed. They were released upon paying an admission of guilt fine.
In Mkoba 13 in Gweru, ZRP officers arrested 6 tuckshop owners for allegedly defying the lockdown by operating their tuckshops outside the stipulated time. The 6 were taken to Mkoba police station where they paid an admission of guilt fee of ZWL500 before they were released.
Summary of Violations
The table below summarises human rights violations documented by the Forum Secretariat and Forum Members from 30 March 2020 to 8 April 2020.
| Nature of Violation | Number of Victims | Location |
| Assault | 101 | Harare, Zvishavane, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Wedza, Chinhoyi, Zaka, Gweru, Chitungwiza, Bindura |
| Attack on Journalists | 5 | Mutare, Gweru, Chinhoyi, Harare, Chiredzi |
| Arrests | 140 | Masvingo, Gweru, Bulawayo, Chinhoyi, Hwange, Harare, Magunje |
Court Update
The High Court in Masvingo postponed to the 10th of April 2020 the hearing of an urgent chamber application that was filed by Masvingo residents Nevermine Mutamba and Musekiwa Sungano Zvarebwanashe together with Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance. The residents are seeking orders to compel municipality and central government to provide water during the subsistence of the national lockdown period and afterwards to help slow down the spread of the coronavirus in Zimbabwe. Judgment is also expected from the Bulawayo High Court in a matter brought to it by the Trustees of Greater Hwange Residents Trust seeking similar relief. The Harare High Court is also expected to hear the matter filed by our member the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, seeking an order that all frontline health practitioners working at public and private health facilities in Zimbabwe or deployed trace contacts exposed to people infected with or suspected to be infected with the coronavirus, be provided with sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE).
Security sector reform
Since the imposition of the lockdown as part of government’s strategy to curb the spread of the COVID-19 the Forum has noted with concern the escalation of human rights violations perpetrated by the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe National Army.
To date, the Forum has documented 140 unlawful arrests, 101 assaults and 5 cases of attacks on journalists all at the hands of security agents. Social media is awash with videos of members of the security sector assaulting or imposing various punishments on the citizenry like making them roll in the mud or frog-jumping. In response to such videos, the Government referred to them as old clips as if there was ever a time the police and soldiers were allowed to behave in such a manner. The police spokesperson, Inspector Paul Nyathi urged those who have been assaulted or illtreated by the police to report to their nearest police station. Yet this is exactly what our constitutional drafters had in mind when they came up with Section 210 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe requiring the establishment of an independent complaints mechanism to handle such complaints. More than seven years after the Constitution was promulgated, this section is yet to be operationalised.
The Forum implores the government to finalise alignment of the Constitution as well as to monitor and urgently regulate the conduct of the security services during the lockdown. The government should also create conditions of stability, well-being, peaceful and friendly relations based on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of race, age, sex, gender, class, religion and political affiliation. In addition, the government should develop a clear strategy on the conduct of the security services and clarify how they should be operating to prevent further gross human rights violations during the lockdown. Journalists and other critical players should equally be protected during their efforts to capture and disseminate information during the lockdown. After the lockdown, there is need for dialogue on institutional reforms.
Conclusion
The increasing defiance of the COVID-19 lockdown by community members is of great concern. This comes at a time when the COVID-19 mortality rate in Zimbabwe is increasing. The continuous attacks on journalists by ZRP officers is deplorable.
The Forum continues to call upon the citizens of Zimbabwe to take heed of the importance of social distancing as a measure to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forum also calls on the government: To raise awareness on COVID-19 to curb defiance of the lockdown; To protect journalists and other essential services from harassment and attacks when discharging their duties; To intervene on reports relating to the partisan distribution of food aid; To provide traders at markets with protective clothing and ensure that they abide by COVID measures such as social distance and hygiene; To implement a clear, transparent and public case management system to inform citizens of the developments relating to new cases and deaths resulting from COVID-19.
Source: Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (HRForum)
