ZIMBABWE’S human rights situation has plunged into a deepening crisis, civil society organisations warned this week, releasing stark new data showing that more than 45 000 citizens have been affected by violations in 2025 alone.
Marking International Human Rights Day, the groups painted a grim picture of shrinking freedoms and a pervasive climate of fear, particularly for women and other vulnerable communities.
According to the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), 892 human rights violation incidents were recorded between January and November 2025, impacting 44 853 people.
Presenting the findings at an event hosted by ZimRights, ZPP programmes manager Shadreck Vengesai said the majority of those affected were women.
“Major contextual issues that had human rights implications include the onslaught on freedom of expression: Blessed Mhlanga, Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu), Sapes Trust, Job Sikhala house bombing, disruption of book launch and birthday celebrations, March 31 demonstrations, by-elections, Zanu PF extraordinary meeting in Mutare in October 2025, and the 2030 agenda,” Vengesai said.
He cited Harare, Manicaland and Masvingo as the worst-affected regions and identified Zanu PF supporters, party leaders, the police and traditional leaders as the main perpetrators.
Activists say the data reflects a systemic collapse of constitutional protections.
“The current state of human rights in Zimbabwe is precarious, especially for vulnerable communities,” ZimRights national programmes manager, Gillian Chinzete, stated bluntly. “Many individuals continue to face violations, including restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association. Our close engagement with communities reveals a persistent state of fear and repression, exacerbated by socio-economic challenges. These voices must be heard and addressed.”
- Letters: PWDs remain susceptible to abuse
- Political violence escalating: Report
- Witch-hunt scare hits UZ
- ‘ED fuelling hate speech’
Keep Reading
She warned that civic space is shrinking rapidly, adding that socio-economic pressures have deepened the fear and repression communities face daily.
“These voices must be heard and addressed. There is an urgent need for comprehensive policy reforms and greater support and solidarity,” Chinzete said.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), which held a commemorative march, echoed those concerns, highlighting the growing gulf between the country’s progressive constitution and the “brutal reality” on the ground.
ZLHR programmes lawyer Kelvin Kabaya said Zimbabwe has a progressive constitution “but we are still struggling to bridge that gap between the good or progressive human rights standards that are found in our constitution and the practices that we are finding on the ground”.
In a direct challenge to the authorities, ZLHR urged the government to act on international findings.
“We call on the government to implement the concluding observations and recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, as well as those of the UN Human Rights Committee,” Kabaya said.
Civil society groups said the statistics must be understood not as abstract numbers, but as evidence of a daily reality in which fundamental rights have ceased to be “everyday essentials” for tens of thousands of Zimbabweans.
