By TellZim Reporter
Masvingo Province has for the first time recorded a sharp decline in the number of human rights abuses recording only three cases in October 2025 out of a total of 116 cases recorded during the month.
According to the Zimbabwe Peace Project report for October 2025, the three cases related to Masvingo include forced displacement, physical assault and harassment as well as intimidation in Gutu and Mwenezi districts.
“In Gutu Ward 6, a woman living with a disability was forcibly displaced from her land by a traditional leader, highlighting violations of property rights and protections for vulnerable persons. In Mwenezi Ward 4, a male resident was accused of organizing the one million men march on 17 October and was assaulted by ZANU PF supporters, sustaining injuries, illustrating politically motivated violence and the suppression of civic participation.
“Additionally, in Gutu Ward 24, nurses at a medical facility were harassed and intimidated for accepting donated blankets without ZANU PF approval, demonstrating interference in professional and humanitarian activities,” reads a part of the report.
According to the report, the violations which include forced displacements, threats, physical assault and hate motivated violence affecting 2 531 individuals.
“In October 2025, ZPP documented a total of 116 human rights violations across the country, affecting 2,531 individuals, of whom 1,360 were female and 1,171 were male. Among these, 58 women and 51 men were persons with disabilities.
The violations recorded included gross abuses such as forced displacements, hate-motivated violence, threats, and physical assault.
“Additional infringements encompassed restrictions on freedom of assembly and association, curtailment of freedom of expression, unjustified arrests, and inequitable access to government aid and essential social services,” reads a part of the report
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Harare topped the violations with 38 cases largely linked to service delivery failures, followed by Mashonaland East (20), Manicaland (16), and Matabeleland North (13). Mashonaland Central and Midlands each recorded 8 violations, Mashonaland West and Bulawayo 5 each.
Zanu PF supporters accounted for 19.2 percent of the perpetrators, with the party’s leadership at various levels accounting for 12.1 percent. Local authorities contributed 16.5 percent while the Zimbabwe Republic Police and traditional leaders were counted as 15.2 percent and 9.8 percent of the violators respectively.
Other state actors, including school authorities and security personnel, together accounted for 11.5percent, while civilians unaffiliated with any institution represented 14.1percent. Members of the MDC-A were responsible for 0.7 percent of violations.
In April 2025, Masvingo topped the statistics with a shocking 300 percent increase in human rights violations from five recorded in March of the same year to 20 in April exposing a disturbing trend of systemic repression and abuse of power by those in offices.
In May 2025 Masvingo and Harare recorded the highest number of violations in May.
Provincially, Masvingo and Harare recorded the highest number of violations with 13 and 16 violations respectively.
