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Is Zimbabwe a Democracy

Details: Written by: Questions by J Burke, ZHRO - Research Answers GROK3; Published: 01 March 2025; Hits: 188

Step One: Estimating "Days in Prison" {or on remand for sentencing, bail or even charges}

X.com GROK3-Link 24th November 2017 to 1st March 2025;

Estimating the total number of "days in prison or on remand" for activists, opposition members, and journalists in Zimbabwe during Emmerson Mnangagwa's term in office (from November 2017 to March 1, 2025) is a challenging task due to the lack of comprehensive, centralized data and the sheer volume of cases involved. However, based on available reports from human rights organizations, news outlets, and official statements, it is possible to piece together a rough estimate by aggregating known instances and extrapolating where data is incomplete. Let’s approach this systematically, acknowledging the limitations and grounding the estimate in documented examples.

Mnangagwa assumed power on November 24, 2017, following a military coup that ousted Robert Mugabe. From that date to today, March 1, 2025, approximately 2,654 days have elapsed (accounting for leap years: 2018 had 365 days, 2019 had 365, 2020 had 366, 2021 had 365, 2022 had 365, 2023 had 365, 2024 had 366, and 2025 has 60 days up to March 1). During this period, numerous reports highlight a pattern of arrests, detentions, and prolonged pretrial remand targeting critics of the government, particularly from the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Transform Zimbabwe, and other activist groups, as well as journalists like Hopewell Chin’ono.

Key Documented Cases

Let’s start with some high-profile examples where the number of days in detention is explicitly reported:

Job Sikhala (CCC Opposition Leader): Arrested June 14, 2022, and released January 2024 after 595 days in pretrial detention at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on charges of inciting public violence and obstruction of justice. This is one of the longest recorded detentions under Mnangagwa’s term.
Hopewell Chin’ono (Journalist): Arrested multiple times between 2020 and 2021. Reports indicate he spent approximately 94 days in detention across three arrests (e.g., 45 days in 2020 related to the July 31 protests, plus additional periods in 2021). Amnesty International notes over 80 days between July 2020 and January 2021, but cumulative totals suggest slightly more.
Jacob Ngarivhume (Transform Zimbabwe Leader): Arrested July 23, 2020, and spent 45 days in remand prison before bail. Later arrested April 2020, convicted, and sentenced to 48 months (with 12 suspended), serving roughly 8 months (approximately 240 days) until December 2023. Another arrest on August 2, 2024, led to 82 days in detention until October 23, 2024. Total documented: ~367 days.
Jameson Timba and 34 CCC Activists: Arrested June 16, 2024, and held until November 27, 2024, when they received suspended sentences. This equates to 164 days each. For 35 individuals, that’s 5,740 days collectively.
June 16, 2024, CCC Arrests (Broader Group): Over 70 people arrested at Timba’s home. Assuming all were detained for the same 164 days (some reports suggest a few were released earlier), this could be 70 × 164 = 11,480 days. However, subtracting the 35 above (to avoid double-counting), an additional 35 people yields 5,740 more days.

Other Notable Cases:

Fadzayi Mahere (CCC MP): Detained 7 days in January 2021.
Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barnes: Arrested July 31, 2020, with short detentions (exact days unclear, likely 1-2 days each).
Makomborero Haruzivishe: Sentenced in March 2021 for inciting violence, with pretrial detention of uncertain length but likely months, followed by a 1-year sentence (~365 days total).
Read more: Is Zimbabwe a Democracy

Electoral Reforms a Vital Condition

Details: Written by: Charles Kanyimo with added AI references; Published: 20 February 2025; Hits: 209

Electoral Reforms: Zimbabwe Opposition’s Urgent Priority

With the ruling ZANU PF party embroiled in internal factional battles, the political scene in Zimbabwe is approaching interesting times. Unfortunately, the opposition is focused on the fallout within ZANU PF while the most urgent issue—electoral reform—is being sidelined. Without fundamental changes to the electoral system, the next election is likely to be another manipulated process that keeps ZANU PF in power against the will of the people, whether it’s Mnangagwa or Chiwenga at the helm.

The 2023 elections once again exposed how the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) operate as an extension of ZANU PF rather than an independent election body. The opposition lost largely because of a compromised voters’ roll, which was never properly audited, making it easy for ghost voters and irregular registrations to benefit the ruling party. Gerrymandering also played a role, with constituency boundaries altered to favor ZANU PF.

State-sponsored voter intimidation was another major factor. The presence of FAZ (Forever Associates Zimbabwe), a ZANU PF-linked group that effectively acted as an extension of the intelligence services, created a climate of fear at polling stations. Many rural voters were subjected to assisted voting, where they were pressured into casting ballots for the ruling party. Reports of ballot stuffing and vote tampering were ignored by ZEC, which refused to act on any complaints raised by the opposition.

Despite overwhelming evidence of a rigged process, ZEC declared the elections free and fair, reinforcing the reality that it is not a neutral institution. The opposition must stop treating ZEC as a legitimate electoral body and instead demand its complete disbandment. There is no point in participating in elections run by an institution that is designed to keep ZANU PF in power.

For decades, ZANU PF has blocked meaningful electoral reforms because they know that a free and fair election would likely result in their removal from power. They have refused to allow independent audits of the voters’ roll, manipulated electoral laws to ensure ZEC remains under government control, and used state institutions like the police and judiciary to suppress opposition campaigns and protests. ZANU PF party has also relied on intimidation and violence to discourage voter participation, particularly in rural areas where they enforce their control through traditional leaders.

Their resistance to reform is an admission that they cannot win a democratic election without rigging. This is why the opposition must stop getting distracted by ZANU PF’s internal conflicts and instead focus on mobilizing for electoral reforms. The real fight is not about who takes over within ZANU PF—it is about ensuring that the electoral system no longer allows them to manipulate elections.

ZANU PF has been pushing for Zimbabwe’s re-admission into the Commonwealth, hoping to regain unlikely international legitimacy. However, the Commonwealth must not grant Zimbabwe this privilege without concrete electoral reforms. Re-admitting Zimbabwe without fixing its deeply flawed electoral system would be a betrayal of democratic values.

Diaspora Opinions on 2030

Details: Written by: Various writers; Published: 09 February 2025; Hits: 1149

UPDATE 21st February 2025

A few of the activists in the UK from ROHR, ZHRO, CCC, ZAPU and others are letting their views be known to the wider community. #NoED2030 is creating havoc within the active Diaspora. This is the first 3 that we will publish, we expect more will want their voices heard. In addition these comments will be repeated within the petition we will present to the UK PM and FCDO on 20th February 2025 at 14:00 Please support us. See other articles HERE and HERE plus our article on Mismanagement HERE

14th February 2025: Today, Valentines Day we learn that Ms Shamiso Moyo has been put into detention - as of last night. We are in communication by text/e-mail with her daughter, with onward delivery of the ZHRO support document to her Lawyers. We wish her luck with this and her 64th birthday in June this year. Her thoughts have been added below from a communication we received on 1st Feb 2025 - which were going to go into our Petition on the 20th February 2025 - on which Shamiso has been "approved" by the Police Diplomatic Unit!

ZANU-PF scheming

Zanupf believe that they are wiser than all Zimbabweans; They are the greatest scammers in Zimbabwe.

In 1985 they butchered the Ndebeles during the Gukurahundi era in Midlands and Matabeleland and blamed it on Nkomo; which was a lie orchestrated by ED Mnangagwa. In 2000 zanupf butchered the white farmers ruthlessly and blamed it on land reform only for them to grab productive farms and loot billions worth of property and livestock. In 2013 when Mugabe lost the election ED turned the will of the people down and forced Mugabe back into office to protect their loot. In 2017 when they realised that Mugabe was old and weak they mobilised the whole country and the army to overthrow Mugabe through a coup de tat. All this was ED’s plan and instruction From 2017 Zimbabwe’s economy has continued to nose dive while the zanupf top brace have continued looting unabated. Rule of law is non existent.

Nepotism is the order of the day; Human rights have been abandoned; The police, the army and the judiciary have become partisan; Recruitment for these arms of government have all become partisan; Freedom of speech has been removed; Opposition is not allowed to gather; Abductions and murder of those speaking truth to power have increased; Zimbabwe under Mnangagwa is a banana republic; Zimbabwe is now a Mnangagwa dynasty!

The infights within zanupf is just disguise to confuse the public zanupf wants to remain in power to protect their loot. The 2030 agenda has to be resisted with every force. Zanupf must go in total

Written by Shamiso Moyo {1st February 2025}

'Constitutionalism' vs Truthfulness

It was "reassuring" to hear ED telling newspaper editors that he was a constitutionalist and would therefore serve no more than 2 terms, as enshrined in the constitution of Zimbabwe. But I am very sceptical about politicians; Zanu PF politicians in particular.

These remarks may have been said to 'ward off' the pressure from War Veterans led by Cde Bombshell, I am therefore not convinced that ED will stick to his words. The mere fact that he's allowing the likes of Daniel Garwe, Kazembe Kazembe, Ziyambi Ziyambi to continue going about telling people that they will work flat out to make sure that ED stays beyond 2028 makes me question his sincerity.

He has the power to tell the MPs to desist from bombarding people with or forcing people to shout slogans such "2030 anenge aripo" - I have always wondered why Zanu PF politicians never address or engage people on developmental issues. Each time you hear them speak it's all about succession issues, - I submit that until ED puts it on paper that he will not go beyond 2028, we should continue putting the pressure to make sure this won't happen!

Written By Petty Ziramba

No to 2030

With the ongoing madness of the "2030 anenge achipo" mantra which has taken more time which was supposed to be used on how to develop the country they have ruined for more than 44 years. This has seen youths being reduced to baggers of the so called "mbingas" who have been divulging in their future.

The looters have been on the forefront of forcing the incompetent Mnangagwa to remain on power as they want to extend their already overstretched hands in the financial coffers, leading to the financial Ministry relying on drip situation, having to pay Civil Servants with money being collected from the toll gates, instead of that money doing its intended jobs of rebuilding the roads.

The situation is dire to the extent of people having blackouts for more than 18 hours a day, no clean water, no paracetamol in the hospitals and this has resulted in people having to rely on the old age methods of traditional medicine.

With all this that has been happening l stand in solidarity with everyone out there who is against this unconstitutional move which is about to be made at the ‘expense’ of Zimbabwean. This has always been the way of the regime manipulating the constitution into fake referendums with the fake ZEC and this has made Zimbabwe ‘bleed’ for years, it’s time to make the wrongs right.

#NO TO 2030 Written by Greatman Makipa

A Democratic Illusion

Details: Written by: John C Burke; Published: 17 January 2025; Hits: 213

What chance have Human Rights got when Democracy in Zimbabwe is merely a "Calculated Façade" - Masquerading as a Democracy is the main issue. Taken from the article on ZHRO.Org.uk on 15th January 2025

Do the Zimbabwe government display democratic attributes?

GROK (X/Twitter version of AI - {Artificial Intelligence} and Human Research

The question of whether the Zimbabwean government displays democratic attributes is complex and multifaceted, given the country's political history and current governance practices. Here are some key points to consider:

Elections: Zimbabwe holds regular elections, which is a fundamental aspect of democracy. However, these elections have often been criticized for lacking fairness and transparency. Allegations of vote rigging, intimidation, and violence have marred several elections, including those in 2008 and 2018. The 2023 elections were similarly criticized for irregularities and intimidation, reflecting ongoing issues with the democratic process.

Judicial Independence: The judiciary's independence is crucial for democracy, but in Zimbabwe, there have been reports of judicial interference by the executive. Judges have been pressured to make rulings favourable to the government, undermining the separation of powers. The appointment process of judges has also been questioned for its lack of transparency and independence from executive influence.

ISS AFRICA - regarding Zimbabwe

Media Freedom: Freedom of the press is another cornerstone of democracy, yet in Zimbabwe, media freedom has been severely restricted. The government has historically used laws to control media narratives, close independent newspapers, and intimidate journalists, leading to self-censorship and a lack of diverse media voices.

Civil Liberties: The government's record on civil liberties is poor, with reports of human rights abuses, suppression of political opposition, and the use of state security forces to quell dissent. The 2022 Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Amendment Bill further restricts civil society's ability to operate freely, particularly on issues deemed "political."

Freedom House Report