The ruling Zanu PF party was identified as the leading perpetrator of violence across the country in April, followed by a controversial eternal associate with the military (FAZ).
This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) report, an April 2025 report.
The ZPP expressed serious concern over ongoing politically motivated violence, coercion, and systematic abuse committed by both state and non-state actors.
The Human Rights Watchdog Group added that recorded violations serve as a urgent need for institutional reform, increased accountability and a rigorous reminder of implementation of protective mechanisms. These steps are of paramount importance to protecting the fundamental rights of all Zimbabweans.
The ZPP warned that the pursuit of sustainable peace, democracy and justice remains significantly undermined without intentional action to reverse these disturbing trends.
The government, like local governments, is involved as perpetrators of human rights abuses.
According to the report, Zanu PF committed more than 34% of the total of all human rights violations recorded by Peace Watchdog in April 2025.
“Analysis of the data shows that Zanu PF, an individual affiliated with the ruling party, was responsible for 34.1% of reported violations,” the report states.
The ZPP also points the Zimbabwean National Army (ZNA) with its finger as one of the leading perpetrators of human rights abuses, claiming that around 6% of all cases of gross rights violations were committed by the military.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) accounted for 24.1% of the perpetrators, while the local council was responsible for 15.64%. The Zimbabwe National Army contributed 6.41% and government officials contributed 4.62%.”
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According to the report, Masvingo recorded the highest number of violations, followed by 14 Harare states, reflecting the same pattern observed in March 2025.
Other states include Manicaland 12, Mashonaland Central 13, Mashonaland East 11 and Mashonaland West 12.
The Midlands reportedly recorded a decline in reported cases, from 14 in March to 5 in April. Bulawayo 1(1), Matabeleland North 2(2), and Matabeleland South 3(3) reported significantly fewer violations.
In a positive note, the ZPP said that, apart from the domestic worrying trends in human rights abuses, the High Court’s decision that justified the industrial strike of University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers last month provided a faint hope.
“In spite of the worrying trends, the month also brought about positive developments in the form of a High Court decision in favour of the constitutional rights by the University of Zimbabwe Association of University Teachers (AUT),” the report said, providing a winding of light into what would otherwise be a very dark tunnel.
