Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

Zimbabwe
The human rights environment in Zimbabwe continued to stabilise throughout 2010
and the economy grew stronger. Many well-respected human rights defenders
acknowledge that the situation, while still serious, has greatly improved from 2008
when violence erupted after the election and before the presidential run-off election.
Levels of harassment and abuse have reduced since the Government of National
Unity took office in February 2009.
The year 2010 saw other steps forward. The country-wide consultation on a new
constitution brought isolated outbreaks of violence, including one death in Harare,
but overall did not produce the expected tensions that many observers had
predicted. The Zimbabwean government, through the judiciary, made progress in
beginning to look at how it can strengthen its role in administering family law. Most
protest marches proceeded without trouble, and often with police cooperation.
Licences were awarded to another four independent newspapers and the reports of
human rights abuses that were occurring in the Chiadzwa diamond mining area have
largely diminished. Reginald Austin was appointed as head of the Human Rights
Commission.
Notwithstanding this, however, it remains the case that minimal progress has been
achieved in bringing about the reforms that would underpin fundamental and
sustainable improvements to human rights, governance and political freedoms. A
culture of impunity remained throughout the year, and the attorney-general’s office
continued to pursue prosecutions on a political basis. The use of torture as a tool for
questioning by police and the military continued to go unchallenged by the state and
the Human Rights Commission was unable to start its work because implementing
legislation had not yet been passed to parliament.
Encouraging an improvement in human rights and good governance remained
central to UK policy. We continued, along with the EU, to support the Government of
National Unity and its commitment to improving human rights and ongoing wider
reforms. Our Embassy in Harare worked with NGOs, human rights defenders and
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