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Zimbabwe scores badly on questionable global rights index
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Zimbabwe continues to slide deeper into repression and deprivation, with a damning new report by the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) revealing widespread violations of civil, political, and economic rights under President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government.
The HRMI report, released last week, paints a grim picture of life in Zimbabwe, showing that the country scored just 3.7 out of 10 for civil and political freedoms — well below the global average. This suggests that a significant portion of the population cannot freely exercise their rights to speech, assembly, and association.
The report also raised alarm over citizens' safety from the state, with Zimbabwe scoring 5.7 out of 10. This rating indicates that many people remain at risk of arbitrary arrests, torture, forced disappearances, or even extrajudicial killings.
"The data revealed repeated arbitrary detentions and credible allegations of torture in police custody, especially targeting opposition activists and journalists, under laws that grant security forces sweeping powers," the report stated.
It noted that these findings were consistent with those of other global rights watchdogs, including Amnesty International, which have long documented the harassment and abuse of human rights defenders, pro-democracy campaigners, and investigative journalists in Zimbabwe.
In the economic and social sphere, the situation is no better. HRMI found that Zimbabwe fulfilled only 67.8% of its potential Quality of Life benchmark, given its income level — a score that places it in the "very bad" category on the Rights Tracker.
"The right to food, health, and education all fall well below fulfilment," the report warned. "Several reports highlight chronic food insecurity affecting more than half the population, while public clinics remain under-resourced and school attendance has plummeted amid economic collapse."
HRMI's East and Southern Africa Lead, Nkosi Sibanda, said the findings reflect a deeply troubling trend of systemic neglect and repression.
"These scores show not only that civil and political freedoms are being eroded, but that basic economic and social rights — water, sanitation, food, health, and education — are being neglected," Sibanda said.
He called on the government to urgently channel resources into improving citizens' quality of life and protecting fundamental freedoms.
"Without immediate, comprehensive steps to safeguard civil liberties, hold security forces to account, and invest in basic services, the country risks cementing a cycle of rights violations and social decline," Sibanda warned.
The HRMI, a globally respected non-profit organisation, is part of a broader international effort to measure and monitor countries' human rights performance using its data-driven Rights Tracker system.
As Zimbabwe continues to face international scrutiny over its rights record, the report is likely to fuel further debate over the country's trajectory and the government's commitment to reform.
The HRMI report, released last week, paints a grim picture of life in Zimbabwe, showing that the country scored just 3.7 out of 10 for civil and political freedoms — well below the global average. This suggests that a significant portion of the population cannot freely exercise their rights to speech, assembly, and association.
The report also raised alarm over citizens' safety from the state, with Zimbabwe scoring 5.7 out of 10. This rating indicates that many people remain at risk of arbitrary arrests, torture, forced disappearances, or even extrajudicial killings.
"The data revealed repeated arbitrary detentions and credible allegations of torture in police custody, especially targeting opposition activists and journalists, under laws that grant security forces sweeping powers," the report stated.
It noted that these findings were consistent with those of other global rights watchdogs, including Amnesty International, which have long documented the harassment and abuse of human rights defenders, pro-democracy campaigners, and investigative journalists in Zimbabwe.
In the economic and social sphere, the situation is no better. HRMI found that Zimbabwe fulfilled only 67.8% of its potential Quality of Life benchmark, given its income level — a score that places it in the "very bad" category on the Rights Tracker.
HRMI's East and Southern Africa Lead, Nkosi Sibanda, said the findings reflect a deeply troubling trend of systemic neglect and repression.
"These scores show not only that civil and political freedoms are being eroded, but that basic economic and social rights — water, sanitation, food, health, and education — are being neglected," Sibanda said.
He called on the government to urgently channel resources into improving citizens' quality of life and protecting fundamental freedoms.
"Without immediate, comprehensive steps to safeguard civil liberties, hold security forces to account, and invest in basic services, the country risks cementing a cycle of rights violations and social decline," Sibanda warned.
The HRMI, a globally respected non-profit organisation, is part of a broader international effort to measure and monitor countries' human rights performance using its data-driven Rights Tracker system.
As Zimbabwe continues to face international scrutiny over its rights record, the report is likely to fuel further debate over the country's trajectory and the government's commitment to reform.
Source - The Standard
