Providing security and justice for the people

This 2009 research paper analyzes the deep politicization of Zimbabwe's security sector and proposes a phased reform agenda. It details how the military, police, and intelligence services have been repurposed to protect the ZANU-PF regime, leading to widespread human rights abuses and the erosion of the rule of law. The authors argue for a cautious approach to reform, prioritizing stability and restorative justice in the short term while advocating for long-term institutional accountability and judicial independence.

• The Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF) has become increasingly politicized, moving from a professional force to one used for domestic political ends, including the control of public discontent and the support of ZANU-PF campaigns.
• The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has been used as a tool for repressive policies, frequently committing gross human rights violations such as torture and arbitrary arrest, while ignoring court orders and behaving with impunity.
• The Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operates without a legal foundation or legislative boundaries, allowing it to function with relative autonomy and engage in unwarranted detention and torture to suppress opposition.
• The independence of the Zimbabwean judiciary has eroded, with the executive increasing control, purging impartial judges, and replacing them with ZANU-PF loyalists who may receive land and goods for their allegiance.
• Zimbabwean prisons are in a state of humanitarian crisis, with severe overcrowding—holding over 35,000 inmates in facilities designed for 17,000—and a lack of basic food, water, and medical supplies.
• Short-term security sector reform priorities include removing the risk of a military coup, limiting military domestic interventions, ensuring regular wages for security personnel, and implementing a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme for war veterans and militias.
• The document suggests a transition toward restorative justice in the short term, focusing on the vindication of victims rather than the punishment of perpetrators, to avoid destabilizing the fragile unity government.
• Comprehensive security sector reform currently lacks political resonance; therefore, the authors suggest that initial changes will likely be based on strategic negotiation and technocratic interventions rather than widespread democratic reform.

APA

Hendricks, C., & Hutton, L. (2009). Providing security and justice for the people. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper199.pdf

Chicago

Hendricks, Cheryl, and Lauren Hutton. Providing security and justice for the people. Institute for Security Studies, 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper199.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hendricks |first1=Cheryl |last2=Hutton |first2=Lauren |title=Providing security and justice for the people |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=September 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper199.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hendricks2009providing, author = {Hendricks, Cheryl and Hutton, Lauren}, title = {{Providing security and justice for the people}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper199.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }