CIVIL SOCIETY SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN ZIMBABWE 2020/2021

The document argues that Zimbabwe exhibits the form but not the substance of constitutionalism, characterized by an overweening Executive that subordinates the Judiciary and Legislature. It details a 'party-military-business coalition' that maintains power through the militarisation of politics, organised violence, and the shrinking of civic space. Economically, the report describes chronic fragility, hyperinflation, and a failing parastatal sector plagued by corporate governance breaches. While the government has introduced anti-corruption strategies and joined the APRM, civil society contends these are often symbolic, noting a persistent 'catch and release' syndrome for high-profile offenders and a lack of genuine political will to align laws with the 2013 Constitution.

• Zimbabwe's governance is dominated by the Executive, which has diluted judicial independence and expanded its own power through recent constitutional amendments, leaving other branches unable to act as significant checks.
• The state is governed by a 'party-military-business coalition' or consortium, where the ruling ZANU-PF, the security sector, and business cartels interpenetrate to ensure power remains with the coalition.
• The militarisation of politics has increased since 2017, with senior military officers holding high political office and the army being deployed to handle civilian dissent and enforce COVID-19 regulations.
• Corruption is pervasive and severely impacts the economy, with the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce estimating that nearly 20% of the national budget is lost to corruption.
• Elections are marred by allegations of rigging and intimidation, with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) criticized for lacking financial and political independence and deferring to the Executive.
• Civic space is shrinking as the government dismisses civil society organisations (CSOs) as agents of Western powers and proposes legislation to further regulate them and criminalise criticism.
• Despite constitutional provisions for 50/50 gender representation, women remain underrepresented in the National Assembly (31%), Senate (43%), and local government (13.3%).
• Public service delivery, particularly at the local government level, is dysfunctional due to political interference, corruption, and a lack of resources, leading to severe shortages of water and electricity.
• Zimbabwe has faced extreme economic instability, with inflation reaching 89.7 sextillion% in November 2008 and rising again to over 800% by July 2020.
• State Entities and Parastatals (SEPs) have declined from contributing over 40% of GDP in the mid-1990s to less than 2% currently, driven by political interference and poor corporate governance.
• The government has failed to fully align key legislation with the 2013 Constitution, particularly laws regarding the press, assembly, and the Electoral Act.
• Organised violence and torture (OVT) persist as tools for dealing with political opponents, with a documented increase in abductions and assaults since 2017.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2021). CIVIL SOCIETY SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN ZIMBABWE 2020/2021. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ZAPS-Report.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. CIVIL SOCIETY SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN ZIMBABWE 2020/2021. 2021. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ZAPS-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=CIVIL SOCIETY SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN ZIMBABWE 2020/2021 |date=October 2021 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ZAPS-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2021civil, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{CIVIL SOCIETY SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN ZIMBABWE 2020/2021}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ZAPS-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }