Over 5,000 people affected by human rights violations in March as repression mars Constitutional Amendment Bill hearings
AT LEAST 5,013 people were affected by human rights violations in March, with a significant portion of the abuses occurring during the four-day Parliamentary public hearings on the Constitution Amendment Bill (No. 3). This was revealed in a monthly monitoring teport by the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP). ZPP said the human rights violations surged sharply […] The post Over 5,000 people affected by human rights violations in March as repression mars Constitutional Amendment Bill hearings appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
Black News 
AT LEAST 5,013 people were affected by human rights violations in March, with a significant portion of the abuses occurring during the four-day Parliamentary public hearings on the Constitution Amendment Bill (No. 3).
This was revealed in a monthly monitoring teport by the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP).
ZPP said the human rights violations surged sharply in March with 291 cases recorded compared to 104 in February, as parliamentary hearings drove a spike in the abuses.
The hearings held between March 30 and April 2 was when over 100 human rights abuses occured affecting close to 2,000 people with the rest of the violations happening before and after the consultations.
“During the Parliamentary Public Hearings on the Constitution Amendment Bill (No. 3) of 2026, the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) documented a total of 121 overt human rights violations affecting 1,985 people, 714 males and 1,271 females, including 10 persons with disabilities,” reads the report.
According to ZPP, perpetrators were largely linked to the ruling party, with ZANU PF affiliates accounting for nearly half of all violations.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) suspected state security agents also accounted for violations.
The human rights watchdog said the hearings, instead of providing a platform for democratic participation, were characterised by systemic repression, with authorities and ruling party-linked actors allegedly targeting individuals who opposed the Bill.
“The process was marked by widespread restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly and association, alongside violations of personal security through assaults, threats and unlawful detention,” the report added.
Among the most serious abuses recorded during the four-day period were cases of abduction and unlawful detention, with four incidents affecting six male victims.
The ZPP documented widespread restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly and association, as well as violations of personal security through assaults, threats and unlawful detention.
“Individuals who mobilised, participated or expressed dissenting views against the Bill were specifically targeted, creating an environment of fear and coercion,” the report noted.
The post Over 5,000 people affected by human rights violations in March as repression mars Constitutional Amendment Bill hearings appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com.
