Zimbabwe’s history has been tainted by allegations of gross human rights violations. One serious human rights violation that has characterized this history is torture. Since its inception in 1998, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum) has been concerned with, and working on issues of Organized Violence and Torture (OVT).
From the beginning, the Forum has documented a lot of cases of gross human rights violations, especially torture. Claims of torture have been leveled mainly but not exclusively, against state agents such as police, army and other state security agents. Groups affiliated to the then ruling ZANU PF party such as Liberation War Veterans and youth militia operating under the National Youth Training Programme commonly known as the “Green Bombers” have also been implicated.
Torture in Zimbabwe mostly occurs during major political events such as elections. The police have also been accused of using it during investigations. Several research initiatives on torture and documents on this grossly unacceptable practice in Zimbabwe have been produced.