GOLD MAFIA, TORTURE, AND IMPUNITY: ZIMBABWE’S HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS EXPOSED

Zimbabwe is drowning in corruption, abuse, and fear—and the world is watching. A scathing report from the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices has stripped away the last illusions of progress, exposing a nation where power protects the corrupt and punishes the innocent. From low-level bribes to elite-level looting, the system is rotten from top to bottom. The report is not just a warning; it is an indictment of a regime that thrives on exploitation, violence, and silence.

Despite having anti-corruption courts in every province, justice in Zimbabwe is just a word. The report reveals that political interference, poor investigations, and weak institutions make accountability a farce. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is toothless. In 2022, it handled 684 complaints—a sharp drop from the previous year—but almost no one was convicted. It’s “catch and release” for the powerful, and “catch and crush” for the rest.

The corruption is not limited to bribes at roadblocks or stolen council funds. It reaches the highest offices. Al Jazeera’s “Gold Mafia” investigation uncovered a criminal empire built on gold smuggling and money laundering. Zimbabwe’s gold is being drained through crooked networks in South Africa and the UAE, with top officials deeply involved. Uebert Angel, Mnangagwa’s Ambassador-at-Large, and Henrietta Rushwaya, head of the Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation, were named. These are not whispers—they are public crimes, and yet no action has been taken.

Meanwhile, the people suffer. Zimbabwe’s prisons are hellholes. Overcrowded, filthy, and underfunded, they are death traps, especially for women and children. At Harare Remand Prison, daily beatings are the norm. Children under four live in cells with their mothers, sharing tiny food rations meant for one. Medical care is a joke. Clean water is a fantasy. This is not justice—it is slow death in chains.

Even worse, politically motivated violence has become routine. The police killed Persuade Mandara over allegations of grain theft. CCC activist Tapfumaneyi Masaya was abducted and murdered. These are not isolated cases. They are warnings—meant to terrify those who speak out. The message is clear: challenge the regime, and you may not live to regret it.

During elections, the same fear machinery kicks into high gear. Fake “exit poll” agents tied to the Central Intelligence Organisation intimidate voters at polling stations. It’s not democracy—it’s a hijacked process dressed in electoral clothes. Your vote is not a secret if the state is watching.

Human rights defenders face constant harassment. NGOs and activists are treated like foreign enemies. Lawyers Doug Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi were arrested simply for defending torture victims. When lawyers are jailed for doing their jobs, the rule of law is dead. This regime does not tolerate questions, and it punishes anyone who asks them.

All of this paints a dark picture. Zimbabwe is not governed by law—it is ruled by fear. State institutions exist not to serve the people, but to protect the powerful. The police beat you. The courts ignore you. The prisons break you. And the leaders lie about it all while stealing the country blind.

The international community must do more than issue statements. Real pressure is needed. Sanctions must target the looters, not the people. Support must go to activists, lawyers, and journalists risking everything to speak truth in a country drowning in lies.

The report ends with a call for reform. But let’s be honest: this government will not reform itself. The people of Zimbabwe must rise, supported by those who believe in freedom and dignity. The road is hard, but silence is no longer an option. We must demand justice, we must demand change, and we must say this clearly: Zimbabwe deserves better.