Nqobizwe Thebe
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has sounded the alarm over grave human rights violations at Harare Remand Prison, following an unannounced monitoring visit on April 29, 2025.
The visit, prompted by public concern over the prolonged detention of individuals arrested during the March 31 protests, unearthed systemic abuse, unconstitutional detention practices, and degrading prison conditions.
The Commission confirmed that several inmates had endured prolonged pre-trial detention without compelling justification—violating their constitutional rights under Section 50(1)(d). “Inmates held in cases of political interest suffered prolonged pre-trial detention in violation of the right not to be detained without trial, and to be released on bail unless there are compelling reasons justifying such detention,” the ZHRC said.
In a particularly disturbing finding, Mhlanga and a fellow student from the UZ Economics Department were barred from writing their exams. “The denial of the right to education while in custody is an unacceptable infringement of fundamental freedoms,” the Commission stated.
Conditions inside Harare Remand Prison were described as inhumane and overcrowded, with some cells built for 35 inmates now crammed with over 80. Detainees spoke of sleeping in turns and struggling for access to clean water. “Some inmates are living in degrading and unsafe conditions,” the ZHRC reported, noting that these environments pose serious health and safety risks.
Compounding the crisis, a breakdown in TelOne’s telephone system had left many inmates completely cut off from their families and legal representatives. “The failure to access communication violates detainees’ rights to family life, support, and legal counsel,” the Commission said. A remand prisoner reportedly told ZHRC staff: “I haven’t spoken to my mother in weeks. She doesn’t even know if I’m alive.”
The ZHRC also received credible allegations of police brutality during arrests, including physical assaults and theft of personal belongings. “Detainees reported being beaten, insulted, and robbed during arrest,” the Commission noted. These acts, if confirmed, constitute violations of the constitutional guarantee against torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
In perhaps the most shocking revelation, the Commission discovered 66 irregular migrants of various nationalities being held unlawfully. “These individuals were not facing criminal charges nor awaiting deportation hearings,” the ZHRC said. “Their detention was in violation of their rights.”
Following the visit, the ZHRC issued urgent recommendations to authorities, including: prioritizing bail applications, launching investigations into police misconduct, restoring communication lines, ensuring access to medical care and education, and ceasing the unlawful detention of migrants.
Encouragingly, immediate reforms followed. The Officer in Charge pledged that injured detainees would be treated without delay, and that visitors’ food and medicine would now reach prisoners without obstruction. Inmates were urged to report abuse directly, and TelOne was engaged to fix the phone lines. The Commission also liaised with the University of Zimbabwe to support Mhlanga and others in recovering their missed examinations.
The 94 protest-related detainees, including Mhlanga, were granted bail shortly after the ZHRC intervention, a move the Commission welcomed. “We are cautiously optimistic,” a spokesperson said. “But real change will require more than bail releases—it must mean structural reform and legal accountability.”
As Zimbabwe heads toward another election cycle, the ZHRC reiterated its commitment to holding public institutions accountable. “There is need to address all outstanding issues and to uphold the dignity and rights of all individuals, including those in detention,” the Commission stated.
The Commission’s bold intervention could mark a turning point for justice and prison reform in Zimbabwe, but it warned that momentum must not be lost: “Our duty does not end with a visit. We will continue to monitor and push for every necessary remedy—because human dignity must never be optional.”
