The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC/ Commission) received a complaint involving alleged partisan distribution of Presidential Agricultural Inputs in Ward 6 Chimanimani West Constituency, Chimanimani District in Manicaland Province. This report contains findings of the ZHRC investigation conducted in response to the complaint received.

1.1. The complainants lodged their complaints through the ZHRC hotline. Although two complaints were reported as independent complaints, both complainants were on partisan distribution of Presidential Inputs in Nemaramba Village, Ward 6 of Chimanimani West. Allegations were that the ZANU PF supporters were interfering with the distribution of Presidential Inputs and openly threatening that all those aligned to the opposition political parties and independent candidates would not receive any food aid.

1.2. In determining its role in this matter, the ZHRC considered the two sets of facts which give rise to distinct causes of action, namely;

1.2.1 Human rights investigations into human rights violations of the constitutional right to equality and non-discrimination (Section 56), freedom of association and assembly (Section 58), the right to make political choices freely (Section 67) and the right to food (Section 77) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013.

1.2.2 Maladministration investigations on the part of public officials who were allegedly performing their duties partially and with bias against persons of a particular political affiliation. This was in contravention of the provisions of the Public Service Regulations SI 1/2000.