Experts of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Commend Zimbabwe on Labour Courts, Raise Questions on Persons Living with HIV/AIDS and Informal Workers
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today concluded its review of the second periodic report of Zimbabwe under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, with Committee Experts commending Zimbabwe on the establishment of labour courts, while raising questions on the treatment of those living with HIV/AIDS and the high number of workers trading in the informal economy.
Lazhari Bouzid, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Zimbabwe, commended Zimbabwe for the adoption of the Labour Code and the establishment of labour courts, which were positive steps in the direction for Zimbabwe to fulfil its obligations under the Covenant.
Aslan Abashidze, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Zimbabwe, asked if there was a plan to expand the normative anti-discrimination framework to cover vulnerable categories of citizens, in particular persons living with HIV, with a view to facilitating their access to employment and social services?
Seree Nonthasoot, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Zimbabwe, said the prevalence of HIV/AIDS remained high and persons living with HIV continued to face discrimination, hindering their access to treatment and care and the enjoyment of their rights. How had the State party planned to revise the National AIDS Trust Fund?
Mr. Bouzid also said that in 2021, the International Labour Organization reported that almost 5.2 million Zimbabweans traded in the informal economy. Could the delegation comment on this? Since 2021, how many informal workers had become formal workers? How was Zimbabwe ensuring that the social security systems covered persons working in the informal economy?
The delegation said Zimbabwe used to have a law which criminalised what was termed “wilful transmission of HIV”. This had since been repealed as the State felt it stigmatised those people. Within the employment sector, there was no discrimination against those living with HIV. The Government had taken deliberate measures to supplement the National AIDS Trust Fund through increased domestic budget allocations to the health sector, with a particular focus in sustaining HIV programmes. The AIDS levy, a three per cent tax on personal and corporate income, had mobilised over 100 million since its introduction, which went directly to funding retroviral treatment to prevent mother to child transmission and community outreach programmes. AIDS related deaths had decreased by 60 per cent in the past decade.
The delegation said the informal sector loved being informal; huge sums of money were produced in this sector. The State was creating a roadmap to absorb these workers into the formal sector. It took two weeks to send money out of Zimbabwe, due to the sanctions. This meant the country had to find other ways of doing things, such as through the informal market, providing a challenge to the Government when it came to collecting taxes. It was hoped that the announcement to repeal sanctions against Zimbabwe by the American Government would enable the country to operate in the global field.
Introducing the report, Ziyambi Ziyambi, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe, said in Zimbabwe, environmental and social impact assessments were mandatory prerequisites for the licensing of entities operating in mining, agriculture and construction sectors. To guarantee food security, the Government had undertaken a robust programme to capacitate farmers with irrigation equipment; 340,000 small holder farmers, so-called “A1 farmers”, were being provided with booster kits to irrigate five hectares per farmer, which would significantly improve the productivity levels and mitigate against climate change. Despite the efforts by Zimbabwe to meet the obligations arising from the Covenant, unilateral coercive measures remained a major obstacle.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Abashidze said this had been a constructive dialogue, covering all key aspects of the Covenant in the context of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s main task was now to adopt new laws, or to change existing laws to make all Constitutional guarantees effective and applicable, including by the courts.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Ziyambi thanked the Committee for the constructive dialogue which was very insightful. It was hoped that when the State presented the next report, it would be better and that the diversity of Zimbabwe’s culture would be taken into account. Mr. Ziyambi wished the Committee Experts well in their future work.
The delegation of Zimbabwe was comprised of representatives from the Ministry for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; the Attorney General’s Office; the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development; the Office of the President and Cabinet; the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; and the Permanent Mission of Zimbabwe to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee’s seventy-eighth session is being held until 26 September 2025. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Webcasts of the meetings of the session can be found here, and meetings summaries can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 18 September to begin its consideration of the initial report of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (E/C.12/LAO/1).
Report
The Committee has before it the second periodic report of Zimbabwe (E/C.12/ZWE/2)
Presentation of Report
ZIYAMBI ZIYAMBI, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe, said during the period under review, Zimbabwe had ratified key human rights instruments critical to the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights. These included the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and the International Labour Organization Convention 190, as well as three Protocols to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on older persons, social security, and persons with disabilities in Africa.
The labour act was amended to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of disability, broaden the scope of collective bargaining and trade unionism, and
remove the qualifying period for maternity leave, among other issues. The Government was also developing a social security framework to extend coverage for the informal sector to achieve universal social security protection.
In Zimbabwe, environmental and social impact assessments were mandatory prerequisites for the licensing of entities operating in mining, agriculture and construction sectors. The Government continued to implement legal reforms, including enacting the whistle blowers and witness protection bill, and strengthening institutional and enforcement mechanisms against corruption. The electronic Government procurement system aimed to reduce corruption in public procurement through leveraging the digital dividends.
The Government had introduced the persons with disability bill which would repeal the disabled persons act and align with the Constitution and international conventions. Many initiatives were planned to help the most vulnerable, including the harmonised social cash transfer scheme which had benefited 388,000 vulnerable people. Additionally, over 10,000 individuals received medical assistance under the assisted medical treatment orders scheme. The education act mandated the Government to provide basic State funded education to every citizen, including persons with disabilities, with over 1.5 million learners assisted with school fees, examination fees, levies and building assistance through the basic education assistance module.
To guarantee food security, the Government had undertaken a robust programme to capacitate farmers with irrigation equipment; 340,000 small holder farmers, so-called “A1 farmers”, were being provided with booster kits to irrigate five hectares per farmer, which would significantly improve the productivity levels and mitigate against climate change. To improve access to safe water, the Government was also drilling a borehole per village, equating to 35,000 boreholes countrywide. Where the boreholes had been drilled, the Government had established village business units where villagers grew a variety of crops for local consumption and for sale to improve their nutritional status.
The establishment of mothers’ waiting homes at rural health care facilities had significantly improved maternal health care. Additionally, user fees for reproductive and maternity services had been eliminated across all public health facilities. Health workers had been capacitated to provide emergency obstetric and neonatal care at all levels of the health care system. The Government had also introduced the blood coupon initiative, enabling women to access free blood transfusions for maternity-related needs.
A multi-faceted strategy had been adopted to address the challenges of overcrowding in prisons, including through the construction of modernised correctional facilities, the expansion and construction of open prison facilities, as well as the granting of amnesty annually.
Despite the efforts by Zimbabwe to meet the obligations arising from the Covenant, unilateral coercive measures remained a major obstacle. Mr. Ziyambi underscored Zimbabwe's commitment to its international human rights obligations.
Questions by a Committee Expert
ASLAN ABASHIDZE, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Zimbabwe, said the core document submitted by the State party contained useful information and had helped the Committee prepare for the dialogue. Additionally, the written replies to the Committee’s additional questions were submitted on time. These were positive points and the Committee was grateful to Zimbabwe.
The provisions of the Covenant were not directly applicable by the courts of Zimbabwe. Did Zimbabwe consider it necessary to adopt a special law incorporating the provisions of the Covenant, which would enable the country’s judicial system to more effectively guarantee the economic, social and cultural rights of its population? How many judges, lawyers and staff members of ministries and agencies in the economic and social sectors had undergone training courses on the promotion of economic, social and cultural rights? Who was responsible for conducting such training, and did they involve representatives of the United Nations system? Had the State requested technical assistance from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on this matter?
Were there explicit provisions in the Constitution stating that the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission was mandated to protect and enforce economic, social and cultural rights? Were there corresponding provisions in the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission act? Could statistics on the Commission’s budget financing over the past five years be provided, as well as information on measures taken to strengthen its staffing capacity?
What measures were being taken by the authorities towards environmental and land-related rights in legislative provisions, and administrative and judicial procedures? Was official statistical data available on complaints, and on the responses to them in the form of investigations, disclosures, and administrative or criminal prosecution of perpetrators? Were preventive measures being undertaken to avoid such violations, and what results had been achieved?
What measures were the authorities taking to address the root causes of corruption, for example in the issuance of licenses in various sectors of economic activity, or to combat bribery in public services? What steps were being taken to strengthen the status and functions of oversight bodies and institutions in the fight against corruption and bribery? How many public officials had been held criminally accountable for such offenses?
It was evident that the country required a steady source of budgetary revenue, and for this purpose various means were employed, including foreign investment. To attract such investment, appealing projects were offered, including in the areas of resource extraction and development, as well as favourable conditions. However, this often carried risks of violations, such as poor working conditions for local workers, low wages, infringements of trade union rights, dispossession of indigenous peoples from their traditional lands, and environmental damage.
What was the legal framework and the State policy for monitoring business activities to ensure respect for the economic, social and cultural rights of local populations? What effective mechanisms were in place in cases of displacement of people from their inhabited territories, forced evictions, or environmental pollution? What measures existed to guarantee the rights of indigenous groups with regard to free, prior and informed consent? What was the position of the Government both domestically and in international fora concerning climate change mitigation and the protection of sovereignty in the free use of national resources for the purposes of national development?
What concrete and effective measures were being taken by the Government to reduce the debt? What measures was the Government undertaking to improve its tax policy to contribute to reducing the level of poverty?
Was there a plan to expand the normative anti-discrimination framework in order to cover vulnerable categories of citizens, in particular persons living with HIV, with a view to facilitating their access to employment and social services?
What was the Government doing to combat discrimination against persons with disabilities and ensure their equal participation in economic and social life, and access to public services? What specific measures were being taken to address substantive inequality between women and men, as well as barriers to women’s economic and social empowerment?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Constitution of Zimbabwe contained a comprehensive chapter on fundamental human rights (chapter 4). There was not a single law on the Covenant as no law existed in isolation. Any interpretation by the courts was done in the context of the human rights chapter within the Constitution.
The Zimbabwean Anti-Corruption Commission travelled around the country, educating local authorities and companies on the dangers of corruption and asking them to sign integrity pledges. The Commission played an investigating role in high profile corruption cases. Reforms were being undertaken to mitigate against corruption, including through replacing human interfaces with electronic ones, such as an automated passport system.
In Zimbabwe, if an investor wished to mine, laws compelled them to consult with the local community before final approval was given to undertake activities. There had been instances where locals had taken investors to court due to a lack of consultation.
The disabled persons act had been repealed to align with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Zimbabwe had ratified in 2017, as well as the Constitution. The new act was more human-rights centric and broadened the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, ensuring they did not face discrimination. One of Zimbabwe’s judges had a disability, and there was a person with a disability in the President’s office to advise on these matters.
Zimbabwe had been ravaged by droughts, and as such had moved from rain-fed agriculture and was relying on irrigation. Financing was provided to small farmers to enable them to irrigate their plots all year round.
Zimbabwe used to have a law which criminalised what was termed “wilful transmission of HIV”. This had since been repealed as the State felt it stigmatised those people. Within the employment sector, there was no discrimination against those living with HIV. This disease was no longer life threatening or considered a medical emergency, according to the World Health Organization.
Zimbabwe had made significant strides in the political environment to combat inequality between men and women, including a 30 percent quota for women. In the Zimbabwean Senate, there was a fifty-fifty representation between men and women, which was a source of pride for the country.
A training programme had been designed for prosecutors on fair trials and human rights. The Zimbabwe Investment Development Agent was the watchdog which ensured the compliance of foreign investors with local laws, including the State’s labour and environmental laws. Before an investor’s license was renewed, it needed to be ensured that they had been cleared by the local authority.
Zimbabwe needed to service its debt and faced challenges in this regard. The country had “eaten what they hunted” and did not have fresh capital coming in due to the sanctions imposed. The State had been holding a debt restructuring conversation with working groups to resolve this issue.
The State had a formal economy with relatively high taxes and was already taking steps to reduce levies in this regard. Taxes were being streamlined across sectors to increase ease of doing business.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked for more information on the National Human Rights Commission, including its mandate, how it operated, and its role in terms of follow-up and implementation of human rights recommendations received by the State from treaty bodies? How did the Commission participate in the drafting of reports submitted to treaty bodies?
Another Expert said due to challenges faced by climate change, the number of people living in poverty had increased, doubling in 10 years. What measures were planned in response? The core report referred to a youth parliament which was a good and interesting initiative. What was its role and effectiveness in practice?
GIUSEPPE PALMISANO, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Zimbabwe, asked if there were any large extractive projects which had been halted due to a lack of respect of free, prior and informed consent of local communities and indigenous peoples? Had any public officials been condemned due to corruption in regard to exploitation projects?
A Committee Expert said the Maputo Agreement underlined that 10 per cent of the budget should be spent on agriculture and development. Did the State receive enough support in terms of climate and development finance to invest in rural areas, as these were the areas with the highest level of poverty in the country?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the mandate of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission was enshrined within the Constitution. Zimbabwe’s poverty levels had doubled within the last 10 years. Since 2015, inputs in the form of seeds and fertilizer packets had been provided to around 350,000 farmers. Last year, there were over one million families that had required inputs. Now, plots were being provided to farmers in return for them providing 10 per cent of their crop to the State, which appeared to be successful.
If provisions were not satisfied in extractive projects, corporations would be fined and asked to stop operations. There had not been anyone jailed for not abiding by this. Strict compliance with the Environmental Impact Certificates was ensured. Members of the public were increasingly educated about their rights regarding mining.
Questions by Committee Experts
LAZHARI BOUZID, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Zimbabwe, said according to some reports, the right to work in Zimbabwe had been severely undermined as a result of the declining economy, the informal labour market, inadequate enforcement of labour laws, and the suppression of trade union activity. What was the delegation’s reaction to these claims?
According to some sources, despite the introduction of the national employment policy framework to address unemployment and improper labour conditions, unemployment remained alarmingly high, forcing many Zimbabweans into the informal sector which lacked social security protection. In 2021, the International Labour Organization reported that almost 5.2 million Zimbabweans traded in the informal economy. Could the delegation comment on this? Since 2021, how many informal workers had become formal workers? How did the Government plan to ensure the minimum wage was sufficient? What would be done to ensure the national employment policy framework operated effectively?
It seemed that Zimbabwe did not legally require entities to conduct human rights due diligence; what steps were being taken by the Government to fill this gap? Did the Government intend to apply the minimum wage to domestic and agriculture workers? Reports stated that in some cases, the Government had responded harshly to suppress trade unionists advocating for labour rights. Could the delegation comment on this?
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission reported that occupational health and safety regulations existed, but were inconsistently enforced, with cases of workplace injuries and fatalities reported, particularly in mining and construction sectors. How did the Government plan to deal with this situation? Were there plans to reduce working hours to 40 hours per week? How many labour inspectors were employed by the Labour Inspectorate as of June 2025? How many labour inspections had been carried out in tobacco farms since 2018?
What measures had the Government taken to make business companies in the diamond mining sector respect internationally recognised human rights? What measures were taken by the State party to protect trade union leaders and members from reported cases of harassment, kidnapping and enforced disappearances?
What were the measures taken by the State party to address the prevalence of forced labour, as well as child labour in the mining sector? How were the occupational safety and favourable working conditions of workers ensured against a background of reported cases of unsafe working environments leading to occupational illness and fatal accidents, as well as reports of labour exploitation, unpaid wages, and precarious employment contracts?
Did Zimbabwe provide access to preventive measures in the case of endemic diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria? What were the steps taken by Zimbabwe to ensure that social security systems covered workers who were inadequately protected by social security? How was Zimbabwe ensuring that the social security systems covered persons working in the informal economy?
According to some reports, the erosion of pensions funds had exacerbated the plight of many retirees, leaving them in extreme poverty. What were the plans of the Government to remedy this situation?
Mr. Bouzid commended Zimbabwe for the adoption of the Labour Code and the establishment of labour courts, which were positive steps in the direction for Zimbabwe to fulfil its obligations under the Covenant.
PREETI SARAN, Committee Chair, said some of the actions Zimbabwe had taken in terms of gender parity were commendable, and other State parties could take note.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Zimbabwe’s economy had actually been growing, contrary to the Committee’s information. Statistics from the World Bank supported this. The informal sector loved being informal; huge sums of money were produced in this sector. The State was creating a roadmap to absorb these workers into the formal sector. It took two weeks to send money out of Zimbabwe due to the sanctions. This meant the country had to find other ways of doing things, such a through the informal market, providing a challenge to the Government when it came to collecting taxes. It was hoped that the announcement to repeal sanctions against Zimbabwe by the American Government would enable the country to operate in the global field.
Trade unions now worked well with the Government through a tripartite negotiating forum. A significant portion of Zimbabwe’s population traded in the informal sector as a means of survival. Zimbabwe did not have high inflation; the country used two currencies, the ZiG and the United States dollar, and regulated both these currencies. Due to informalisation, there was lawlessness to a certain degree, where people believed they could sell their wares anywhere. Once people were given places to sell, there were orders they needed to comply with, and they had retaliated in response. There had possibly been instances where the municipal police had gone overboard in their response, but this was to ensure order on the streets.
The State had been ensuring human rights were incorporated in all legislation being developed. Agricultural workers were included among those who could receive the minimum wage. The occupational health and safety bill was currently before Parliament. Once the bill was passed, it would deal with some of the issues raised by the Committee. It contained provisions for inspectors and workplace standards.
Over the past three years, Zimbabwe had built a good working relationship with the trade unions. Those who belonged to essential services were prohibited from entirely abandoning their workstations. There was no child labour within the mining sector, but there was a significant proportion of self-employed artisanal miners. In established mines and farms, there was no employment of children. However, in some family-operated artisanal mines and farms, this could occur. This sector was not within State control.
Anti-retroviral treatment was free in Zimbabwe and the Government had established an AIDS levy. The Government also provided malaria treatment and nets in areas where malaria was common. The State was working on the national health insurance scheme which would ensure everyone in the country was covered.
Zimbabwe was revamping the State pension system and was looking at investing funds and paying a certain amount of money to their pensioners.
Questions by Committee Experts
LAZHARI BOUZID, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Zimbabwe, said Zimbabwe was a developing country; did it receive any international assistance to facilitate effective realisation of the right to social security?
A Committee Expert said the Committee had adopted a general comment on the relationship between economic sanctions and the respect for economic, social and cultural rights, acknowledging these sanctions could have a damaging impact on these rights. Had the State party been able to carry out a detailed assessment of these sanctions on economic, social and cultural rights? Such studies could be useful in providing information to international partners regarding the immediate impact of these sanctions on human rights, particularly for the most vulnerable. The State party said there was no child labour in mines; had there been suspicions of cases or complaints? Was there a legal mechanism which allowed accountability or reporting of that kind of phenomenon?
What was the specific legal concept in Zimbabwe’s legal framework regarding child labour? Was there a distinction between work by adolescents? Did this have a specific regulation?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Zimbabwe’s congress of trade unions aimed to empower the workers. Zimbabwe had received assistance from development partners for social security, including the World Food Programme. There were some studies on the impact of unilateral sanctions. These studies were useful to teach others about the effects of sanctions. The conditions of formal and registered mining companies were tracked and monitored, but this was difficult with the artisanal miners. The State was making efforts to formalise these businesses and monitor them. Zimbabwe’s laws defined child labour clearly.
Questions by a Committee Expert
SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Zimbabwe, said the Committee was pleased to note the increase in the penalties for child labour, but found reports of child labour worrying, including in hazardous artisanal mining activities. The Committee had received reports that one in three girls was married before adulthood and one in five adolescent girls gave birth. How did the State party allocate resources to deal with these issues?
The Committee had learned that several programmes had been put in place, including school feeding and cash transfer support, among others; however, the prevalence of hunger and malnutrition in the country had led to high rates of stunting and anaemia.
Could the Committee have information on the high number of forced evictions which had taken place since 2022? The Committee was informed that one in three people lacked access to safe water for domestic use, and that many communities continued to face serious difficulties in accessing safe water. To what extent would efforts be made to increase access to safe drinking water?
The State party was negatively impacted by high inflation and reoccurring drought, with one in two people living in poverty and one in three living in extreme poverty. How would this issue be addressed in the short and long terms? The Committee noted the lack of policy on industrialisation of the economy. Could information be provided on this?
There were serious challenges affecting the State party’s healthcare system, including the immigration of medical professionals due to poor salaries and conditions, and heavy reliance on donor funding. Drug use was widespread in communities, particularly among young people, but harm reduction policies remained limited. Did the drug agency bill incorporate harm reduction measures?
The Committee noted the depleting resources of the National AIDS Trust Fund due to funding limitations. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS remained high and persons living with HIV continued to face discrimination, hindering their access to treatment and care and the enjoyment of their rights. How had the State party planned to revise the National AIDS Trust Fund?
The Committee welcomed the positive impact of the decision of the Supreme Court, which held that denying access to safe abortion services in cases of marital rape was unconstitutional. Did persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples have access to safe abortion services?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Committee Experts should visit Zimbabwe’s plantations and see the lack of child labour for themselves. It was very easy for the Government to monitor highly formalised mining setups and tea estates. It was not correct that one in three girls were married. The World Bank had acknowledged the strides which Zimbabwe had made in agriculture.
Zimbabwe had a resettlement programme; however, people had resettled themselves where they were not supposed to be, and they had been evicted. The State aimed to bring order and productivity to the settlements. Zimbabwe had statistics that indicated that it was a food secure country, and it was also the second-largest wheat producing country in Africa. According to the World Health Organization statistics, Zimbabwe was now a cholera free country. The delegation questioned some of the sources of the Committee’s information.
Climate adaptation programmes could never be adequate, but the State had striven to come up with models which mitigated against drought. Zimbabwe had experienced commendable economic growth since the last report, at 5.3 per cent.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission was not part of the executive arm of the State; it was independent and not subject to the control or direction of anyone. It enjoyed operational, financial and decisional autonomy. The Commission was fully compliant with the Paris Principles and had achieved an A status in 2016, which it had sustained to date.
There were no high incidents of abortion in Zimbabwe. However, the State had obligations to ensure access to post-abortion care and ensure access to safe abortions. The Government collaborated with partners to implement youth outreach programmes.
The Committee’s statistics on poverty in Zimbabwe were not correct; inflation was recorded at 0.4 per cent in August 2025, which was a slight drop from July. Statistics showed that one per cent of women between the age of 20 to 24 were in a union before the age of 15. This percentage was slightly higher for rural areas, at 1.6 per cent. In 2024, the Human Rights Commission was allocated more than 117 million ZiG, and it received more than 176 million ZiG in 2025.
The Government was expanding its scope of disabilities to cover those that were previously excluded, including albinism. Persons with disabilities now had representatives in Parliament who were persons with disabilities themselves. The Government had established a standalone department of persons with disabilities.
Zimbabwe was making significant strides towards curbing drugs and substance abuse, including through establishing vocational training and drug rehabilitation programmes to support the recovery of victims of drug and substance abuse. Multiple public and private drug rehabilitation centres had been established where victims could receive assistance without facing criminal charges.
The Government had taken deliberate measures to supplement the National AIDS Trust Fund through increased domestic budget allocations to the health sector, with a particular focus in sustaining HIV programmes. The AIDS levy, a three per cent tax on personal and corporate income, had mobilised over 100 million since its introduction, which went directly to funding retroviral treatment to prevent mother to child transmission and support community outreach programmes. Over 1.3 million peoples were taking lifelong antiretroviral medication. Mother to child related transmission had decreased from 30 per cent to eight per cent in the past two decades, and AIDS related deaths had dropped by more than 60 per cent in the past decade.
The sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe had severely limited the country’s international credit and investment access. Trade volumes and loss of markets such as the United States, United Kingdom and European Union had led to a collapse in export competitiveness. Exports shrank from 2.4 billion USD in 1996, to 1.5 billion USD post year 2000.
In Zimbabwe, there were three departments of Government that conducted inspections at workplaces: the Ministry of Mines (66 inspectors); the Ministry of Labour (249 inspectors); and the National Social Security (161 inspectors).
The labour act of 2003 now provided for every employer to pay equal renumeration to male and female employees for equal work. There was no gender pay gap in Zimbabwe. The labour act prevented work for persons below 18 which was hazardous to their health or morals.
Currently, the State had reached an achievement whereby 98 per cent of persons living with HIV knew their status; of these people, 98 per cent were receiving antiviral therapy; and of those, 98 per cent had a viral suppression load, meaning they could no longer transmit the virus.
Questions by Committee Experts
SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Zimbabwe, said the cumulative impact of sanctions was 17 per cent to gross national product, yet the growth rate was projected to be six per cent this year. Poverty needed to be viewed holistically. There was a law on child marriage, but the Committee was concerned about the effectiveness of the law and its implementation. Could additional statistics be provided on child labour? Did people have a choice to enter into rehabilitation centres for treatment for drugs?
Was there a parental leave scheme in the country? Could examples be provided in which the Covenant would be invoked in Zimbabwean courts? Was there comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in place in the State party? What steps had been taken by the Government to combat discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, as well as persons living with HIV?
A Committee Expert said chronic hunger remained an issue in the country, particularly for children. When had the support programmes to farmers begun? What did the State expect from the results? Were the right programmes in place to make progress? In light of the 25 years of the land distribution reform which had been heavily debated, what was the State’s overall assessment, both on the productivity and the justice of the programme?
Another Expert asked if State programmes could still be funded by the Government due to the impact of sanctions?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said a lot had been done in terms of food self-sufficiency. Packages were given to rural households to enable them to grow their own food. This had been a successful programme. There could be logistical issues in the distribution of grain to other regions in the country. The State had started building silos to store grain close to where others were.
Zimbabwe would appreciate the Committee’s advice on what more could be done to eliminate child marriages. Those that the State felt needed rehabilitation from drugs were not being prosecuted. They were placed in rehabilitation centres, not psychiatric units, as these were oversubscribed. The Committee needed to indulge certain cultures; men in Zimbabwe were motivated to work when there was a new baby. They should not be forced to adhere to cultural norms which did not appeal to them.
Culturally, Zimbabwe did not ask people’s sexual orientation when people were seeking employment. The State did not want to know what was happening behind closed doors, but it prohibited same-sex marriages. The Committee’s mandate should look at how to preserve the different cultural values of peoples around the world.
The land reform was a huge success. There was now record tobacco and grain production on farms, and farmers’ livelihoods had been uplifted.
Between 2023 and 2024, there was no drought in Zimbabwe, and farmers were able to produce their own food. However, between 2024 and 2025, there was a huge drought, and more than 6 million people required assistance from the Government to produce their own food. Poverty in Zimbabwe was calculated using national poverty lines. It was normal that poverty rates were not the same in rural and urban areas. Data was analysed through obtaining household income and expenditure surveys, as well as income inequality. Despite the ongoing challenges, the country had made significant progress in reducing poverty in recent years.
In Zimbabwe, there had not been reports of harassment of homosexual persons. These people had their associations which were known to the Government, but under the State’s law, they could not marry. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission received complaints pertaining to human rights violations as one of its functions; the Commission had not received reports of harassment due to homophobia. The Commission monitored human rights situations in the country and did not believe that discrimination or attacks against those with different sexual orientation was an issue.
Questions by a Committee Expert
GIUSEPPE PALMISANO, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Zimbabwe, said while government figures showed an overall improvement in education in recent years, particularly in primary school and the first years of secondary school, they also revealed worrying levels of non-completion and school absence in the final years of secondary school. Barriers such as the cost of education, a lack of registration documents, early marriages and teenage pregnancies, as well as opportunity costs such as gold panning or crossing to neighbouring countries for economic gain, continued to impede the right to upper secondary education. What was the Government doing to address these issues? What steps did it intend to take to extend the right to free education to include upper secondary education?
In 2020, the education amendment act was enacted, containing provisions allowing the re-entry of pregnant girls and adolescent mothers into education, which was a positive step forward. What measures was the Government implementing to prevent the stigmatisation and emotional abuse of pregnant girls and adolescent mothers within the school system?
How was the non-formal education and re-integration policy, which was introduced in 2015, implemented, and what results had it achieved? What efforts had the Government made to raise awareness of the non-formal education programme, including the learning passport and other digital learning platforms, and to popularise it among potential learners, especially those in remote and marginalised rural areas? What concrete measures had the Government put in place to ensure that schools and teachers were well-resourced and informed to competently deliver the non-formal education route?
A problematic issue was the significant underfunding of education in the national budget, resulting in the immigration of teachers, among other issues. What proportion of the budget was allocated to education? How did programmes like the basic education assistance module work to pay fees and levies for vulnerable children? How were their needs other than tuition provided for?
During the reference period, several attacks on education in Zimbabwe were documented, involving the use of schools by armed forces and non-State armed groups. What measures had the Government taken to prevent the military or political use of schools, and to set up systems for monitoring and investigating allegations of attacks on educational institutions? Were there any policies, rules or training programmes for Zimbabwe’s armed forces that protected schools from military use?
The education act empowered the Minister for Sport, Arts and Recreation to authorise the teaching of indigenous languages in schools, in addition to Shona, Ndebele and English, in areas where they were spoken. What concrete outcomes had there been of the Minister's power to grant such authorisation? What progress had been made regarding the teaching of indigenous languages in schools? What measures was the Government taking to protect the cultural rights of indigenous groups? What steps was the Government taking to address the digital divide between urban and rural areas?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said some learners opted not to proceed to upper secondary level, but instead chose to work, which accounted for the low enrolment rate. A statutory instrument had recently been introduced which provided detailed guidelines on how to take care of pregnant girls in schools. To prevent school dropouts and ensure the regular attendance of pupils, the State had been implementing an intervention aimed at enhancing education for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. There were gradual plans to ensure all indigenous languages would be examined by the examination board in the near future.
Strides had been made to protect the rights of minority groups in the country. Different cultures had different endangered collections which the country wished to preserve for future generations, and these were being digitalised. Zimbabwe now disseminated information in 16 languages, including on the national FM radio station, as well as community radio stations, where information was disseminated differently depending on where the station was located. News was now broadcast in 14 different languages, with work being carried out to eventually cover the 16 languages. Zimbabwe held a culture month every year, launched by the President. During that month, all cultures were encouraged to exhibit their cultural expressions.
Reintegrating pregnant girls into schools was a challenge, but the State aimed to give the girls the right to continue their education. The Zimbabwean education act now made it obligatory for them to be reintegrated. The State was open to learn from others on how to deal with this issue.
Zimbabwe had a non-formal education policy which ensured lifelong learning and second chance education for Zimbabwean youths. The programme was robust and offered literacy, numeracy and vocational training to out of school youth and adults.
The President had distributed computers and internet facilities to learners, to enable them to be taught digital skills. Communication centres had been established across different districts, complete with internet facilities, that members of the public could access. As of April 2025, 31 per cent of schools had internet access. Offline e-learning platforms were being used to bridge the digital divide for students in rural areas.
Zimbabwe recognised and protected the rights of indigenous peoples to use their communal lands and territories. Although no specific group was classified as indigenous in Zimbabwe, two minority groups had special consideration and recognition in terms of their wellbeing. This included the construction of new schools and efforts in language teaching in early childhood development. The communities received quarterly visits from their district development coordinator to investigate the challenges facing them.
The majority of schools were built by the Government with huge participation from the local community in their construction.
Questions by Committee Experts
LAZHARI BOUZID, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Zimbabwe, asked for more clarification on the second chance learning initiative. Could more details be provided about higher education in Zimbabwe, including on fees and students who studied abroad?
GIUSEPPE PALMISANO, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Zimbabwe, asked about the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex students; what steps was the Government taking to address possible problems of discrimination faced by this group? What mechanisms were available for reporting violations of the right of education due to sexual orientation and gender identity? What steps was the Government taking other than music to implement the national culture policy?
SEREE NONTHASOOT, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Zimbabwe, said the Covenant dated from 1966 and worked in complement with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Several articles covered discrimination between men and women and protection of the family, which was why the State would like to understand the situation of paternity leave in the State party. How was Zimbabwe going to deploy and utilise the opportunity arising from religious leaders to provide education on child marriage?
A Committee Expert asked for updated information on the basic education assistance module, including data?
Another Expert said there was a high percentage of young people in Zimbabwe who were not studying, nor were they in other programmes or employment. The Expert suggested that this data be examined. Had the State considered the possibility of improving the education being provided to the population? What percentage of gross national product was being dedicated to education?
An Expert asked what measures the State had been taking to ban child marriages through appropriate legislation? The legislation needed to be promoted, especially in rural areas.
A Committee Expert asked whether a programme with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for early childhood development had produced any results?
Another Expert asked what proportion of the State budget went towards debt servicing, as opposed to social protection? What were the forecasts for 2026?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said when the Government was able to cater for basic primary education, they would then move on to secondary and tertiary education. There were now State universities in each of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces. The State had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a number of countries so that students could study abroad, including in Zambia, Algeria, India and China. These students returned with a wealth of cultural knowledge which helped the country.
In 2025, Zimbabwe’s education budget accounted for 20.2 per cent of the national budget. Zimbabwe had begun its budget processes for the national budget to be tabled for approval by the Minister.
The basic education assistance module aimed to assist learners from poor backgrounds, as well as children with disabilities, or those with parents with disabilities. The initiative paid for tuition, uniforms, examination fees and books. The module was very effective; however, there could be a backlog of payments due to other resource constraints.
Zimbabwe’s culture did not encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons; it did not even teach heterosexual relations in schools, but reproductive health was covered. Sexual orientation was not taught in schools.
Zimbabwe practiced pre-censorship to protect the society from undesirable information, while promoting cultural attributes. The Government was amending the censorship act to incorporate diverse cultural attributes within the music industry.
Culturally, if a father stayed at home after a woman had given birth, he was considered to be a weak man, who was not looking after a tender woman who needed to be cared for in a delicate way. There was a need for educational programmes to deal with the issue of child marriage. Legislation banned child marriage, but perhaps Zimbabwe needed to engage religious and cultural leaders to preach the gospel that this was illegal.
Closing Remarks
ASLAN ABASHIDZE, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Zimbabwe, said this had been a constructive dialogue, covering all key aspects of the Covenant in the context of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. The difficulties and challenges to which the State party should devote particular attention to had been highlighted. This was done with the aim to improve the wellbeing of the entire population of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s main task was now to adopt new laws, or to change existing laws to make all Constitutional guarantees effective and applicable, including by the courts.
ZIYAMBI ZIYAMBI, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Zimbabwe, thanked the Committee for the constructive dialogue which was very insightful. It was hoped that when the State presented the next report, it would be better, and that the diversity of Zimbabwe’s culture would be taken into account. It was evident that the Committee had undertaken significant research prior to the discussion. Mr. Ziyambi wished the Committee Experts well in their future work.
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CESCR25.010E