In 2008, the government of Zimbabwe took control of the Marange diamond fields, an important resource for the country’s economy, discovered just two years before. The government claimed that wildcat diamond miners were funding rebel groups and so needed to be controlled. However, activist Farai Maguwu claims that in addressing that perceived problem, the military and police created something far worse—systematic abuse of illegal miners, suspected illegal miners, and even innocent bystanders who happen to live in the area. Maguwu partnered with Human Rights Watch researchers to document beatings, torture, forced labor, and killings of local villagers at the hands of soldiers controlled by Zimbabwe’s one-time ruling party that still controls security in the coalition government.

For Maguwu, the miners’ “legality” is not the issue: “The government should not brutalize its own people even if these people have been caught on the wrong side of the law . . . Setting dogs on these people, beating them up, and killing them—this is a very primitive way of dealing with offenders.” Now the director of Zimbabwe’s Center for Natural Resource Governance, he has been working with international organizations to bring pressure to bear on Zimbabwe to improve the lot of the miners and also to account for the mining profits. In a country that lacks funds for the most basic governmental services, the profits from its most precious natural resource have reportedly been going to a few shadow companies, high-level politicians, and the very military and police personnel who are supposed to be safeguarding the mines.

Betty Makoni knows all about the traumas that can befall a girl child in her country, Zimbabwe. She lived through horrors herself and is making sure that other girls' childhoods are nothing like her own.

Makoni escaped abuse by getting a working scholarship to an all-girls boarding school and going on to earn two degrees. As a teacher in co-ed schools, she witnessed the prejudice and violence that beset her female students. Male students and teachers harassed the girls; strong forces in the culture are stacked against girls. Child labor, female circumcision, forced marriages, beatings, sexual slavery and rape are all too acceptable. There is even a widespread belief that sex with a virgin cures HIV.

Teacher Makoni spoke out for community and faculty support for the girls, to no avail. On her own, she organized a “club” of and for her female students, assuring the girls that they had a right to be treated decently.

Calling her effort the Girl Child Network, Makoni quit her teaching job and walked across the nation, talking to everyone she met about protecting and supporting girl children. Despite the old cultural forces, people all over the country recognized that Makoni was right and offered to help expand the GCN.

Imagine being rendered destitute and homeless from ancestral land that you once called home for decades following heavy flooding that ravaged everything that you possessed?

Like the infamous Cyclone Katrina which pounded parts of Mississippi, that was the similar situation which characterised heavy flooding that pounded Zimbabwe’s Masvingo province in February 2014 leaving a trail of destruction.

The heavy rains destroyed the livelihoods of poor villagers of Tokwe and Mukosi villages eroding everything they had including‘s crops live stocks, schools, clinics and shops.

Again the flooding came as a great blow to the villagers as prior to that they had been resisting evictions from the government which wanted them out of their ancestral land and pave way for the construction of a multi million dollar dam project.

Earlier on a few families had received compensation and had been moved to Luanetsi ranch some 100km away but the unfortunate ones who had not accessed compensation had to be “evicted “by the heavy rains.

What further contributed to the flooding was actually the incomplete dam project that had to let millions of megaliters of water flow out of the dam as it was above normal capacity.

When the “diamond rush” struck the impoverished populace in 2006, thousands of poor Zimbabweans flocked to the Marange district in the country‘s Manicaland Province in a desperate attempt to “get rich quickly”.

The fortunate ones became instant millionaires whilst the unlucky perished from injuries inflicted upon from dog wounds and multiple bullet wounds fired by “trigger happy” state security agents under the guise of maintaining “law and order”.

Everyone was kicked out of the diamond fields leaving the army and a few powerful politicians with the assistance of Chinese companies to be in charge of mining operations.

However, all these threats did not deter one lady, Mellanie Chiponda to stand up and demand justice and transparency with regards to the mining of the precious stone. As a native of the diamond rich area Melanie got concerned with the gross human rights abuses that characterized the mining operations. According to her own testimony, she went on to quit her government job at the Registrar General’s offices to concentrate on fighting for the rights of the people.

“I was working in the government in the Registrar General’s office and at one time I was warned to desist from talking of the diamond issue to the press. I then decided to quit as a result and began advocacy work for the people who were being abused,” said Melanie.

In a number of African cultures, women are confined to the kitchen were they are expected to cook and perform all the household chores. Such is the patriarchal system that allows only men to engage in political and social activities, thus depriving the “girl child” access to challenging roles.

But that seems to be evolving in Zimbabwe as women are now taking up leadership roles in communities they reside. Such women can be found in both rural and urban centers where they are standing up against injustice, defending socio and economic rights as enshrined in the new constitution.

One such brave woman is 53 year-old Dolorosa Mubvumbi, a native of Mutoko village in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland East Province. Mutoko is home to quarries of granite rock, a highly valued stone that is treasured for its shininess as well as its easy crafting into artifacts such as tombstones, multi-story building surfacing materials and other important uses. The rock has been heavily mined in the country, especially by foreign nationals, chief among them the Chinese and Croats who own granite quarries in the area.

Trucks loaded with the precious granite leave the poor rural village of Mutoko-- but with little benefit being channeled to the poor villagers who live there. Moreover the mining leaves a trail of destruction to the environment. According to Dolorosa, environmental damage is of serious cause of concern to the community. Worse still, houses and schools are being damaged as a result of the impact of dynamite blasting that takes place daily.

When Zimbabweans voted “Yes” in favor of a new constitution, little did they know that it was just a “worthless paper” that the ruling ZANU PF government did not care to abide to.

Arbitrary arrests of citizens characterized by brutal police torture typical before the ushering in of the new constitution were to continue with civic society leaders being the latest targets of the state machinery.

One such citizen who was caught “in the line of duty” is 34-year-old Human Rights Defender Danmore Chuma who is the National Coordinator of the Youth of Zimbabwe for Transparency and Progress, a civic organization that advocates for transparency and that safeguards and defends human rights in Zimbabwe.

It was during a peaceful march for jobs that Chuma was heavily assaulted (whilst in chains) by the police and detained at a Remand prison for close to a month.

According to Chuma, he had mobilized scores of jobless youths to protest peacefully in the Harare Central Business District, demanding that the government provide the 5 million jobs that it promised after winning the elections last year.

Before they had even attempted to march towards the parliament building where they intended to handover a petition to the Speaker of Parliament, heavily armed police pounced on the youths, beating them up with heavy baton sticks.

“I was heavily assaulted by the police and spent two days in hospital but that hasn’t broken my spirit. I will keep on fighting for what I believe in."

These were the words uttered by 37 year old journalist cum human rights activist Itai Dzamara whilst addressing scores of people who had gathered in the Africa Unity Square in Harare’s Central Business District (CBD). Before the assault, Dzamara had succeeded in leading a peaceful protest in front of the parliament building where President Robert Mugabe was officially opening parliament; this led to his arrest. Dzamara's “Occupy Africa Unity Square Campaign" called for Zimbabweans to protest the deteriorating economic conditions that have rendered citizens paupers. The Campaign also handed over a petition calling for President Mugabe to resign. .

Dzamara together with other activists was confronted by riot police who mercilessly beat the activists thoroughly resulting in broken ribs and wounds

“The riot police descended upon us and told us to disperse. I flatly refused as I told them that it was constitutional but they just started beating up everyone. This is a clear violation of the new constitution that guarantees freedom of expression and the state continues to infringe citizen rights and this will be challenged, “said Dzamara. The “Occupy Africa Unity Square Campaign” is steadily gaining momentum with scores of disgruntled youths joining the protest.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic that has ravaged Zimbabwe since the 1980s has resulted in millions of children being rendered orphans.

The situation has been worsened by the failure of the government to provide a “safety nets” that are crucial in assisting towards the upkeep of such children.

Many of these children are leaving destitute lives were they are prone to drug and sexual abuse.

However a few citizens have tried to assist by providing shelter to these children with a few resources available.

51 year old Otilia Bvuma of Epworth Township has been providing sanctuary to such orphans since 2004 in her township.

Her orphanage, the Kapomo Children's home, takes care of 35 children and she provides school fees as well as other necessities.

What make Otilia’s case so unique is that she is an ordinary woman who controls “no means of production” but assists the children from her meager income that she derives from selling knitting in neighboring South Africa.

Well wishers also assist her orphanage.

“I have been taking care of these children since 2004 and was greatly motivated by the need to alleviate their suffering. It hasn’t been easy but God helps me to do so,” she said.

When Zimbabwe attained Independence in 1980 after 90 years of British colonial rule, a majority of white nationals took the backseat in participating towards participating in active politics or civic activism.

They were further alienated by the 2000 land reform which witnessed a greater majority of the population loosing farms and other properties. Ever since they have been playing a “Wait and see game” and it has become so “unusual” to hear of “white activism” in the country.

But that stereotype seems to have been broken by one youthful young man, Dick Frey, a Zimbabwean born white man who has refused to stay aloof as the economy crumbles.

Dick has been instrumental in taking part in the “Occupy Africa Unity Square” campaign and he has risked beatings in the end.

Recently he was seized in the Central Business District (CBD) whilst leading a peaceful march. The police threw him into their van where he was thoroughly beaten up and later dropped off the outskirts of town.

He had to seek medical attention but still remains committed in fighting for democracy in the country.

“They quickly grabbed me by the belt, handcuffed me, and loaded me into their truck. One officer yelled at me to sit down. Then lie down on my stomach. I assume that they didn't want me to see where we were going, and didn't want people to see me in the truck. All the time we drove, they yelled abuse and beat me. I won't lie; it hurt.

31 year old James Bayanai has set himself on a track to make his contribution to change the world through spearheading projects to promote literacy in rural Zimbabwean communities.

Since 2010 James has been involved in International Youth Advocacy and plenty humanitarian initiatives.

In May of 2010 while working in Cape Town SA for an Internet Service Provider, James Bayanai received a challenge of his life after reading in the Cape ARGUS ( a local Capetown paper) about young South Africans who were making a difference in upholding the lives of less privileged in their communities. James decided to be part of the young global change makers.

He came back home and initiated a project to promote literacy in Zimbabwean rural communities through provision of basic educational materials and establishment of community libraries in communities where the student book ratio was 1 book per 36 students and most of the schools do not have computers,. He named the Project Zuva Rabuda/Sunrise and he founded an organization: Zimbabwe Youth Development Foundation Trust ZYDFT.

James has met a lot of challenges in the process. This is just a dream that he started with absolutely no financial support from anyone. He struggled to find local partners to support his outreach programs financially. It’s quite unfortunate that despite repeated efforts to approach the relevant government ministries in Zimbabwe (Education and Youth) no Ministry has ever offered James the financial assistance needed in his initiatives. At some point a Container of 60 000 children’s books was almost confiscated at Nyamapanda Boarder Post because there was duty to be paid and James could not raise the amount. Having approached relevant Ministries months before the arrival of the consignment, it only took the good heart of an individual in the United States to save the consignment.

The Zimbabwe government still violates citizens’ rights despite a new constitution. Human rights defenders, including lawyers, risk beatings whilst defending human rights violations victims.

Kennedy Masiye, a lawyer with the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), was recently severely bashed by the police whilst attending to protestors who were demonstrating in the Harare Central Business District (CBD) against the country’s worsening economic situation.

He had quizzed the police officers to clarify the charges they were arresting the protestors since the new constitution had a provision for freedom of expression.

Despite suffering a fractured hand as a result of the assault, Masiye has vowed to continue representing victims of human rights violations and said;

“They just broke my hand and not my spirit. The police have baptized me into human rights work”

ZLHR has been instrumental in defending citizens who had been arrested by the state for whilst defending human rights. The organization has represented scores of citizens including prominent human rights and international award winning lawyer Beatrice Mthetwa. Mthetwa had been arrested and beaten by the police whilst supporting human rights violation victims.

Beatrice Savadye is a 27 year old human rights activists and current Director for Real Open Opportunities for Transformation Support (ROOTS) an organization working to promote social and economic justice for young people in Zimbabwe.

Beatrice comes from a humble background where she had to pan for gold at Kitsiyatota and would be a street vendor after school and during school holidays so as to able to raise school fees. This is what spurred to leave a well-paying job with Students and Youth Working on Sexual and Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) in June 2012 her to start an organization that economically empowers marginalised young people. So far the organization has been able to reach out to 2300 young people with mentorship programs, leadership incubation, and sexual and reproductive health information, Not Ripe for Marriage Campaign on Ending Child Marriages in Zimbabwe and livelihood support for young women including those living with HIV.

Like many young women who come from poor backgrounds, Beatrice had no access to safe sanitary wear during her teenage years when she started her menses, this impelled her to start a campaign to promote readily accessible and affordable sanitary towels for young women in Zimbabwe while she was working with an organization called SAYWHAT. The campaign was dubbed The Deliver Delayed Dignity campaign. Her advocacy work with parliamentarians led the government of Zimbabwe to suspend the 15% tax charged on raw materials for sanitary towels.

Zimbabwe has not been spared challenges that other African countries have faced. Once a glorious bread basket of Africa, Zimbabwe has suffered economic, social and political instability for the past two decades, leaving the majority of the ordinary people vulnerable. Government operations like Operation Restore Order (May 2005), destroyed backyard cabins and shacks which were shelter to many as well as small markets for vendors. Many urban dwellers were left homeless, most without means of income or survival. The government did not compensate these people at all yet their human rights were grossly violated.

It was during this time when Mr Innocent Chingwaru (38) was passionately moved by the affected people, who were mainly women and children. He managed to mobilise local churches under the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) to temporarily shelter the affected women and children. Further assistance was sought from organisations like IOM & UNICEF to provide non-food items and food supplements.

In 2008, the country was rocked by political violence which claimed the lives of over 200 people and left many displaced. Innocent, again, felt the need to intervene. He worked in a dangerous environment helping mostly women and children with psycho-social support, repatriation and counselling.

Speaking against state sponsored violence is a huge crime in Zimbabwe. Those who speak out from rural communities do so at great risk to their

personal security and that of their families. The vulnerability of human rights defenders in rural communities is even more severe for women who are still treated as less equal to their male counterparts due to cultural violence. Nevertheless, some women have defied odds and began to stick their necks out to defend the rights of their communities.

Gladys Mavhusa is one such a woman who has decided to stand up and mobilise the Chiadzwa community against violence and economic exploitation by the mining companies operating in partnership with the government of Zimbabwe.

“I saw that my community was oppressed but they didn’t know their rights. Relatives were murdered. We face threats now and again. I was arrested in 2012 after I had spoken at a public meeting organized by Chiadzwa Community Development Trust. My crime was that I had denounced state sponsored violence in and around Marange diamond fields. I also demanded that government should account for the diamond revenues”.

Gladys was not arrested at the venue. Familiar with the experiences of many Zimbabweans, Gladys was followed to her home where she was arrested and force-marched to a police station where she was accused of trying to unlawfully overthrow the government. She was released after receiving much threats from the police.

State security agents who were deployed into the Marange diamond fields between 2006 and 2011 have been accused of committing gross

human rights abuses. These include murder, torture, rape, robbery, extortion and forced labor. Within a few months Marange, a once peaceful and serene rural environment, had been transformed into a war zone.

However, not all state security agents became beasts on behalf of the state. Some refused to brutalize Marange villagers and artisanal miners. Jerry Madzvova is one Police Officer who refused to murder or torture people in the name of the state. He said some officers took it upon themselves to torture artisanal miners resulting in scores dying due to their injuries. He witnessed many heinous crimes taking place in Marange between 2006 and 2007. However, as far as Jerry was concerned, the role of a Police Officer was to arrest and not to kill or torture offenders. As such he restricted his duties to arresting those found trespassing in Marange.

Not only did Jerry stay calm when his seniors were torturing people in Marange, he continued to do his job professionally, hoping that perhaps his seniors could learn a lesson or two from him.

The rate of environmental degradation due to alluvial gold mining has left the community of Penhalonga devastated. A once beautiful, serene

and quiet natural habitat has become ravaged, dusty and made uninhabitable by the mining operations of DTZ OZGEO. The company has caused such environmental damage as has not been witnessed in Manaicaland Province since time immemorial. The Mutare River, which epitomized the beauty of Penhalonga, has had its course shifted several times as the miners searched for gold.

DTZ OZGEO is a joint venture between the Russian state-owned All Russian Foreign Economic Association on Geological Prospecting (Zarubeyhgeologica) and the Development Trust of Zimbabwe. Major shareholders in DTZ are ZANU PF stalwarts, making the company untouchable.

Until now, the majority of the residents of Penhalonga had been resigned their to their fate as they feared retribution from politicians should they voice their concerns.

Amidst the gloom, a man from Penhalonga rose to take the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to task over the environmental degradation in Penhalonga. Rumeni Forbes Makufa, chair of the Penhalonga Community Development Trust, first held consultative meetings with residents in Penhalonga before approaching the environmental management agency. At first, EMA officials in Mutare just gave Makufa a promise that they would visit Penhalonga and assess the level of environmental damage. When the officials did not visit Penhalonga, Makufa took his fight to Harare where he raised the community grievances with officials from the EMA head office. Then he adressed a public meeting organized by civil society. His calls were backed by civil society activists who urged EMA to take action.