On the 22nd of October 2022, by-elections were held in six Wards; Ward 4 Insiza Rural District Council (RDC), Ward 2 Matobo RDC, Ward 24 of Buhera RDC, Ward 4 Guruve RDC, Ward 18 Mutare Municipality and Ward 6 Takawira RDC. The vacancies arose following the deaths of Councillors Saimon Chingwidze (ZANU-PF) of Ward 24 Buhera RDC; Tom Moyo (ZANU-PF) of Ward 2 Matobo RDC, Kudakwashe Chisango (MDC-A) of Ward 18 Mutare Municipality; Lencio Kafungura (ZANU-PF) of Ward 4 Guruve RDC, Johannes Kohli (ZANU-PF) of Takawira Ward 6 RDC and Lawrence Maphosa (ZANU-PF) of Insiza Ward 4 RDC. While the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) participated in all the by-elections, the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) contested in some, but not all of them. ZimRights’ Human Rights Monitoring and Response Action Zone as well as the Elections and Democracy Action Zone observed and recorded incidences of election-related human rights violations which took place in the mentioned places before and during the by-election. The Action Zones were able to come up with a report which captures key observations and a set of recommendations that are targeted at making the election process more peaceful and democratic.
