THE FLAG IS FLYING. THE LEGAL PROMISE REMAINS UNFULFILLED.
ZimRights Press Statement On Independence Day 2026
Today the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) joins the nation in commemorating 46 years of independence. We join the nation in honouring every liberation fighter who believed in a free Zimbabwe rooted in dignity, justice, and equal rights for all.
This year’s theme, “Honouring the Sacrifice, Completing the Promise,” calls for quiet reflection; If the heroes of the Second Chimurenga could see Zimbabwe today, would they recognise the freedom they fought for? This is not asked in anger, but in sincere, sober love for our country.
The liberation war was a fight for human rights, and a response to colonial dispossession, a system that denied Africans land, livelihood, and a political voice. Leaders fought for universal adult suffrage and genuine majority rule. Our current constitution codified a comprehensive Declaration of Rights, protecting the right to life, personal liberty, and other freedoms.
Internationally, the struggle was recognised under the United Nations Charter’s principle of self-determination, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) , which affirms that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Zimbabwe’s own Constitution was designed to provide for genuine majority rule and a democratic society where all people could live in security and peace, regardless of race or political belief. Those who fell did not die for a flag but they died so that the rights enshrined in these instruments would become a living reality for every Zimbabwean.
Forty-six years later, the promise remains unfinished. Across Zimbabwe, the right to peaceful assembly, guaranteed under Section 58 of Zimbabwe’s current Constitution and Article 20 of the UDHR, has become difficult to exercise. Students raising legitimate concerns face security interventions. Civil society organisations operate under persistent uncertainty. The right to freedom of expression (Section 61 of the Constitution) is routinely chilled by fear of reprisal.
The right to personal security and freedom from torture (Section 53 of the Constitution, which mirrors Article 5 of the UDHR and Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights) has been called into question by documented reports of violations against activists, and journalists.
We also reflect on the economy. Many Zimbabweans live in conditions of poverty. A qualified nurse cannot afford basic groceries. A teacher works with dignity but struggles to feed their family. Corruption, whether in tenders, mineral deals, or public procurement, drains resources that should build clinics, schools, and roads.
The liberation struggle was, at its core, a fight against dispossession—against a system where a few controlled everything and the many survived on crumbs. When corruption becomes systematic, it is not merely a governance failure. It is a betrayal of the Chimurenga/ Umvukela’s economic justice mandate.
Our Call
ZimRights calls for the completion of the liberation project through law and dialogue. We urge the government to:
- Protect the rights to assembly and expression (Sections 58 and 61). Every Zimbabwean should criticise policy and organise without fear of arrest or abduction.
- Uphold freedom from torture and cruel treatment (Section 53). All allegations of brutality must be investigated transparently, and perpetrators held accountable.
- Ensure equal protection before the law (Section 56). Justice applied equally—to the powerful and the humble—restores public faith.
- Realise economic and social rights (Sections 28, 76, 81). Tackling corruption is essential to fulfilling the rights to health, education, and an adequate standard of living.
Despite these sober reflections, we have not lost hope. Zimbabweans in every village and market show daily the resilience our heroes admired. That resilience survived colonialism and war. It will survive this chapter too.
Independence was never a gift. It was a down payment on a continuous struggle. The fallen have done their part. The living must now do theirs, with vigilance, not violence; with honesty, not hatred.
The flag is flying. The legal promise remains unfulfilled. Let us fulfil it together.
Issued by ZimRights Information Department
