Zimbabwe Descending into full Dictatorship

ZIMBABWE is among 20 countries whose citizens are increasingly living under authoritarian rule, according to the latest 2022 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index.

The report says lack of adherence to the rule of law in the country had worsened in the past year. According to the findings from 140 surveyed countries, Zimbabwe’s overall rule of law score decreased by less than 1%. The country was ranked 124th after rising three positions from last year.

Regionally, Zimbabwe was ranked 28th out of 34 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The region’s top performer on rule of law is Rwanda, ranked 42nd followed by Mauritius and Namibia. The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are Mauritania, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (137th globally).

“The World Justice Project’s original data in 140 countries and jurisdictions shows that adherence to the rule of law fell in 61% of countries this year, including Zimbabwe. Globally, 4,4 billion people live in countries where rule of law has declined over the past year. Index data shows that authoritarian trends that predate the pandemic, such as weaker checks on Executive power and increased attacks on the media, continue to erode the rule of law globally.”

The WJP Rule of Law Index measures the extent to which those who govern are bound and held accountable by law. Zimbabwe scored better in the civil justice index where it was ranked 99th, on an index which measures the accessibility of civil justice systems in the country. The country was also ranked 94th on the criminal justice index which measures the effectiveness of the criminal justice system as a key aspect of the ruleof law in redressing grievances and bringing action against individuals for offences against society.

WJP executive director Elizabeth Andersen said: “We are emerging from the pandemic, but the global rule of law recession continues. At its heart, rule of law is about fairness — that is, accountability, equal rights, and justice for all. And a less fair world is bound to be a more volatile one.”

Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, his Information ministry counterpart Monica Mutsvangwa and her deputy Kindness Paradza were not picking calls. Ministers and other government officials are attending the Zanu PF elective Congress.