Cultural rights can come alive in Zimbabwe with meaningful participation, says UN expert

HARARE - Zimbabwe must improve the quality of its civic space in order to ensure full participation in cultural life for all, the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki said today.

“Despite what some officials say, not everyone is free to express their identity, opinions, values and world views in Zimbabwe today,” Xanthaki said in a statement at the end of an official visit to the country.

“Zimbabwe should seize the opportunity it has to abandon restrictions and administrative burdens that disproportionately limit artistic freedom and creativity,” she said.

“There is no doubt that the country has a rich diversity of cultural expressions, individual and collective, as demonstrated by the 16 languages recognised by the Constitution and the high number of heritage sites and practices recorded and promoted. But the dynamism, transformative and creative power of Zimbabwe’s cultural expressions are not fully harnessed. This is the time to review excessive control mechanisms and re-evaluate existing obstacles,” Xanthaki said.

“Festivals and exhibitions are important, but recognising a diversity of cultural identities and expressions also needs specific measures to respect the principle of non-discrimination and involve people in decisions that shape society and development,” she said.

The Special Rapporteur said that while there was elaborate structure of representation in place in the country, designed to reach all individuals and groups through their traditional representatives, the system is failing to ensure space for everyone in decision-making processes. She said the relationship between political power structures and people needs a new start to successfully enable meaningful participation.

“The diversity of voices and opinions, especially of those challenging the status quo, either does not find its way to the decision-making tables, or is muzzled by fear into self-censorship,” Xanthaki said.

The expert said that tourism, especially around its World Heritage Sites, and development projects may lead to better quality of life and human rights as long as they first and foremost benefit the people of Zimbabwe. This means engaging meaningfully with the people impacted by these developments, applying their priorities and aspirations, looking into where the revenues from these ventures are flowing, but also protecting natural resources from over-development and foreign exploitation.

“The state must address the increasing pressure of touristic developments around Victoria Falls, and take the continuous warnings raised by the World Heritage Committee on this issue into serious account,” Xanthaki said. “Local communities must be urgently informed about the impact of the Gwayi Shangani project, among others, and practical measures have to be taken for real participation so that no one and no space, is left behind.”

The Special Rapporteur will present a report on her visit to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2027.