Providing security and justice for the people: Security Sector Reform in Zimbabwe

This paper considers the need for security sector reform (SSR) in Zimbabwe and highlights potential short-term and long-term priorities in this regard

Over the past ten years, the Zimbabwean security sector has increasingly come into the spotlight for being unduly politicised and non-partisan, and for infringing on the human rights of citizens. The formation of the new inclusive government in 2009 provided an opportunity to consider fundamental reforms in the provision of security and justice services to the people of Zimbabwe. This paper considers the need for security sector reform (SSR) in Zimbabwe and highlights potential short-term and long-term priorities in this regard.

About the author

Cheryl Hendricks is a Senior Research Fellow in the Security Sector Governance Program. She joined the ISS in July 2005 and has been working on issues related to Human Security, SADC Organ, Gender and Defence Reform, Women and Peacebuilding and Postconflict Reconstruction.

Lauren Hutton is a Researcher with the Security Sector Governance Programme of the ISS. She joined the ISS in February 2006 and has been focusing on issues of security and justice service delivery for the past three years. Her research areas of interest include security sector reform in Africa, gender and security sector reform and the democratic control of the intelligence sector.