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THE PRICE OF PROFESSIONAL SILENCE: 

SOCIAL WORK AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN 

ZIMBABWE 

Mtetwa, Edmos
a
 and Muchacha, Munyaradzi

b
 

 

ABSTRACT 

The place of the social work profession on the human rights arena is 

beyond doubt. To this end, social work strives to eliminate distress, 

improve the social functioning of individuals, groups and 

communities as well as promoting social justice. Zimbabwe has been 

confronted by a plethora of human rights challenges mainly towards 

and during elections. Various professional bodies have taken it upon 

themselves to safeguard the rights of citizens.  The social work 

profession has emerged as the odd one out in this quest for visibility 

in the face of social distress resulting from political and governance 

problems.  This paper is a product of a thorough review of literature 

regarding the social, political and human rights situation in 

Zimbabwe, as from the year 2000 – 2008.  The review of such 

documentary evidence has shown a professional void that social 

workers need to fill in a bid to protect and safeguard the rights of 

the vulnerable members of the society.  To this end the paper 

recommends the social workers take an interest in the political 

situation of the communities in which they work.  Their involvement 

in political activities through advocacy will go a long way in 

safeguarding the rights of the most vulnerable members of society. 

  

KEY TERMS: social work profession, activism, human rights, 

Zimbabwe, governance, politics 

 

 
a
 School of Social Work, University Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe. Contacts: 

mthetwanm@yahoo.com, P. Bag 66022 Kopje, Harare. 

b
 Student, School of Social Work, University of Zimbabwe.  

mailto:mthetwanm@yahoo.com


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INTRODUCTION 

According to Sheafor and Horejsi (1998), social work is a profession 

characterized by diversity. In this light, at the very fundamental 

level, social work is a profession devoted to helping people  function 

as well as  they can within their social environment and to  changing 

their environments  to make that possible. Paradoxically the social 

work profession in Zimbabwe does not seem to embrace the major 

purpose of social work which is that of helping people meet social 

needs or eliminate difficulties so that they might make maximum use 

of their abilities to lead full and satisfying lives. It is here observed 

that contrary to the social work ethos, social workers in Zimbabwe 

have elected to take a back seat amidst social and political 

disturbances (Sowers & Dulmus 2008). 

This   paper posits that  the  failure of the social work profession to 

deal with pressing issues affecting the society amounts to a  negation 

of professional values  (Mmatli, 2008; Briskman, 2008).  It is the 

contention of this paper that the issue of human rights promotion is 

central to national development and poverty alleviation. It is from 

such a paradigmatic persuasion that in line with   the African social 

work agenda; the profession should indigenize and position itself to 

confront the main challenges that haunt Africa (Mupedziswa, 1992, 

Ankrah, 1987, Kaseke, 1991).  

Notwithstanding  the indivisibility of rights, this paper proffers the 

argument that the political challenges Zimbabwe has been going 



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through since the past decade has had a negative impact on the 

realization of the economic, social and cultural rights. It is further 

contended that such rights constitute the domain of social work 

practice. 

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 

Social work is concerned with  interactions between people and their 

social environment which affects  the ability of people to accomplish 

their life tasks, alleviate distress  and realize their aspirations and 

values (Becket, 2006) To accomplish such a task, principles of 

human rights and social justice are fundamental  to social work 

(Government of Zimbabwe, 2001).  Contrary to  such a fundamental 

thrust, Zimbabwean social workers seem to be passive if not  

invisible at a time where their called upon to stand firm in defence of 

the vulnerable and less privileged members of society. Unlike other 

professions such as lawyers, medical practitioners, journalists and 

teachers, social workers have elected to take a back seat in the 

middle of Zimbabwe’s political, governance and human rights 

challenges. As a result, the poverty, ill-health, shrinkage in basic 

social services such as education and social protection has left many 

wondering about the role of social workers in society. This paper 

therefore seeks to kindle a discussion around the place of social 

work in the protection and promotion of human rights in Zimbabwe. 

METHODOLOGY 



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This paper is a product of a thorough review of literature on the 

general role of social work in society. In addition, literature on social 

work and human rights from developed countries was also 

interrogated with a view to drawing lessons regarding how such a 

thrust can take root in Zimbabwe.  In the same light, a few cases of 

human rights breaches were selected from reports and academic 

papers to contextualize the discussion. Such a random selection of 

issues has been necessitated by the fact that there is just too much 

literature and case examples of human rights breaches that far 

exceed the scope of this paper. 

CONCEPTUALISING HUMAN RIGHTS 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are 

created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with 

certain unalienable Rights that among these are life, liberty 

and the pursuit of happiness. . . . That to secure these 

rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving 

their just powers from the consent of the governed, that 

whenever any form of government becomes destructive of 

these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish 

it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on 

such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as 

to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and 

happiness (Langlois, undated: 13).  



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This famous statement from the American constitutional architects 

constitutes a pillar upon which the modern human rights ideals are 

predicated. 

 

In their modern form, human rights are here contextualized within 

various international, regional and national instruments whose 

scrutiny is beyond the scope of this paper. Central to these 

instruments is the Universal Declaration of Human rights (1948), the 

African Charter on Human and People’s Rights as well as the bill of 

rights contained in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Such instruments 

act as points of reference in any discussion of human rights. As such, 

they stand as guiding pillars upon which the social work profession 

is practiced.  

 

Writing about social work and human rights in the Middle East, Al 

Gharaibeh (2011) makes an observation that: 

Developing human rights is the struggle for meeting the 

need for freedom and equality everywhere in the world. 

Human rights are not purchased, gained or inherited; they 

are simply the ownership of the people that are human 

beings. They are inherent in every individual, regardless of 

race, sex, religion, political opinion (or any other opinion), 

national or social origin; they are indivisible (Al 

Gharaibeh, 2011: 231). 

 



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The civil and political rights terrain in Zimbabwe has been unstable 

(Ploch, 2010, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, 2011; Murisa, 2010; 

Zimbabwe NGO Human Rights Forum, 2005). The principle of 

interdependence of human rights recognizes the difficulty and, in 

many cases, the impossibility of realizing any one human right in 

isolation (United Nations, 1992). The realization and enjoyment of 

social and economic rights in the context of economic stability and 

development is dependent upon the realization of civil and political 

rights that result in a stable political environment (Crisis in 

Zimbabwe Coalition, 2011). 

 According to Ife (2001), the popular perception of the meaning of 

the term ‘human rights’ has been largely confined to civil and 

political rights, sometimes referred to as the ‘first generation’ of 

human rights: the right to vote, freedom of speech, freedom of 

expression, freedom of assembly, the right not to be imprisoned 

without fair trial, the right of access to the law, the right to be 

protected from torture, the right to join a trade union, the right to 

minimum labour standards, and so on.  This paper, though paying 

due cognisance to the principle of indivisibility of rights is mainly 

concerned about the second generation of rights. The so-called 

‘second generation’ of human rights incorporates economic, social 

and cultural rights: the right to work, the right to adequate health 

services, the right to housing, the right to education, the right to 

economic security, the right to freedom of cultural expression, and 

so on (Chikwanha, 2010).  Such rights do not usually occupy a 



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permanent space within the human rights discourse. For example, a 

country with inadequate health services or a poor educational system 

would not be described as a country with a ‘poor human rights 

record’. Yet such human rights are just as important as the first 

generation of civil and political rights, and indeed they go together 

(Beetham 1999) quoted in Al Gharaibeh (2011). 

  

Another set of rights is the so-called third generation rights. Al 

Garaibeh (2011) refers to these as collective rights. These include 

the right to economic development, political stability and the right to 

clean air or clean environment. As Ife (2001: 3) puts it “there is not 

much point in having good education or health services, and 

adequate legal protection for the right of free speech, if people are 

dying because they cannot drink clean water, or breathe polluted air, 

and if people are unable to participate in the benefits of economic 

development”.  In view of these sets of rights, this paper has elected 

to focus mainly on economic, social and cultural rights. Such a 

choice is in no way meant to confine or circumscribe the social work 

profession towards a certain group of rights but just to ensure that 

the argument is put into perspective.  It is here contended that in 

keeping with the professional values of safeguarding human rights 

and promoting social justice, social workers have been surpassed by 

other professionals such as lawyers, journalists, teachers and medical 

practitioners. In the middle of a social and political crisis, social 

workers folded their hands yet other concerned citizens took a bold 

step in their various formations such as the Poets for Human Rights 



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Zimbabwe, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, and 

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Doctors for 

Human Rights and the Media Institute of Southern Africa. 

 

THE NEXUS BETWEEN HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL 

WORK PRACTISE 

The underpinning values of social work clearly align with human 

rights framework, particularly in relation to upholding the 

importance of individual worth and dignity, liberty, affirming 

freedom and spear heading social justice (Healy, 2008). In fact the 

basic principals underlying human rights present little that is new to 

the social work profession (Reichert, 2006). The fact that the social 

work profession advocates for human dignity and worth means that 

social workers uphold the inherent dignity and worth of every person 

and respect the human rights expressed in the United Nations 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations Centre for 

Human Rights, 1948). In this regard Social work can be considered a 

human-rights-based profession, as indicated by the commitment to 

International Human Rights Declarations and Conventions (Ife, 

2001). 

The closing statement enshrined in the  International definition of 

Social Work  postulates that  Principles of Human Rights and social 

justice are fundamental to Social Work (International Federation of 

Social Workers, 2000). This affirms the centrality of social justice 

and human rights to the social work profession. Social workers are 



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sanctioned to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, 

and deprivation of freedom and liberties against any person or group 

on any basis (International Federation of Social Workers, 2012). 

The place of social work in the human rights arena is further 

cemented by the manual on Human Rights and Social Work, which 

states that: 

More  than  many  professions,  social  work educators  and  

practitioners  are  conscious  that  their  concerns  are  

closely  linked  to respect  for  human  rights.  They  accept  

the  premise  that  human  rights  and fundamental  

freedoms  are  indivisible,  and  that  the  full  realization  

of  civil  and political  rights  is  impossible  without  

enjoyment  of  economic,  social  and  cultural rights. 

(United  Nations Center for Human Rights,  1994: 5).  

The above discussion has squarely placed social work practice 

within the human rights framework. Pursuant to this nexus between 

social work and human rights, the current paper contends that In 

Zimbabwe, the social work profession has tended to deal with 

peripheral social issues such as poverty, and the provision of psycho-

social support as well as material resources to the less privileged 

members of society. arguably  The relationship between poverty and 

human rights point to the fact that the two are closely linked, with 

failure to realize social, economic and political rights usually 

resulting in poverty and social deprivation.  



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KEY MILESTONES ON ZIMBABWE’S HUMAN RIGHTS 

RECORD 

 

Using Ife’s argument, social work and human rights are 

indispensable. Just as Ife (2001) would maintain, human rights and 

social welfare are intimately connected. Social welfare is, at heart, a 

matter of human rights, and those concerned with social welfare are, 

in a real sense, human rights workers (Ife 2001). Although social 

work intervention is required within all aspects of society, this paper 

has elected to select a few areas within Zimbabwe’s various social 

and political milestones. The paper has conveniently selected the 

Fast Track Land Reform programme, Operation Restore Order as 

well as the legal restrictions to freedom of Association among other 

cases as the key benchmarks upon which the very existence of social 

workers was called into question. 

 

THE FAST TRACK LAND REFORM PROGRAMME  

The general propensity amongst politicians, agrarians and the 

academia is that land reform is necessary and noble to address the 

stark inequalities in land distribution and wealth that emanated from 

the colonial past. Although the idea of land distribution is shared by 

almost all Zimbabweans, the method employed has created a rift 

within the political and social spheres. Of critical concern is the 



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violent nature of land seizures, the plight of farm labourers as well as 

the impact of the exercise on food security. 

In an effort to promote sustainable development and eradicate the 

dependency syndrome, social work has a role to play in Zimbabwe’s 

Fast track Land Reform Programme. “Social work and sustainable 

development constitute the core of human rights because social work 

aims at community development and addresses the problems that are 

beyond the ability of individuals who suffer from them and cause 

hardship for them” (Al Gharaibeh, 2011: 235). Further, social work 

selects the most appropriate means or effective means in society for 

the elimination or mitigation of the impact of these problems. It does 

this by searching for the forces and various factors that prevent 

growth and social progress, such as deprivation, unemployment, 

disease and poor living conditions. In keeping with the social work 

ethos, the need to distribute land to the landless and impoverished 

members of society remains a sound intervention strategy. At the 

same time, this paper maintains that such a process instead of pulling 

people out of poverty has instead jeopardized the livelihood of many  

vulnerable social groups . These groups include farm workers, who 

were rendered jobless and homeless due to farm seizures, their 

children who in turn found themselves without schooling due to 

displacement orchestrated by the unplanned and sometimes chaotic 

grabbing of farms.  Whilst social workers have conveniently decided 

to maintain their silence in the face of this radicalized land debacle, 

the implications of such a state of affairs to national development 



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should force social workers to speak out.  According to Marongwe, 

(2010) disruptions and distortions associated with the Fast track 

Land Reform Programme  has seen food aid emerging as a strong 

intervention aimed at fighting poverty.  

According to Magaramombe (2001) the fast track Land Reform 

programme has social and economic implications on the livelihoods 

of commercial farm workers. Farm workers in these situations are 

one of the most vulnerable groups experiencing displacement, 

destitution and loss of employment, which cause further hardships. 

The displacement of farm workers and the subsequent loss of their 

livelihood resulted in many clients joining the list of those on public 

assistance. Once again, social workers as advocates of the poor and 

downtrodden members of society remained silent.  Having as its 

basic tenet the intrinsic value of every human being and as one of its 

main aims the promotion of equitable social structures, which can 

offer people security and development while upholding their dignity, 

the deafening silence of social workers during such human rights 

abuses remains a matter of concern. 

 

OPERATION RESTORE ORDER  

Another of the key areas where the roles and actions of the Social 

Work profession was called into question is the operation code 

named Operation Murambatsvina. In 2005, the government 

embarked on Operation Murambatsvina (local language) for “clear 

the filth”, but translated by the government of Zimbabwe as “Restore 



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Order”, a programme of mass forced eviction (Tibaijuka, 2005). 

This operation left some 700,000 people without a home, livelihood 

or both (Ploch, 2010; Tibaijuka, 2005). The violent destruction by 

the police and local authority personnel resulted in mass evictions of 

urban dwellers from their homes and the closure of informal sector 

businesses throughout the country (Human Rights Watch, 2007).  

Such actions on the part of government compromised the social 

functioning of the urban poor. Becket (2006) defines social 

functioning as the social wellbeing, especially with regard to the 

ability of an individual to meet the role expectations associated with 

a particular social status or role. . The wanton destruction of 

informal sector infrastructure by government in the middle of the 

highest level of unemployment in modern history literally 

compromised people’s ability to accomplish activities necessary for 

daily living. In  the light of the foregoing, it is here contended that 

Zimbabwean social workers  failed to bear in mind the fact that 

human rights are about social welfare; they are about making sure 

that the welfare of all human beings is adequately safeguarded and 

adequately realised. 

 

Evidence from the United Nations report  points to the fact that the  

said  operation  infringed on several key civil and political human 

rights, including the right to life, liberty, property, freedom, liberty 

of movement and freedom to choose residence and freedom from 

arbitrary arrest as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil 



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and Political Rights (ICCPR) (1966) (Tibaijuka, 2005). To 

demonstrate the level of misery and suffering of vulnerable groups 

affected by the said programme, the United Nations Report compiled 

by Tibajuka in 2005 refers to this operation as “a disastrous 

venture”.  In September 2005, a consortium of various professional 

groupings under the banner of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO 

Forum,   reiterated the United Nations position that the Operation 

was carried out in “an indiscriminate and unjustified manner, with 

indifference to human suffering and, in repeated cases, with 

disregard to several provisions of national and international legal 

frameworks” (page 5).  

According to Pincus and Minahan, (1973), social workers must 

provide understanding, support and encouragement for people who 

are in a crisis. This paper contends that the deafening silence of the 

social work profession in the middle of human suffering only serves 

to portray it as an ancillary endeavour.  To further strengthen the 

abusive nature of the operation on the vulnerable groups in 

Zimbabwean society, the United Nations Special Envoy to 

Zimbabwe described the situation as a catastrophic injustice 

(Tibaijuka, 2005). According to the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO 

Forum (2005), there are reports that three, or possibly four, people 

died at the Porta Farm as a result of the forced evictions. A pregnant 

woman allegedly died when she fell from a truck on which she was 

being taken away, a five-year-old boy was allegedly run over by a 

truck, and a terminally ill woman allegedly died when being bundled 



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into a moving truck. Due to the nature of the operation anctdoctal 

evidence shows that several HIV positive people taking anti 

retroviral drugs lost contact with their suppliers during and after 

operation Murambatsvina.  This resulted in the loss of lives for such 

people. In view of such man-made calamities, various professions 

dug deep into their professional ethos to salvage the situation. 

Lawyers, led by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights worked 

hard to try and halt the programme. On the other hand, teachers, 

through the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe stepped up 

their advocacy to try and bring to the fore the plight of children who 

lost out on their schooling on account of displacement. In the same 

vein, social workers as custodians and champions of child protection 

were expected to take action, even of an advocacy nature to promote 

social justice and safeguard human rights. It is worth emphasizing 

that by the nature of their profession, social workers are sanctioned 

by society to provide specific services targeted primarily at helping 

vulnerable populations (Becket, 2006). 

 

THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND 

ASSOCIATION 

Although this paper is mainly interested in championing the 

economic, social and cultural rights, due cognisance is given to the 

fact that freedom of association is central to the realization of these 

rights. For instance, it has become difficult for development partners 

to gather people for development projects.  Pincus and Minahan 



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(1973) observe, the responsibilities of social workers  to become 

involved in public issues that have an impact on the private troubles 

of people and  to influence people within the social system to make  

them more responsive  to present and potential consumers is crucial. 

In this light, social workers contribute to the development and 

modification of social policies promulgated by legislative bodies, 

elected heads of government, public administrative agencies and 

even private agencies. 

Assembling and conducting peaceful demonstrations in Zimbabwe is 

restricted due to the repressive laws and the heavy handed nature of 

the police (Ploch, 2010). Individuals, members of the civil society, 

labor unions have repeatedly been arrested while assembling and 

taking part in peaceful activities (Amnesty International, 2007).  The 

rights to freedom of association and assembly are guaranteed under 

Articles 10 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ 

Rights and in the ICCPR to which Zimbabwe is a state party 

(Amnesty International, 2007) the rights to freedom of association 

and assembly are also guaranteed under Section 21 of the 

Constitution of Zimbabwe. 

This paper contends that rights to freedom are regularly obstructed 

in order to prevent members of the public, labour groups, human 

rights activists, civil society organizations and political opposition 

parties from peacefully voicing criticism of the government and its 

policies. Becket (2006) posits that social workers must endeavour to 

pursue policies, services, resources and programmes through 



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organizational and administrative advocacy and social and political 

action so as to empower groups at risk and promote social and 

economic justice. In the middle of such social challenges, social 

workers should be seen joining other progressive forces in speaking 

out against repressive legislation.  

THE RIGHT TO HEALTH AND EDUCATION 

It is worth noting that social workers would conveniently want to 

confine their operations to the protection of economic, social and 

cultural rights. In this regard, this paper laments the deafening 

silence of Zimbabwean social workers when the very rights they 

claim to protect are being trembled upon. According to Tsunga, 

(2004) at least forty eight schools were closed in 2002 due to 

political disturbances. Implicit in such a scenario is that the right to 

education of many children was infringed upon. Given the quest to 

protect children as the core mandate of Zimbabwe’s social workers, 

their inaction, let alone silence in the middle of such a state of affairs 

is a pointer to the deficiencies of the role of social workers in 

fighting for the cause of the most vulnerable in society.  Echoing the 

same sentiment, the International Federation of Social Workers 

(2000) comments that: 

More than many professions, Social Work practitioners are 

conscious that their concerns are closely linked to respect 

for Human Rights. They accept the premise that Human 

Rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible, and that 



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the full realization of civil and political rights is impossible 

without enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. 

(International Federation of Social Workers 2012: 3). 

In keeping with such a professional position, the role of social 

workers in protecting the economic, social and cultural rights is 

beyond doubt.  During the past decade, the child health status 

indicators have worsened; infant mortality and under-five mortality 

rose from 53 percent to 77 per 1 000 live births in 1994 to 67 and 94 

per 1 000 live births respectively in 2009 (Parliamentary Portfolio 

Committee on Health 2010) quoted in Murisa 2010: 6). Anecdotal 

evidence has it that as a result of the serious shortage and disruption 

of transport and telecommunications, several programmes including 

patient transfers, malaria indoor residual spraying, drug distribution 

and supervision of districts and rural health centres has been 

compromised.  

CORRUPTION 

According to Mmatli, (2008) corruption eats the social fabric of 

society, leading to increased lawlessness and undermining of social 

and political stability.  According to Massier, (2009), some scholars 

have argued for recognition of a right to live in a corruption- free 

world. They do so on the grounds that endemic corruption destroys 

the fundamental values of human dignity and political equality, 

making it impossible to guarantee the rights to life, personal dignity 

and equality, and many other rights. This paper observes that 



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extensive corruption and nepotism have contributed to the decline in 

public and investor confidence in Zimbabwe's economy. Zimbabwe 

was ranked 107 out of 159 countries surveyed in Transparency 

International's 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index (Freedom House, 

2006). The role of Zimbabwe’s social workers in speaking out 

against corruption is not debatable.  As Massier (2009:7) observes, 

corruption that diverts public resources from essential services or 

anti-poverty programmes will particularly harm the welfare of 

women and their dependents. 

CONCLUSION  

The social work profession in Zimbabwe is confronted by a plethora 

of milestones in its quest to safeguard and promote social equality, 

economic and social development, political and cultural rights. As 

currently practiced in Zimbabwe, the social work profession lays 

much emphasis on a needs based as opposed to a human rights 

framework as encouraged by the international definition of social 

work (Healy, 2008). The social work practitioners have not yet 

internalized the unambiguous role of social work in defending the 

rights of the under privileged in society. 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

The nature of the social work practice terrain in Zimbabwe must, in 

both principle and practice   entail confronting the prevailing 

political order through lobbying. This is particularly urgent given 

that some of the challenges that the profession has to shoulder have 



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their grounding in the underlying structural circumstances requiring 

nothing short of political activism (Mmatli, 2008). 

 

Pursuant to this, active participation in political undertakings is an 

imminent option if the social work profession is to remain relevant 

in Zimbabwe. Such political activism, should take the form of the 

creation of vibrant organizations and programmes calculated at 

forcing political leaders to remain accountable to the citizenry at all 

levels.  In the same light, it is further recommended that efforts 

should be made to strengthen the two main social work groupings 

namely: the National Association of Social Workers (Zimbabwe) as 

well as the Council of Social Workers. This will go a long way in 

consolidating the various efforts of social workers to tailor-make 

their interventions to the dictates of Zimbabwe’s current social 

order. 

 

 

  



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REFERENCES 

 

Al Gharaibeh, F.; 2011 Human security, terrorism and human rights 

in Middle East: Implications for Social work practice. European 

Journal of Social Sciences, 20 (2), 228-239.    

 

Amnesty International; 2007.  Zimbabwe: human rights in crisis, 

violations of the rights to freedom of association and assembly. 

Shadow report to the African Commission on Human and People′s 

Rights. Available from: www.redress.org/downloads/.../Zimbabwe 

ShadowReportMay07.pdf . (Accessed 16 July 2012). 

 Ankrah, M.; 1987. Radicalizing roles for Africa’s development.  

Journal of Social Development 2, 3-12. 

Becket, C.; 2006 Ethics and values in social work 3
rd

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