Rights, safety and voting
Police, corruption, free legal help, human rights, consumer complaints and voting.
11 guides
- Report a crimeIn an emergency, call 999, or 995 for the police. For anything else, go to your nearest police station or contact the ZRP National Complaints Desk, which is open day and night.ZRP
- Know your rights if you or someone is arrestedIf you are arrested, the police must tell you why, let you contact family or a lawyer, and bring you to court within 48 hours or release you. You can ask for bail, get free legal help if you can't afford a lawyer, and complain about police abuse.ZRP
- Visit someone in prison or remandEveryone held in prison, whether on remand or serving a sentence, has a right to visits from family, a spouse or partner, a lawyer, a doctor and a religious counsellor. Each prison runs its own visits, so check times with the prison before you go.ZPCS
- Get a protection order against domestic violenceA protection order is a court order that tells someone at home or in a relationship with you to stop abusing you and stay away. You apply at a magistrates court. If you need protection now, the court can give you an interim order straight away.JSC
- Claim maintenance for a childIf a parent is not supporting their child, you can claim maintenance at the magistrates court, which also acts as the maintenance court. The court can order regular payments and have them taken straight from the parent's wages.Maintenance court
- Register a deceased estateWhen someone dies leaving property or a will, a close relative must register the estate with the Master of the High Court within 14 days. Registration is free. The Master then appoints an executor to pay the debts and share out what is left.Master's Office
- Report corruptionThe Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) takes reports through an online form, and you can stay anonymous. ZACC does not charge for anything.ZACC
- Get free legal helpIf you can't afford a lawyer, the Legal Aid Directorate gives free legal advice and can represent you in court. It handles family, work, eviction, estate and criminal cases.Legal Aid Directorate
- Complain to the Human Rights CommissionThe Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) investigates human rights violations and unfair treatment by government bodies. You can complain in person, by phone, WhatsApp or email.ZHRC
- Complain about a businessIf a shop or company sells you faulty goods or treats you unfairly, the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) can help. You can complain through its website, WhatsApp or a free phone line.CPC
- Register to voteYou have been able to register to vote at any time of year at Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) offices. A 2026 change to the Constitution hands this to the Registrar-General, so check with ZEC or your nearest Civil Registry office before you go. You need ID and proof of where you live, or an affidavit.ZEC