Political parties, labor organizations, and civil-society groups sometimes encounter state-sponsored intimidation and repression from government security forces and Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF)-linked activists.  Disagreements between and within political parties occasionally resulted in violence targeting political party members.

Political tensions and civil unrest persist under the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa who came into power following the military intervention of November 2017 that resulted in the departure of longstanding dictator Robert Mugabe.  On August 1, 2018, the army used live ammunition to disperse people demonstrating against the delay in announcing official presidential election results, leaving six people dead. Following demonstrations against a 140 percent increase in fuel prices on January 14, 2019, security forces responded with excessive violence and human rights abuses, including the use of live ammunition, arbitrary beatings and arrests, resulting in 17 deaths and hundreds injured over the course of weeks.  The crackdown targeted members of the opposition political party, civil society groups, and labor leaders. Political uncertainty remains high.

Violent crime, such as assault, carjacking, and home invasion, is common. Local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.

Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/Economy

*Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency

Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDI

Data not available.

Table 4: Sources of Portfolio Investment

Data not available.