Mashurugwi:

a Manifestation of a Weakening Human Security Situation in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Human security has been observed by the United Nations as a framework for assisting countries to identify and address several cross-cutting challenges that impact the survival, livelihood, and dignity of people. Zimbabwe has experienced a myriad of challenges that have affected young people. Over the past decade, cases of death, murder, rape, and robberies have increased and small-scale gold miners, illegal miners, and gold panners have been singled out as some of the key culprits. The term Mashurugwi has been used as a
derivate to refer to a group of young people from the Midlands Provincial district of Shurugwi accused of terrorizing communities around the country. This article interrogates the assumption that Mashurugwi is a terror group from the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. Using the human security framework, the article demonstrates how the murders, rape cases, and robberies experienced
around the country are a product of the weakening human security situation in Zimbabwe. The article calls for the application of human security to advance comprehensive responses that address the multidimensional causes and consequences of complex challenges being experienced in Zimbabwe.