http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by Wayne Mafaro
Monday 22 September 2008
HARARE - The deadlock between
Zimbabwe's rival political parties over the
distribution of key Cabinet
posts for the formation of a government of
national unity will now be
referred back to principals - President Robert
Mugabe and opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leaders, a member
of the parties'
negotiating teams said on Sunday.
"It's the view of the negotiators that
the outstanding matters can be
resolved by the principals," Welshman Ncube,
leader of the Arthur
Mutambara-led MDC faction's chief negotiator, told
ZimOnline on Sunday. "So
it is our recommendation that the outstanding
issues be referred back to the
principals."
Mugabe, opposition
leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Mutambara signed an
agreement on Monday to
form a power-sharing government to tackle Zimbabwe's
long running political
and economic crisis but failed on Wednesday to agree
on how to share some
key ministries.
The three leaders referred the matter to their
negotiation teams who have
also failed after three meetings to find a
breakthrough, and throwing back
the matter to their principals.
"No
meetings are planned for tomorrow or this week," Ncube said.
The
principals can only meet after Mugabe returns from a United Nations
summit
in New York this week.
Mugabe signed the agreement with opposition
leaders last week, relinquishing
some powers for the first time in nearly
three decades of rule under
pressure from regional leaders and a growing
economic crisis.
Under the deal brokered by South African President Thabo
Mbeki, Mugabe
retains his job as president but cedes some of his powers to
Tsvangirai who
takes the post of prime minister while Arthur Mutambara who
heads the
smaller faction of the MDC will come in as deputy prime
minister.
The three leaders agreed to establish a 31-member Cabinet with
ZANU PF
getting15 posts, Tsvangirai's MDC 13 and three for the Mutambara-led
MDC.
The power-sharing deal was lauded as the first real opportunity in
nearly 10
years for crisis-sapped Zimbabwe to begin work to end an economic
crisis
characterised by the world's highest inflation of more than 11
million
percent, skyrocketing unemployment and shortages of food and every
basic
survival commodity. - ZimOnline
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by Nokuthula Sibanda Monday 22 September
2008
HARARE - At least one million people lost
their livelihoods and homes as
result of President Robert Mugabe's
controversial farm seizure programme,
the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) said in a report released at
the weekend.
The report
that highlights the difficulty that Zimbabwe's incoming
power-sharing
government faces in tackling the emotive land issue said an
estimated 320
000 workers or about 25 percent of the country's labour force
were employed
on commercial farms before the chaotic programme to seize
white farmland for
redistribution to landless blacks.
"In the aftermath of the land
invasions over 200 000 farm workers and their
families -- an estimated one
million people -- lost their livelihoods and
homes, as well as access to
farm schools and other social amenities," the
UNDP said its Comprehensive
Economic Recovery in Zimbabwe.
The UNDP, which has in the past promised
to support orderly land reform
meant to alleviate poverty in Zimbabwe, said
prior to the country's
political crisis agriculture was the largest formal
sector employer and made
significant contributions to export
earnings.
The report said that since the fast track land reforms in 2000,
wheat
production has declined from about 270 000 tonnes in 1998 to 62 000
tonnes
in 2007 falling well short of the national requirement of 350,000
tonnes per
year. Production of maize, a key staple for Zimbabweans, has
likewise
plummeted.
Mugabe, opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and
Arthur Mutambara last week
signed an agreement to form a government of
national unity that is expected
to act urgently to end food shortages in the
country.
But a deadlock over how to share key government posts has
stocked up
skepticism over whether the deal could survive deep seated
animosity and
mistrust among the three political rivals, while relief
agencies warn that
prolonged delay to announce a new government could only
worsen the
humanitarian crisis in the country.
Once a regional
breadbasket, Zimbabwe is in the grip of severe food
shortages that Mugabe
blames on poor weather and Western sanctions he says
have hampered
importation of fertilizers, seed, and other farming inputs.
However
critics blame Zimbabwe's troubles on repression and wrong polices by
the
veteran leader such as land reforms that displaced established white
commercial farmers and replaced them with either incompetent or inadequately
funded black farmers resulting in the country facing acute food
shortages.
Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Tribunal last
week reserved judgment on an application by a group of
Zimbabwean white
farmers against the seizure of their land by the
government.
The tribunal said it withheld a ruling in order to study
objections
submitted by Zimbabwean government lawyers but did not say when
exactly the
judgment would be delivered.
The regional court had
temporarily barred the Harare government from
confiscating land belonging to
77 white farmers pending the outcome of an
application by the farmers
challenging the legality of land reforms
The white farmers wanted the
Tribunal to declare Mugabe's controversial land
reform programme racist and
illegal under the SADC Treaty.
Article 6 of the regional treaty bars
member states from discriminating
against any person on the grounds of
gender, religion, race, ethnic origin
and culture. - ZimOnline.
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by Nokuthula
Sibanda Monday 22 September 2008
HARARE - Zimbabwe's
power-sharing deal is an elitist pact between
politicians that pays little
regard to the wishes of workers or the
electorate, the country's labour
movement said at the weekend.
The powerful Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions (ZCTU) said negotiations that
gave birth to the power-sharing pact
were flawed because they excluded civic
society, while powerful politicians,
including some who were rejected by
voters, were allowed to craft a deal
determining the future of the country.
ZCTU said in a statement after a
Saturday meeting of its general council:
"The deal is all about
power-sharing between ZANU PF (President Robert
Mugabe's party) and MDC
(opposition party), leaving out primary causes of
the dispute which has
created the political and economic impasse currently
prevailing in the
country.
"The process used in coming up with the deal was not
all-inclusive as the
civic society was not given an opportunity to
participate."
Mugabe, MDC leaders Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara signed
an agreement last
Monday to form a power-sharing government. Under the deal,
Mugabe remains
president but will relinquish some of his powers to
Tsvangirai who becomes
prime minister while Mutambara, who heads the smaller
faction of the MDC,
will be appointed deputy prime minister.
The
power-sharing deal has been lauded as the first real opportunity in
nearly
10 years for Zimbabwe to begin work to end an economic crisis
characterised
by the world's highest inflation of more than 11 million
percent,
skyrocketing unemployment and shortages of food and every basic
survival
commodity.
But a deadlock over how to share key government posts has
stocked up
skepticism over whether the deal, clinched after seven weeks of
tortuous
negotiations, could stand the strain given the deep personal
animosity and
mistrust especially between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
The
ZCTU, which gave birth to the MDC nine years ago and remains an ally of
the
opposition party, said it will summon prime minister-designate
Tsvangirai to
explain to the labour union why he agreed to the pact with
Mugabe.
The union said while it rejected the deal because it ignores
the will of
Zimbabweans as reflected in last March's elections won by the
MDC and
Tsvangirai it would only decide on the next step after meeting
Tsvangirai.
The two formations of the MDC won a total 110 seats against
ZANU PF's 99 in
the key House of Assembly while Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe
in the March 29
polls but did not achieve outright victory to avoid a second
round run-off
vote.
Tsvangirai later pulled out of the run-off
election in June in protest
against state-sponsored violence against his
supporters and in the process
allowing Mugabe to win uncontested. However,
the June 27 poll was rejected
by major Western governments and some African
nations as undemocratic.
The ZCTU said the way forward for Zimbabwe was:
"All-inclusive dialogue to
resolve Zimbabwe 's political and economic
impasse. Ownership of the
dialogue process should rest with the people of
Zimbabwe, not just a few
politicians, some of them who have been rejected by
the electorate."
The ZCTU and other civic society groups have long said
agreement between
Zimbabwe's two largest political parties alone would not
end the country's
multi-faceted political and economic crisis and had called
for the inclusion
of organised civic society, smaller opposition parties and
other
stakeholders in the power-sharing talks. - ZimOnline
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=4575
September 21, 2008
By Eddie
Cross
IT SEEMS like a year since the SADC-brokered deal was eventually
signed. The
ceremony itself was an opportunity to see into the future. It
was not
encouraging, in fact daunting, in every way. Coming after the
opening of
Parliament where it was clear to any observer that the gap
between the MDC
benches and Zanu-PF was enormous. The MDC team generally
young, poor and
angry, the Zanu-PF benches arrogant, fat, aging and
apprehensive.
I said last week that the new transitional government would
place a huge
burden of responsibility for leadership on the part of Morgan
Tsvangirai.
Nothing made that more clear than the signing ceremony itself.
When Ian
Khama arrived, the crowd outside (90 percent MDC and numbering
several
thousand) gave him a rousing welcome. In the hall he was greeted
with a
chant of "Khama, Khama, Khama!" When Robert Mugabe arrived he was
greeted
with derision and the singing of songs from the struggle of the past
10
years. Inside the hall he was booed and heckled.
The speeches were
instructive. Mugabe, leaning on the podium for support,
ranted against the
British and Americans and spoke for maybe 40 minutes in a
rambling, confused
historical diatribe. Mutambara demonstrated, yet again,
that he is totally
out of his depth in this political game; even the BBC,
covering the event
secretly in the hall, switched him off. Tsvangirai spoke
for about 15
minutes, a clear outline of the way forward and a call to work
together for
the sake of the country.
There could have been no doubt in the minds of
any of those present as towho
the real leader was on that stage.
It
was a moment of triumph for Thabo Mbeki - one that came many years later
than it should have, mainly because of his own reluctance to deal with the
issues surrounding the resolution of the crisis in Zimbabwe, but eventually,
it was here. He then flew home to run into the media storm that followed the
Jacob Zuma judgment the week before. At the subsequent gathering of the ANC
leadership he was forced into a humiliating resignation. After a lifetime of
struggle against apartheid and leadership responsibility from 1994 to 2008;
some 14 years, it was a shame that he should go like this but he had created
the conditions for his political demise. Despite that, it must be
acknowledged that the new South Africa - a remarkable creation knowing the
background - is largely his work and he will always be remembered for that
achievement.
When Mbeki left Harare he must have thought that his job
was done and he
could now concentrate on his own back yard. He had put many
days into the
negotiation and had left his home turf neglected at a crucial
time for him.
No sooner had he departed however, than Zanu-PF started to
play their old
game.
Always adept at seeming to accept the situation
that confronted them and
then turning back on their word and doing the
opposite. That happened in
2000 when they lost the referendum. Mugabe
appeared on national television
and radio and stated that he "accepted" the
will of the people. He then
unleashed a campaign of terror and intimidation
that has lasted eight years
and claimed hundreds of lives and brought the
economy to its knees.
This time he signed the deal after 18 months of
tortuous negotiations and
many set backs. He did so in front of the whole
world and in the presence of
his colleagues in the SADC region. We expected
talks the following day to
form a government, a swearing in ceremony on
Thursday and to start work on
Monday.
Remember we have not had a
proper government for six months so we thought
the question of speed would
be paramount.
It was not to be. The MDC leadership had cleared the deal
that had been
negotiated with their national leadership on Sunday and then
signed. Mugabe
took the deal to his leadership the day after he had signed.
The Politburo
was furious and what was meant to be a short meeting turned
into a daylong
marathon - all else forgotten. The service chiefs (the
much-feared and
despised JOC) did not attend the signing ceremony on Monday
and we heard
rumors of troop movements and the mobilisation of recently
disbanded
militiacamps.
The atmosphere in Harare tensed
significantly.
When Wednesday came and went with the Zanu-PF Central
Committee in session
all day and no attempt to hold discussions on the
formation of a new
government with their new partners in government, Mbeki
was forced to step
into the ring again. As a result, the talks on forming a
new government
started at about 11.00 hrs on Thursday. By mid-afternoon it
was clear no
deal was possible at the level of the three
leaders.
Mugabe, threatened by the harsh reaction of his own party to the
deal, tried
to recover some political ground by demanding that Zanu-PF take
the key
ministries. That was never a possibility and eventually Tsvangirai
told the
other two that he was referring the matter to the regional
mediators.
The South African leadership was briefed and it is hoped that
the three
negotiating teams will meet shortly to pick up from where the
Monday
ceremony had left them. There is the immediate problem of mediation
with the
SA government in chaos and the likely resignation of both Mbeki and
the
Minister of Labour who has been so instrumental in the negotiations so
far.
Oblivious to the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe and the
escalating
economic and social crisis, Mugabe then simply packed his bags
and departed
for the UN General Assembly in New York with an entourage of 40
plus his
wife and taking with them a pile of US dollars to spend on 10 days
of luxury
and completely unproductive personal extravagance. A last chance
to feed his
ego and we dread what he will have to say in New York, probably
just more of
the same old diatribe. That will do nothing to help us get the
situation
here under control and the country back on track.
So now we
wait for the allocation of ministries to be agreed and then - we
hope at the
end of this coming week - we will have the swearing in of the
new Council of
Ministers and Cabinet and on the following Monday we can
start
work.
We are confronted with a crisis in every sphere of national life.
Cities
without water, roads falling apart, railways not functioning, empty
grain
silos and no preparations for the new cropping season, a restive and
badly
paid army with guns and ammunition, collapsed and bankrupt firms in
the
private sector, a malfunctioning finance system with teetering banking
institutions and a bruised and battered population that is bitter and
angry.
And it all hangs on a small team of 34 individuals - many of whom
have never
been in government before and who have been at each other throats
for much
of the past 20 years. Even more it depends on the skills and
leadership of
one man - Morgan Tsvangirai. I think it is quite clear that
the other two
leaders, Mugabe and Mutambara have nothing to offer in this
situation; they
are really part of the problem, not the solution. It is an
awesome
responsibility. Pray for him and his team as they start out on this
difficult and hazardous journey.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/20/650722
Sunday, 21st September, 2008
By Gwynne Dyer
A week
ago today, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe signed a power-sharing
deal
with opposition rival Morgan Tsvangirai. In the agreement, Mugabe, who
has
ruled the country with an iron hand for the past 28 years, relinquished
some
of his powers. The deal provides 31 cabinet posts of which Mugabe's
ZANU-PF
takes 15, Tsvangirai's MDC 13, and three for the Mutambara-led
section of
the MDC.
Under the arrangement Tsvangirai becomes prime minister,
chairing a newly
created Council of State that "supervises" the cabinet,
which Mugabe heads.
Nobody knows what that means, but it is obviously an
unworkable arrangement.
The crucial question is who controls the security
forces, and the real
answer to that, even if the deal has given day-to-day
control of the police
to the MDC, is Mugabe. Zimbabwe's senior army and
police officers are bound
to Mugabe by hoops of steel, for the many murders
they have committed to
keep him in power would not be pardoned by any
successor regime. Unless, of
course, an amnesty for all that killing is a
secret part of the deal.
That would change a lot of things, for the army
and police high command
could then see a future for themselves past the end
of Mugabe, and might no
longer be unconditionally on his side. South African
President Thabo Mbeki,
the mediator who has structured this deal, knows that
such an amnesty would
help to ease Mugabe gradually out of power while
preserving his dignity -
and keeping ZANU-PF in power.
Those have
been Mbeki's goals all along. Although he is almost two decades
younger than
the 84-year-old Mugabe, they both belong to the 'independence
generation' of
southern African leaders who led the struggle against white
minority rule.
Mugabe has wrecked Zimbabwe's economy, ordered the killing of
tens of
thousands of its citizens, and driven one-quarter of the population
abroad
as economic refugees but in Mbeki's eyes he still deserves respect
for his
historic role.
That made Mbeki a very poor choice as mediator in the eyes
of the
opposition, but South Africa is the regional superpower, so if Mbeki
wants
the job, he gets it. The Southern African Development Community and
the
African Union, the two regional organisations with some say in the
matter,
were hardly going to tell him to step aside. The outcome of his
mediation
reflects these facts.
This is very difficult for the
Zimbabwean opposition, who won a
parliamentary majority in the election last
March. Tsvangirai also beat
Mugabe by a clear margin in the presidential
vote, even after all the
intimidation and ballot-box stuffing by the regime.
However, since
Tsvangirai fell slightly short of 50 percent of the votes
when the regime
announced the results of the presidential election (almost a
month late), he
was forced into a run-off against Mugabe in June.
The
regime mobilised the ZANU-PF party's various militias, backed by the
army
and police, to kill or terrorise enough MDC supporters to win the
second
vote. Several hundreds were murdered, and several hundred thousands
driven
from their homes. Tsvangirai withdrew from the second round of the
election
a few days before the vote to avoid further bloodshed, since the
regime was
clearly going to announce a ZANU-PF victory anyway, and Mugabe
was duly
're-elected' president in an unopposed vote.
In the circumstances, the
MDC's wariness about any negotiated power-sharing
deal was understandable,
especially given the mediator's obvious bias. "What
we got at the end of the
day was nearly a sister-sister power-sharing, so it's
not exactly what we
wanted initially," said Lovemore Moyo, MDC chairman and
the newly chosen
parliamentary speaker.
"We are ready and prepared to work for Zimbabweans
without reservations, but
obviously you have to be careful when you work
with a party like Zanu-PF."
So what calculation can have led Tsvangirai,
Moyo and the other MDC leaders
to accept a deal that leaves Mugabe as
president and at the head of the
cabinet? They do not trust Mbeki, because
they know that he does not want
the MDC to end up in power regardless of
what Zimbabweans think. Were they
pressured into the deal? Could they see no
alternative except civil war?
Maybe, but not necessarily. If a secret
amnesty for the crimes committed by
the military and police is part of the
deal, then their need to keep Mugabe
in power evaporates. And Thabo Mbeki
has to relinquish the presidency of
South Africa next year, so after that
the neighbourhood giant will no longer
be determined to protect Mugabe and
keep ZANU-PF in power.
Mbeki's successor is already known. It is Jacob Zuma,
who has openly
condemned Mugabe and criticised Mbeki's handling of the
situation.
The decision of a South African court last Thursday that
corruption charges
against Zuma were politically motivated and could not
proceed clears the
final obstacle from his path to the presidency - and when
he is running
South Africa, the regional balance of forces will shift
radically in the MDC's
favour.
So the Zimbabwean opposition has
signed an unsatisfactory deal now in the
hope that next year will bring
more. Since Zimbabwe desperately needs
foreign economic aid and definitely
does not need continued political
paralysis or civil war, it was a
responsible decision. Whether it is the
right decision, nobody yet
knows.
The writer is a London-based independent journalist
Financial Times
By Tony Hawkins in
Harare and William Wallis in Johannesburg
Published: September 21 2008
18:00 | Last updated: September 21 2008 18:00
Thabo Mbeki's departure
from office could hardly have come at a worse time
for the Zimbabwe
settlement negotiations.
It appeared likely on Sunday that he would
remain mandated as mediator in
the talks at least in the short term both by
the ruling African National
Congress in South Africa and the regional
Southern African Development
Community.
But he would have less
clout if he were no longer president of South Africa,
to break the logjam
already threatening to unravel last week's agreement.
The two main parties -
President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and Mr Morgan
Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change - are deadlocked over the
allocation of cabinet portfolios
with Mr Mugabe determined to retain control
of strategic ministries after
facing dissent from within his party last week
for already giving too much
away.
George Charamba, his spokesman, insisted in a newspaper column that
the
Zimbabwe president will choose ministers, pointing out that last
Monday's
power-sharing agreement merely requires him to take advice from Mr
Tsvangirai, which the president is free to ignore.
On Friday,
spokesmen from both parties were saying that President Mbeki
would have to
return to Harare to break the deadlock. Amid political turmoil
at home,
there are now fears that Zimbabwe will slide down Pretoria's
political
agenda.
ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe, said Mr Mbeki would be
allowed the
"space" to continue his mediation efforts. Dr Augusto Salamao,
spokesman for
the Southern African Development Community said Mr Mbeki was
mandated at a
summit "so if anything is to change it has to at a summit
level."
"Everybody in South Africa including in the ANC are aware of the
critical
stage at which we are I believe they will act [to ensure] that the
process
in Zimbabwe is not harmed," he added.
At the first news of
events in South Africa, MDC officials could hardly hide
their glee. They
have never liked Mr Mbeki whom they regarded as partisan.
On more than
one occasion the party has called for him to be replaced while
some senior
MDC figures accuse him of forcing Mr Tsvangirai to sign an
agreement that
the party rank and file do not like.
But political analysts warn that
celebrations by the MDC, who think Jacob
Zuma, Mr Mbeki's
successor-in-waiting will be much tougher on Mr Mugabe, are
premature.
"Mr Zuma is an all-things-to-all-men politician. As such
he cannot be
trusted. Don't overlook the fact that the African National
Congress Youth
League, which is strongly pro-Zuma, is also strongly
pro-Mugabe," said one
Harare based analyst. Many in the ANC Youth League see
Mugabe as a true
African patriot who has stood up against the west and above
all against the
Whites.
Meanwhile, hardliners in Zanu-PF see Mr
Mbeki's departure as a heaven-sent
opportunity to reverse last Monday's
agreement. A South African interregnum,
they say, will give them time to
regroup from what Mr Mugabe described as "a
humiliation " during last week's
Central Committee meeting when the
84-year-old president was lambasted by
hardliners for making unnecessary
concessions.
Party moderates are
more cautious. One told the FT: "President Mbeki warned
Mr Mugabe that this
was the best deal he was likely to get since the next
South African
president was unlikely to be as accommodating."
On balance, while it
seems that the MDC are more likely to benefit from the
political power shift
in South Africa than Zanu-PF, the danger is that both
sides will try to
exploit the situation. In such a scenario the current
stalemate will
continue, while the economy unravels further.
http://www.theage.com.au
September 22, 2008
WHEN
Robert Mugabe was a young boy, he was shy, prone to worry, and
desperate to
please his mother. A recent biography tells of his amazing rise
from a
village upbringing to become an African statesman, leader of a
people's long
struggle for independence, and then, tragically, his dismal
failure in
office: an angry and suspicious old man, haughty, ruthless, and
desperate to
please only himself. Mr Mugabe will be remembered for the ruin
he has
inflicted on Zimbabwe. True freedom for the people still awaits.
Whether
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, can
help
Zimbabwe escape the yoke of Mr Mugabe's rule is not yet clear. The two
bitter rivals have signed a power-sharing deal, a complicated arrangement
that leaves Mr Mugabe as President, makes Mr Tsvangirai Prime Minister, and
promises a joint cabinet for decision-making. The army stays under Mr
Mugabe's control, while Mr Tsvangirai apparently has the job of fixing the
devastated economy. With inflation running wild, at a rate which makes the
local currency effectively worthless and drives Zimbabwe's people ever
deeper into poverty, that task is daunting.
Mr Mugabe may see this
deal as a strategic concession, part of a tangled
scheme to cling to power,
and indeed, the early signs offer little
encouragement to believe he is
surrendering much. After only a week, talks
have already stalled on which of
the two parties will control important
government portfolios.
Nor
will the weekend ousting of neighbouring South African President Thabo
Mbeki
help to secure a stable government in Zimbabwe, at least for now. Mr
Mbeki
had been roundly criticised in the West for treating Mr Mugabe too
gently,
but in the end, he brokered the deal with Mr Tsvangirai. With Mr
Mbeki the
victim of his own power struggle at home, what little authority he
carried
to make demands of the notoriously defiant Mr Mugabe has
disappeared, even
if he stays on as mediator. Without a credible person to
steer the deal
through the difficult days ahead, the arrangement could
collapse.
Yet
Mr Mugabe may worry that Jacob Zuma, the man likely to eventually take
over
as South Africa's president, will bring a tougher approach. After all,
up to
1.5 million Zimbabwean refugees are estimated to have fled across the
border, so South Africa has enormous interests at stake. Mr Zuma has shown
little nostalgia for Mr Mugabe's history of fighting white minority rule,
instead, lambasting the regime for "riding roughshod over the hard-won
democratic rights of the people". If Mr Mugabe wants to foster a situation
where he can leave office, free from prosecution, the current deal offers
his last and best chance.
It certainly rankles that for all his
crimes, Mr Mugabe could escape
punishment. In this, Mr Tsvangirai's dilemma
is acute. He has consistently
refused to call for a popular uprising against
the regime, fearing the
terrible toll this would take on an already battered
people. Yet he has been
derided abroad for running from a fight. His own
safety has been under
threat - last year he was bashed before a political
rally, and this year he
pulled out of presidential elections, citing fears
of an assassination plot.
Yet he is unwilling to simply wait for the
84-year-old Mr Mugabe to expire,
and in the meantime allow the people's
suffering to go on.
Instead, Mr Tsvangirai has taken an enormous risk, to
strike a deal with a
man who deserves little trust. Any moves to prosecute
Mr Mugabe will derail
the precarious agreement. The blithe calls for justice
by outsiders is fine
sentiment, but does little to end Zimbabwe's crisis. As
Mr Tsvangirai
explained during a visit to Melbourne last year, there are
conflicting
emotions on Mr Mugabe: "Land and race are intricately linked
issues in
Africa, so you find some people supporting him, not because he's
right, but
because he's one of our own."
While Mr Mugabe will be at
the United Nations in New York this week, no
doubt denouncing Western
imperialism as a way of distracting from his
chronic misrule, the world
should keep its attention on Mr Tsvangirai. He
will need support to begin
the painful task of building Zimbabwe, with food,
supplies and sensible
advice. There are risks. He cannot be seen as a
Western stooge. Equally, if
the world hangs back for too long, waiting to
see who is really in charge,
whatever opportunity this deal offers will
vanish.
Zimbabwe needs an
escape from Mr Mugabe's tyranny. Even if this deal comes
unstuck,
importantly, it has shown change is possible. Better it comes
sooner -
Zimbabwe's people have waited enough.
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=4572
MDC-T:
Keep your demos in check
September 21, 2008
(The following is the
Nathaniel Manheru column published in The Herald of
Saturday, September 20,
2008. Manheru is none other than President Robert
Mugabe's press secretary,
George Charamba, who is the permanent secretary
for Information in the
government of Zimbabwe.)
AS BEFORE, the media has once again failed in
their duty to inform and
enlighten through well-founded interpretation of
events of the week. Copies
of the agreement underpinning the hopes of an
inclusive government in
Zimbabwe were made available to all media houses.
The media, thus, have no
excuse for rigging facts and dishing out
harebrained interpretations.
Well, before one even gets into the
substance of the agreement, one is hard
put to establish where the notion of
Government of National Unity came from.
It is not there in the Dar
Declaration. It is not there in Sadc communiqués.
It is not there in AU
documents. Simply not there. What is worse, it is not
there in the documents
agreed to by the parties. There is a whole world of
difference between a
Government of National Unity, on the one hand, and an
inclusive Government,
which is what is being worked towards in Zimbabwe, on
the other. Is it being
suggested that the two MDC formations and Zanu-PF
constitute Unity and the
Nation?
What September can't do
Even with the best political
agreement, they cannot constitute a Government
merely on the strength of
what they signed on September 15. The agreement of
September 15 cannot
create a Government, let alone one of national unity. If
anything, the
agreement subordinates itself to the historical quest for
national
unity.
Governments are creatures of hard and cold law, creatures of
statutes, never
of mere dalliance between erstwhile political rivals,
however that
fornication is consummated. True, a political agreement could
help processes
that could lead to a legal position that eventually founds a
government, but
first things first, please. What was signed on September 15
has no legal
force, has no constitutional status.
Not before
Amendment 19, and the document signed by the three political
parties is
aware of that.
What was signed on September 15 cannot be enforced by any
court of law. It
merely binds the signatories to the extent they want bound.
It can collapse
any day, any time. And even where this agreement gets
recognised by the
supreme law of the land, it does not mean its application
will specifically
refer to the three parties involved in the
agreement.
After the 1987 Unity Accord, our Constitution did not provide
a pride of
place for Zapu and Zanu. It merely made room for two Vice
Presidents. How
these were appointed and from where, became a matter of
politics, never of
law. Cease this needless euphoria, dear media
colleagues.
When three is not total
If the thing does not create a
Government - any government - what more with
a problematic value called
National Unity? We had the Unity Accord of 1987:
a lot greater, a lot
geographically expansive, a lot more legitimate in
advancing the national
agenda than the thing of September 15. And yet it
cannot pretend to have
solved, caught and pinned down this elusive ideal
called National
Unity.
If it did, why talk about it after the September 15 ritual? Is
three the
totality of parties we have in the country? Is national unity
coterminous
with vying organised political parties? Is national unity a
political
question exclusively? The whole debate in the media does not
suggest
enlightened reportage, let alone commentary.
Instigating
unconstitutionality
And then you have this self-feeding misconception of
judging the agreement
by how soon it delivers ministries and ministers; by
how soon it concludes
allocation of ministries between parties. No one in
the media is talking
about the substance of Amendment 19, itself the legal
wherewithal for a
governmental structure to emerge from the agreement. Why
should an estate
which claims to hold the executive in constitutional check
itself play
inciter to lawless unconstitutionality?
This is very
dangerous ignorance, the type that inaugurates a lawless
dictatorship with a
full cheer. In the absence of Amendment No. 19, there
will not be a
Government or Cabinet which upholds the expectations contained
in the
agreement, full stop. Yes, President Mugabe can make a Government any
day.
But it can only be a Government founded on the present law.
It does not
make sense to hail the Monday agreement and agitate for a "new"
government
and a "new" Cabinet while leaving out an intermediate and
enabling
legislative stage without which the hoped-for government may never
arise.
Where will the Prime Minister come from? Where will the two Deputy
Prime
Ministers come from? And the Council of Ministers? There is already a
euphoric reference to Tsvangirai as Prime Minister-elect. On the basis of
what?
You could have called him that from day one of his stay on this
earth, as
long as there was clarity that this belongs to the never-never
realm of
what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up. Why dress these men with robes
they are
still to borrow from a man who has not arrived, from a man whose
given-ness
to lending is still to be ascertained?
Reading one's
eyelid
And then you have vacuous reading of the agreement if only to
validate this
gratuitous euphoria. Tsvangirai is called "mukuru
wehurumende". Yaani?
Irikupi? Do you need Baba Ribeiro's Zinyimotenderera -
that nefarious
witchdoctor in the Shona classic Muchadura - to read the
obvious? Is the
agreement not clear that President Mugabe heads both the
State and
Government? How does a Prime Minister who is Head of Government
become
Deputy Chairman of Cabinet, itself the principal instrument for
governing?
Why does the media read what MDC wanted from the deal and not
what it
actually got from it? And this horribly misunderstood Council of
Ministers?
Why read it as supervisory to Cabinet when, in fact, it plainly
implements
Cabinet decisions, and is made up by all Cabinet ministers? Is an
administrative arm executive and policy creating? We seem to have a problem
of elementary comprehension. Or is it wilful under-understanding? Need we
wonder to read headlines like "The centre has moved . . ."? Moved to where?
The centre has not moved; it has merely accommodated a lost son. The MDC
knows that.
The unread agreement
What this misreporting does
is to create unnecessary tensions and pressures,
especially in MDC-T who end
up overplaying their hand to approximate the
wild expectations primed by
themselves and the media. The aggressive
euphoria that greeted the signing
of the agreement on Monday revealed a mass
duping of MDC supporters by their
dishonest leadership. It was as if they
had won power.
Their hungry
supporters who massed at the mouth of Rainbow Towers as their
leaders were
further swelling their already distended stomachs, all looked
drunk with
well contrived misapprehension. "Zizi razomera nyanga dzenhoro,"
they
chanted, quite convinced Mugabe was out, Tsvangirai in! None had seen,
let
alone read, the agreement which The Herald went on to reproduce. To this
day, very few have read the agreement. Yet the party goes on, and with it
great expectations of a power shift which will never
materialise.
There is even an expectation that all by-elections will be
frozen through an
agreement which is said to automatically cede vacant seats
to whichever
party won them in March! Plea-a-a-se! Give us a break.
Democracy, which for
the MDC was the acme of their agitation, suddenly takes
a step back for the
agreement?
Beyond the media miasma
What I
like about the present discourse is how real issues are breaking
through
this miasma of media confusion. I followed with evident fascination
Supa's
discussion with John Robertson and Ambassador Mutsvangwa. Robertson
made it
plain the agreement fell short in that it did not resolve the land
question.
Clearly for him, resolving the land question meant ceding
land back to white
colonials so they go back to their vast estates of yore.
It is an argument
which is being played up by the British quality Press,
principally the
Financial Times and the Economist. Slowly, Britain and her
settlers here are
divesting themselves of all pretences.
They are
angry that the preamble tied MDC to the Zanu-PF rhetoric on Third
Chimurenga. They are not appeased even by promises of an Independent Land
Audit which MDC-T has been agitating for, but whose operationalisation is
sure to draw blood redder than the setting sun.
Who will be in it?
Who will dare go to the countryside to start processes
calculated to appease
Hawkins and Robertson's yearn for a return to settler
agrarian policy? Then
you will have a real war here of the kind not even
America can put
out.
Ousting Mugabe
The second issue relates to mining claims and
mining rights. Again, the
Anglo-Saxon interest is evident. As with land,
this hitherto hidden interest
is beginning to obtrude so insistently,
betraying what has always been at
the core of British intrusion into local
politics here. And for me, this is
exactly the value of the thing that was
signed on Monday: it had removed all
pretences that encrusted on the
so-called political question here.
Real motives are becoming much easier
to see and read and thus much easier
to respond to. I made this point last
week. And because of these two vital
interests which have to be vindicated
by the MDC, the validity of the Monday
agreement rests on its capacity to
oust President Mugabe who is read as the
principal impediment for the
reintroduction of British hegemony here. And
the British establishment is
pretty candid about it nowadays. Mugabe is no
longer omnipotent, but still
needs to be watched, cries out one. Mugabe is
gone, cries another. Down but
not yet out, cries yet another.
Bringing back B-MATT
A more
sophisticated view is one that sees the agreement as a major step in
by the
MDC in its British-inspired long but unremitting campaign for Mugabe's
eventual ouster. And from a Western perspective, Mugabe is as good as the
generals who keep his army. That is why Dyck and B-MATT are coming back into
the discussion, seemingly with the blessing of naive "Prime
Minister-elect".
That is how Gono's sacking is coming into view. That is
why security
ministries, finance, information, local government, justice and
women
affairs must go to the MDC.
The agreement is read as a prologue
to a phased putsch! And, of course, the
IMF is beginning to dangle its
poisoned chalice. It is ready for dialogue.
So is the EU and America
provided the agreement reveals where real power
lies!
Even UNDP has
come into the equation, stressing Zimbabwe needs huge
infusions from the
West, principally from Britain and America! What
temerity! I hope the gentle
reader is beginning to visualise the point I was
at pains to convey last
week. The game has started and Zanu-PF needs its
most living God to get the
better of this massive attempt on it.
Reading from 1987
MDC could
emerge the biggest loser if it is not careful. And one does not
see much
sign of great care. In the first place the demos are on the
negotiating
table. MDC seems intent on deploying raucous yells and catcalls
at the
negotiating table. Except anyone can do that with even better results
than
the MDC can ever hope to achieve.
The rude crowd which MDC mobilised into
HICC and at the entrance of Rainbow
Towers will not help its case, let alone
advance its interests. Judging by
what I saw at this week's Central
Committee meeting, MDC is fast losing its
interlocutors.
Secondly,
MDC does not appear to have benefited from its recruitment of
Reverend
Canaan Banana, now late. A principal player in the Unity Accord of
1987, MDC
should have got a few tips on such agreements from him. They did
not,
apparently and they seem to muddle. You do not negotiate with your eyes
set
on tomorrow's headline. Or rely on little boys like Chamisa when dealing
with a mature party like Zanu-PF.
Thirdly, you do not build
expectations that will return to haunt you
tomorrow. Zanu-PF is not about to
capitulate. It will not dismantle its
mandate, make no mistake about it. It
will seek to accommodate, yes, work
with its opponents until confidence is
built.
Only then will it entrust greater responsibilities. The story of
the Unity
Accord is plain for all to see. And the late Joshua Nkomo was
right to say:
"Unity is what follows." Inclusivity is not what begins. It is
the promise
of it.
How not to do it
Lastly, there is something
called confidence building. You do not achieve
this by making demands that
betray an attempt to achieve for the British
what they failed to get through
the ballot. Why would MDC want B-MATT here?
What would MDC want a white
colonel as commander of the army? Why would MDC
want control of ministries
that seem calculated for a retributive agenda?
Why would Tsvangirai
embark on a food assessment programme apparently after
a nod from the
American Ambassador? Is it about food or about using the dire
food need in
the countryside to further his long-held political agenda? Is
he Prime
Minister already?
People are up to here with anger and frustration. At
this rate it may not be
long before tenuous cords snap. After all, the
agreement is clear. It gives
the President the power to allocate ministries
"after consultation" with
VPs, PM and DPMs. He does not have to adopt their
views. The real game
begins.
Icho!
nathaniel.manheru@zimpapers.co.zw
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=4598
September 21, 2008
By
Bernard Sigauke
DEAR Mr George Charamba,
I read with interest your
article in the Nathaniel Manheru column of
Saturday's edition of The Herald.
In it you appeared to taunt the MDC-T, as
you would like to call it, for
signing a paper that does not give them
anything or any power to re-boost
the economy of our country.
In it you also tried to blame the media "for
failing to inform and enlighten
through well-founded interpretation of
events this week".
I quite understood the things you mentioned and even
though I do not have a
problem with the other people expressing their views
and opinions, I
however, have a problem with people like you who play
politics with people's
lives when times are very tough like this simply
because they think they
can.
I do not know what that document which
the three political parties signed
contains but I would like to surely
believe it holds something meaningful
and important to the three political
parties and the nation. Yes, newspapers
around the world may have said this
or that according to how they
interpreted the document but I think at the
end of the day even the
illiterate will read between the lines.
You
put it like nothing is going to change because the document has got no
legal
force and or constitutional status. So why did the government waste
tax
payers` funds paying for trips for the negotiators to shuttle between
Pretoria and Harare for something that is not legally binding? Why did
Robert Mugabe, after the Zambian president's funeral, threaten to form a
government with or without the other parties if they did not sign and as he
put it "Zimbabwe can not carry on being held back by a few", instead of just
forming it?
Is it not clear now that Zanu-PF has realised that it
cannot go it alone
especially without the MDC, who they have accused of
being sell-outs and
puppets of the West. Is it not also clear that the
outgoing government has
failed completely through misguided and partisan
policies even though they
have tried to place the blame on Western
sanctions? The sanctions are
hurting the economy and the people and on this
one we agree.
But let us not forget that Zanu-PF brought these upon us
and themselves.
When the outgoing government took over farms for
resettlement I think all of
the farms had a very good infrastructure,
including irrigation equipment.
Whatever happened to that infrastructure?
Zanu-PF embarked on the Look East
policy. Why did it not yield anything? Why
has there not been a proper and
accountable way of controlling, exploiting
and mining of the diamonds in
Marange three years after they were
discovered? How much is China taking in
raw materials from our country and
how much are they giving back?
Production in our factories continues to
fall, goods continued to be less
and less available in our shops. Surely the
United States, United Kingdom
and a few other European states can't be that
effective; after all they are
as Mugabe puts it "only tiny dots on the world
map."
We have Russia which is willing to trade with us and is a global
super power
and has big production factories and is a buyer of raw
materials. So is
China, Iran, Korea, Japan and a lot of African states. Why
couldn't we make
it? It is because of the economic sanctions that Zanu-PF
has finally agreed
to accommodate the ex-opposition party?
You can
call the MDC agents of the West. The question people will always ask
you Mr.
Charamba is - why did you not ban the MDC if there is proof that
they are
being used to destabilize the economy? And why did you, for the
past nine
years, not do something to ensure they were routed as a British
front?
And, last but not least, why has Zanu-PF agreed to give the
MDC 13
ministerial posts? When did the MDC say they would install a white
army
commander when in power?
Some things just do not add up
here.
After all, the whites are only up to no good when they are dealing
with the
MDC. What about the whites in Zanu-PF? I refer you to the article
by
Geoffrey Nyarota in The Zimbabwe Times headlined "Whites fine for
Zanu-PF,
not for MDC" on the September 8, 2008. I seriously suggest you read
this
article and the comments the readers made for your own wisdom.
I
do not think Zanu-PF is about to capitulate because everybody knows they
cannot afford to do that. That would be suicidal, would it not? Zanu-PF is
the only party I know in the world that has built a headquarters so big one
would mistake it for the multi-billion dollar corporate firm's luxury
offices. If they have nothing to fear or to hide why not give up the
ministries deemed important and strategic to them, to the MDC? Deep down in
your heart Mr Charamba and everybody in Zanu-PF you know that this will
spell the end. Not because it is that MDC would want to use the ministries
for retribution, as you put it, but because huwori hwese hunobuda pachena
(All the rot will be exposed).
Retribution for what, exactly? You
sound like a man who has something to
hide and a lot to fear. Mr Charamba,
do not forget that you are only a young
man and the Zanu-PF leadership is in
its mid-80s. Mugabe has not got much
time left and while he can appoint a
leader within the party Zanu-PF, I do
not think he can now appoint a
successor in government with the way things
are at the moment.
Can
you imagine what it would be like for people like you in five years time
if
and when the current term of government expires? If I were you I would be
worried, but then I do not know what it feels like to rape, torture or kill
innocent people all in the name of sovereignty. Or was it really? I suppose
it feels good to live in the mansions and drive flashy cars from proceeds of
crime but I believe there are so many sleepless nights in-between. I do not
know; it is just my wild guess?
The only media I can think of that is
not informing and enlightening its
readership is the Zimpapers Group of
newspapers that you control with such
passion and zest. If you leave
Zimpapers journalists to write their own
material like they should, you will
realize the extent of their ability.
Tsvangirai embarked on a food
assessment programme because the bigwigs in
government are buying the maize
from GMB meant for the hungry people and
reselling it on the black market in
foreign currency. That's why. Don't tell
me you do not know this is
happening because last week your newspaper
reported that the chiefs told
Mugabe about it. It's not because the American
ambassador said so. The MDC
has got nothing to lose in this.
Lastly, I listened with embarrassment to
Robert Mugabe`s weird speech on
Monday last week after the signing ceremony.
I wondered where the old man
was getting all this from until I came across
your articles.
You seem to be misguiding him, otherwise he means
well.
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by Zimbabwe Human
Rights Forum Monday 22 September
2008
OVERVIEW
Following the signing of the Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) on 21 July
2008 and subsequent signing of the power
sharing agreement between the two
MDC formations and ZANU (PF) on 15
September 2008, attention has largely
been diverted from the gross human
rights violations that occurred post the
27 June 2008 Presidential run-off.
However, it is of paramount importance
that the Human Rights Forum and other
organisations documenting human rights
violations continue to highlight
these atrocities and to ensure that these
violations are not shelved or
forgotten about. This May MPVR serves these
purposes among
others.
The month of May saw a continuation and further escalation of the
of
post-election violence that erupted in April following the announcement
of
the results of the House of Assembly elections in the 29 March harmonised
elections. For the first time since independence in 1980, the opposition won
the majority of seats in the House of Assembly. The violations continued to
further expose the Government of Zimbabwe's failure to respect, protect and
fulfil the rights of its citizens which were being violated by private
actors and state agents such as the police, army and intelligence officers.
The violations encroached on such internationally protected human rights as
the right to participate in one's own government, the right to associate,
assemble and express freely; freedom from torture, assault and cruel inhuman
and degrading treatment.
The politically motivated violence continued
in May following the
announcement of the Presidential election results, more
than a month after
the harmonised elections. The leader of one of the MDC
formations, Morgan
Tsvangirai obtained 47.8 percent of the vote, while the
ZANU PF candidate
Robert Mugabe obtained 43.2 percent of the vote. Simba
Makoni, an
independent candidate, obtained 8.3 percent of the votes. In
accordance with
the Zimbabwean electoral laws a run-off election was to be
held as none of
the candidates had obtained an out-right majority of the
votes. The
imminent run-off election saw a rise in political tensions
resulting in some
of the worst violence and human rights abuses ever
witnessed in an election
year.
As with the violence that took place
in the month of April, the incidences
reported to the Human Rights Forum in
May occurred predominantly in the
rural areas. The majority of incidences
reported occurred in Mashonaland
Central and Mashonaland East. Most of the
reported violence from both
provinces was preponderantly retributive attacks
on known and perceived MDC
supporters by alleged ZANU PF youths and war
veterans. These attacks were
rife in areas that were purported ZANU PF
strongholds in which the
opposition either won or obtained a significant
number of votes as compared
to other elections. Such areas include Mazowe,
Muzarabani and Mudzi.
A notable characteristic of the violations that
took place in the month of
May is the highly organised and systematic nature
in which they occurred.
The majority of violations reported to the Human
Rights Forum were allegedly
perpetrated by organised groups of ZANU PF youth
militias and some members
of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans
Association (ZNWVA) on MDC
supporters and officials. These groups are
reported to have set up bases in
schools and townships in the rural areas,
which were used to inflict harm on
known and purported members of the
opposition. ZANU PF rallies which
villagers were forced to attend were also
allegedly held at these bases.
The evidence available to the Human Rights
Forum reveals that politically
motivated violence in the month of May was
mainly but not exclusively
committed by these organised
groups.
Notwithstanding the Human Rights Forum notes that even though
non-state
actors predominantly perpetrated most of the violations in this
report, the
Government of Zimbabwe must take liability for most of the acts
committed
during this period. Human Rights law imposes positive obligations
on states
to protect their citizens or individuals in their jurisdiction
from the
harmful acts of others. Thus an act by a private individual can
generate
responsibility of the State, not because of the act itself, but
because of
lack of diligence to prevent the violation.
The ZANU PF
youths and war veterans destroyed the homes of known and
purported MDC
supporters by setting them on fire. They also destroyed crops
and food
stores leaving the victims displaced and without a food source.
There have
also been allegations of looting by the ZANU PF youths and war
veterans of
MDC supporters' belongings including livestock. Many of those
displaced
through the destruction of their homes slept in the open exposed
to the cold
and vulnerable to further victimisation by ZANU PF youths having
witnessed
the destruction of their homes and property. Many of those
displaced were
sleeping in the open even before their homes were destroyed.
This was due to
fear of victimisation by the groups of ZANU PF youths who
were carrying out
attacks at night. Of the incidences documented in this
report, 195 property
related violations and 160 displacements were reported.
Many of the
displaced went to seek humanitarian assistance and shelter at
the MDC
Headquarters in Harare. However in most instance they were subjected
to
further harassment by the police and CIO who carried out raids on the MDC
offices arresting some of the displaced
In terms of the violations,
assault was the main form of punishment used
against known and purported MDC
supporters. These assaults were also carried
out in a systematic manner. The
evidence available to the Human Rights Forum
reveals that most of those
assaulted were beaten on the back and buttocks
with large sticks. Many of
the victims were assaulted in retribution for
being MDC supporters,
purported MDC supporters, spouses or children of MDC
activists. According to
some of the reports received by the Human Rights
Forum, villagers were also
assaulted for being late for ZANU PF meetings or
not attending the meetings.
This report documents 435 assaults. Many of the
victims who were assaulted
also had their homes destroyed or property
looted. Some of the incidents
reported indicate that the victims were
prohibited from seeking medical
attention or making police reports. They
were warned that this would lead to
further victimisation.
This report also documents 58 incidences of
torture. Like assault, torture
was used as punishment. It was also used as
a means to force the victims to
name MDC supporters in their area or as a
means to force relatives of those
in hiding to divulge their whereabouts.
The evidence available to the Human
Rights Forum reveals that the assailants
mainly used blunt violence and
falanga (beating on the soles of the feet).
Other forms of torture that
were used were submersion and suspension. Some
of the incidences of torture
reported to the Human Rights Forum allegedly
resulted in death. This report
documents 14 alleged politically motivated
murders. These murders were
reported in Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland
East Provinces. The crime of
torture because of its nature holds different
levels of liability for the
state, due to the fact that state agents or
people who were using government
resources, such as police trucks were
occasionally the perpetrators. In the
crimes that occurred in the month of
May, the Human Rights Forum is
convinced that the state can be held
vicariously liable because of the
involvement of its officers.
In
instances reminiscent of the 2002 Presidential Elections, of note was the
targeting of teachers and other Civil Servants for retributive attacks. They
have been accused of campaigning for the opposition as well as causing
disaffection for the government among the rural population. Furthermore, in
some instances it was noted that the assailants would confiscate National
Identity Cards from MDC supporters and destroy them. This was a way of
disenfranchising the people whose IDs were lost and who were perceived to be
MDC supporters.
In the month of May, the Human Rights Forum recorded
2 005 politically
motivated violations and these were significantly lower as
compared to 3 422
recorded in April. This can be attributed to the removal
of some cases that
did not have full details such as dates and
constituencies, and not to the
reduction of violence per se. Very few cases
were also received from the
provinces furthest from Harare. This can also be
attributed either to low
levels of violence in these areas, or the inability
of victims to make
reports to the Human Rights Forum and its
members.
NB: As in the month of April 2008 the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum
apologises for the late publication of this report
Totals: 1
May - 31 May 2008
Cumulative Totals: 1 January - 31 May
2008
The graph should be read along with the
table depicting the monthly totals
of violations for May 2008 on page
94.
Key Abbreviations
AIPPA - Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Act
CIO - Central
Intelligence Organisation
WOZA - Women of Zimbabwe Arise
ZANU PF - Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front
MDC -
Movement for Democratic Change
ZCTU - Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions
MP - Member of Parliament
ZNA - Zimbabwe National
Army
NAGG - National Alliance for Good Governance
ZPS -
Zimbabwe Prison Service
NCA - National Constitutional
Assembly
ZRP - Zimbabwe Republic Police
OVT - Organised
Violence and Torture
ZNLWVA - Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans
Association
POSA - Public Order and Security Act
ZIMTA -
Zimbabwe Teachers Association
PTUZ - Progressive Teachers Union of
Zimbabwe
ZUPCO - Zimbabwe United Passenger Company
UMP -
Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe
ZINASU - Zimbabwe National Students
Union
Sources: The information contained in this report is derived
from statements
made to the Public Interest Unit of the Zimbabwe Human
Rights Forum, its
members and statements taken by a network of human rights
activists and
newspaper reports,
Notes to the
tables:
Torture:
All cases of torture fall under the definition of
torture according to the
general definition given in the United Nations
Convention against Torture
and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading
Treatment and Punishment.
The four elements of torture are:
1
Severe pain and suffering, whether physical or mental
2
Intentionally inflicted
3 With a purpose
4 By a state
official or another individual acting with the
acquiescence of the
state.
Those individuals referred to in point # 4 as state officials
include the
ZRP, ZNA,
Unlawful arrest and detention:
Arrest by
the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) with no reasonable suspicion
that an
offence has been committed. Detention thereafter for a period
exceeding 48
hours without access to redress through the courts or
subsequent release
without charge.
Abduction/kidnapping:
A kidnapping by a member(s)
of an organised group that is not the ZRP,
ZNLWVA, ZNA, ZPS and the ZNLWVA
(as a reserve force of the ZNA).
Disappearance:
Kidnapped persons
whose whereabouts remained unknown at the time of
reporting.
Property
related
These are incidents in which property rights have been violated.
This
includes arson, property damage and destruction and theft.
Cases
of Political Violence
Note: The identities of victims whose names have
not been published in the
press and are not public officials are protected.
This is done in order to
protect the victim from further violence,
intimidation and possible
recriminatory attacks.
The purpose of this
report is to record the nature of the politically
motivated violence and
intimidation that continues to prevail in the
country. The Monthly Political
Violence Reports are primarily based on
victims' accounts, accompanied by
medical evidence where possible, obtained
from member organisations of the
Forum and other partner organisations. Use
is also made of press
reports.
The Report cannot be considered as the exhaustive record of all
incidents of
politically motivated violence in Zimbabwe in the period under
review.
Nevertheless, every incident reported to the Human Rights Forum
directly or
through its members is meticulously documented and included in
the reports.
Care is also taken to record the incidents in the language in
which they
were reported to the Forum.
The situation prevailing in
the country is such that it has not been
possible to verify all of these
accounts. The Human Rights Forum has done
what it can to verify the reports,
and is satisfied that the vast majority
of them are substantially true. It
is also not possible to rule out whether
a victim's account is exaggerated
or contains inaccuracies.
All reports derived from the press are denoted
with the symbol ?.
BULAWAYO
Bulawayo Central
6 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was stabbed in the chest by
suspected ZANU
PF supporters. He was on his way home from his brother's
home when he was
approached by four men who ordered him to remove his MDC
t-shirt. He
refused and tried to break free from the hold of one of the
assailants who
then stabbed him in the chest with a screwdriver. The
assailants then fled
from the scene after the
attack.
HARARE
Chitingwiza North
10 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by suspected war veterans
while on
his way home at around 02:00 hours. He sustained injuries on the
buttocks
and thighs.
Epworth
13 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted and had his National Identity
Document (ID) and MDC
t-shirt set on fire by suspected ZANU PF supporters.
He reports that the
assailants came to his home at night armed with large
sticks and forced open
the door. They alleged that he is an MDC supporter
because he had failed to
attend a ZANU PF meeting.
Harare Central
28 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was tortured while in police custody. He was
arrested on allegations of participating in the burning of a bus in Warren
Park on 15 April 2008. While in custody he was assaulted with open hands and
baton sticks. He was in custody from 14 April 2008 to 29 May 2008.
28
May 2008
Thirteen women and one man were arrested during a demonstration
by WOZA and
MOZA in Harare. The demonstration was held to commemorate Africa
Day and to
protest against politically motivated violence around the country
prior to
the Presidential election run-off on 27 June 2008. Approximately
200
protestors were stopped by the police as they marched in the street in
Central Harare carrying placards and distributing flyers. Specific members
were targeted for arrest, including Jenni Williams the National Co-odinator
for WOZA and her deputy Magodonga Mahlangu. Three of the arrested were
assaulted during interrogation but did not sustain serious injuries. All
were first brought to court on Friday 30 May 2008, several hours after the
48-hour limit, where they were remanded until the following day to make a
bail application. On 1 June 2008 they were granted bail by magistrate,
Rusinahama. Jenni Williams' bail was set at Z$10,000,000,000 and for the
other 13 at Z$5,000,000,000. All were also ordered to surrender their
passports. However, the prosecutor then announced that the state would
appeal against bail, leading to further remand to June 6, 2008. While the
sole male protestor was being held at Harare Remand Prison, the women were
all held at the women's remand section of Chikurubi Prison. All 14 of the
arrested were charged under section 37 1c (ii) of the Criminal Law
Codification and Reform Act. Some of those arrested were not
participating in the demonstration, but were arrested at gunpoint while
inside a vehicle. They included the driver of the vehicle, which was seized.
Jenni Williams also has two other charges pending under the same Act;
section 30 - "Causing disaffection among the Police Force or Defence
Forces",
and under section 31 (a) (i) "Publishing or communicating false
statements
prejudicial to the State". Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu
were
finally granted bail on 4 July 2008. The whole group of 14 was further
remanded to 17 July 2008 and the state set a date for trial on 29 July
2008.
Hatfield
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was chased by ZANU PF youths while passing
their headquarters in Highfield.
He was an MDC polling agent during the 29
March 2008 harmonised elections.
As he was passing by someone in the group
identified him as an MDC polling
agent and four youths started chasing him.
As he fled from the four, he
tripped and injured his leg and knee. He was
not assaulted by the
youths.
22 May 2008
A male MDC security officer reports that he
was assaulted and threatened by
suspected ZANU PF youths. He was coming from
a meeting in the
Mhondoro-Mubaira constituency. Army personnel who
reportedly threatened the
residents of the area with violence if they voted
for the MDC addressed the
meeting. On his return to Harare, two men
approached him as he was about to
open his gate. The two men forced him to
sit on the ground. He was
questioned on when the MDC leader was to return to
the country and what the
MDC was planning. He was kicked in the face by one
of the assailants and
they threatened to return to finish him
off.
Kuwadzana
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was called to a ZANU PF meeting but did not
attend. After the meeting, ZANU
PF youths went around the neighbourhood
alleging that all those who did not
attend the meeting were MDC supporters.
The victim fled his home and hid in
the bushes. That night, a group of ZANU
PF youths went to his home and broke
down the door. They destroyed his
furniture and took his solar panel and
blankets.
13 May 2008
The Independent 2 June 2008
Tonderai
Ndira, an MDC activist was reportedly abducted from his home by
suspected
state agents and his mutilated corpse found days later. It is
reported that
a group of about 10 men, some masked and carrying Kalashnikov
AK-47 rifles,
appeared at Ndira's home and demanded to see him. His wife
called out to him
and he asked the visitors to call back later. Instead,
they burst into the
activist's home and beat him in front of his two young
children, before
dragging him outside and into a truck, bloodied and still
in his underwear.
In the weeks that followed his abduction, his family made
frantic efforts to
obtain any details about what happened to him. What took
place can only be
surmised by the unidentified, broken body that was found
in a field in
Goromonzi, 20 miles outside the Harare, and taken to the
mortuary at
Harare's Parirenyatwa hospital.
Mabvuku-Tafara
21 May
2008
The female victim was on her way home from church when she was
confronted by
a group of ZANU PF youths asking why she had not attended the
ZANU PF
meeting held the previous day. The youths then destroyed her home
using
stones and logs. As they were doing so, she received news that her
children
had been assaulted and had been taken to the police station. Her
son (21)
had sustained injuries to his ankle and her daughter's (15) teeth
had been
loosened. One of the ZANU PF youths was taken into custody in
connection
with the assault but was released the following day. The victim
reports
that the ZANU PF youths continued to harass her and she was forced
to flee
her home.
24 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted and forced to attend a ZANU PF
meeting in his area by a group
of armed ZANU PF youths who went around the
neighbourhood forcing all men to
attend the meeting. The police came and
arrested some of the youth leaders.
The remaining youths then forced the
victim and the other men to march
around the area chanting ZANU PF slogans.
They were then assaulted with iron
bars and logs for allegedly supporting
the MDC. The youths also went around
destroying property.
Mbare
1 May 2008
A male MDC activist
reports that the police and ZANU PF youths assaulted
him. He was apparently
confronted by a group of ZANU PF youths who accused
him of being involved in
mobilising people for the Stay Away in April. A
police officer on Patrol in
the area then came to the scene and arrested the
victim. He was taken to the
mobile police post at Mbare Musika where the
officers there identified him
as an MDC activist. One of the officers
identified as Masvingo, assaulted
the victim alleging that he was a traitor
because of his political
affiliation. He was assaulted with open hands and
booted feet. The victim
managed to escape after he had asked the officers
for permission to relieve
himself.
13 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was chased by
a group of ZANU PF supporters
who alleged that he was an MDC supporter. He
injured his leg while fleeing
from the youths.
21 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths while
waiting
for a relative at the Mbare bus terminus. The victim had fled to
Harare from
Muzarabani after his home had been set on fire by ZANU PF
youths. On the day
of the incident he met one of the ZANU PF youths who had
set his home in
Muzarabani on fire. He confronted him. The ZANU PF youth
member then went to
Mbare Police Station and to the ZANU PF base in Mbare to
report that he had
been threatened by an MDC supporter. A group of ZANU PF
youths came to the
terminus and assaulted the victim under the feet. He was
also submerged in
raw sewerage. He was detained at Harare Central Police
Station for an
unspecified number of days.
30 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was on his way home when he saw a group of
about 15 men in ZANU PF
regalia running towards him. When they caught up
with him they began
assaulting him with clenched fists and electric cables.
One of the
assailants told him that the beating would make him stop
supporting the
MDC. Another assailant also pinched him with a pair of
pliers on the ears
and cheeks. He was then forced into the trunk of the
car and driven around
for about 30 minutes. After he was let out of the
trunk he was further
assaulted before being released.
Warren Park
21 May
2008
The Standard
Mourners at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare were
reportedly attacked by
suspected ZANU PF youths who invaded the cemetery
during the burial of two
MDC activists. Mourners allegedly fled before
covering the graves of their
late relatives when the youths, carrying
placards with ZANU PF slogans and
chanting party songs, ran amok and
attacked them with stones and shovels.
The two activists being buried were
Godfrey Kauzani (32) and Cain Nyeve
(38). Another burial proceeding was also
reportedly disrupted as the youths
stood guard in the cemetery for nearly an
hour. Ten people, including a
journalist, were reportedly injured in the
skirmishes.
25 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was
assaulted by a group of ZANU PF
youths who were looking for her grandson.
She opened the door after a loud
knock and was confronted by four men in
ZANU PF regalia demanding to see her
grandson. When she told them he was
not at home, one of the men threw a
metal object at her resulting in her
sustaining injuries to the forehead.
MANICALAND
Buhera
West
15 May 2008
The female victim reports that a group of 10 ZANU
PF supporters came to her
home at night chanting slogans and singing. They
confronted her as to why
she supported the MDC at her advanced age. The
group then started throwing
stones at her. They also broke the door of her
home and set her blankets on
fire.
17 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was abducted and assaulted by a group of
ZANU PF youths in
retribution for supporting the MDC. He was abducted while
at his kraal and
assaulted with large sticks and iron bars. He was then
taken to the police
station where he was detained overnight. The following
day he was taken to
another police station where he was detained for another
five days. He was
then released without charge but was warned against
supporting the MDC, as
it would lead to his death.
18 May 2008
Four male victims report
that they were assaulted by suspected ZANU PF
youths and war veterans while
on their way home. The assailants used
electric cables and large sticks to
beat up the victims alleging that the
victims were MDC
supporters.
Headlands
12 May 2008
The MDC activist reports
that five ZANU PF supporters came to his home and
assaulted him accusing him
of keeping petrol bombs in his home. They tied
his hands at his back before
assaulting him with open hands. They also used
a hammer to beat him under
the feet. The assailants then carried out a
search of the victim's home
where they found MDC t-shirts and headbands.
They took the victim's identity
documents and dragged his wife to Headlands
Police Station. She was later
released without charge.
18 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for putting
on a Simba Makoni t-shirt.
He claims that a group of more than 20 ZANU PF
youths went to his home and
banged at his door shouting at him to surrender
his t-shirt. When he
refused to give them the t-shirt, the youths began
beating him on the
buttocks, legs and arms. He was then taken to the ZANU
PF base at
Madhibhuye where he was assaulted and detained overnight.
Mutare
Central
6 May 2008
A male MDC activist reports that he was
assaulted forced out of his home and
had his property destroyed by ZANU PF
youths. The attack was in retribution
for his political affiliation. He
reports that the ZANU PF youths came to
his home at night while he and his
family were asleep. They forced him out
of the home and hit him with a
large stick on the nose causing excessive
bleeding. He managed to flee with
his wife. However, their property and
home were destroyed in their
absence.
Makoni East
7 May 2008
The victim reports that he
was assaulted at a ZANU PF rally for allegedly
being a traitor and MDC
supporter. He was pointed out as a "sell out" by
some members of his
community during the meeting and told that he would be
used as an example to
the rest of the community. He reports that he was
made to lie down on his
stomach and beaten on the soles of the feet with
sticks.
10 May
2008
An MDC activists reports that he was assaulted by a group of war
veterans
and ZANU PF youths for being a member of the MDC. A group of war
veterans
confronted him while he was working in the fields, but he managed
to flee
from them. They went to his home later that evening and took him to
Masvosva Hall, a ZANU PF base. At the base the victim was assaulted with
large sticks. He was later released and told to report to the base daily
until he was prepared to renounce his MDC membership.
15 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths in
his area
on allegations of encouraging his daughter to be an MDC
activist.
Makoni North
12 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted and made to attend a ZANU PF
rally where he was told
to renounce his MDC membership and to surrender his
membership card. He was
then taken to his home where the youths searched his
home and took away his
MDC t-shirt. On the following day the victim was
taken to Zendera, a ZANU PF
base in the area. He was forced to lie down on
his abdomen and beaten on the
soles of the feet with sticks. He was also
beaten on the buttocks and back
before being released. The victim has since
fled to Harare due to continued
threats of assault by the ZANU PF youths.
26 May 2008
The female
victim reports that she was assaulted by suspected ZANU PF
supporters on
allegations that she was an MDC supporter because she did not
attend ZANU PF
meetings. The assailants went to her home at night while she
and her
daughter were asleep. Her daughter woke up to the sound of loud
banging. The
ZANU PF youths demanded that she open the door. As she tried to
find the
matches to light her candle, the assailants broke down the door and
entered
her home. They demanded that she hand over the radio she was
allegedly given
by the MDC. The victim was assaulted with open hands and a
whip. The
assailants then fled after the attack.
Makoni West
13 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by a group of ZANU PF
youths
for refusing to give them food supplies for their rally from his son
in law's
grocery store. The victim told the youths he did not have access
to the
store. They then demanded a cow from him to feed people attending
the
rally. The victim refused and was assaulted with clenched fists and
booted
feet. The assailants fled after the attack.
Nyanga
South
6 May 2008
The male victim, a headmaster at a Primary School
in Nyanga South
Constituency, reports that he was abducted and assaulted
together with his
wife by suspected ZANU PF supporters. Four men came to his
home at the
school where he works accusing him of selling computers that had
been
donated to the school by the President. Among the four men was one
Colonel
Masamore and his driver. They handcuffed him and slapped him on the
face.
His wife and children tried to assist him but one of the four men
fired a
shot into the air, scaring them off. The victim was forced into a
Mitsubishi
twin cab truck without number plates. His wife also forced
herself into the
truck despite three warning shots fired to deter her from
doing so. They
were driven into a thick pine forest about 1,5km away. When
the assailants
eventually stopped they switched off the headlights and
assaulted the victim
and his wife with a whip. During the assault the
assailants were chanting
ZANU PF slogans. The assailants then stripped the
victim and his wife naked
and further assaulted them. The victim was told
to teach the teachers and
students at his school ZANU PF slogans. He was
also accused of encouraging
the teachers at his school to vote for MDC. The
victim and his wife were
warned not to report the abduction and assault or
else they would face
harsher consequences. After the assailants had left,
the victim's wife
assisted him to the nearest timber compound where they got
clothes and
transport to a hospital. After being discharged from hospital
both the
victim and his wife moved to Harare fearing that the assailants
would
return.
MASHONALAND CENTRAL
Bindura Central
17
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths
on
allegations of being an MDC supporter. He was forced to attend a ZANU PF
rally at a local shopping centre. At the rally, the victim and two MDC
activists were ordered to stand so that they could be publicly punished for
not supporting ZANU PF. The victim was slapped on the face by the leader of
the youths, and then taken to a bushy area where he was assaulted. The
assailants used sticks, open hands and booted feet in the attack. The
victim sustained injuries on the buttocks and back.
29 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and had his home and
property
destroyed by ZANU PF youths at night. They alleged that he was an
MDC
supporter. The victim sought help from his brother who is a police
officer
to bring the perpetrators to book. The assailants then went after
the victim's
brother and assaulted him. They also returned to the victim's
home and
assaulted him in retribution for reporting the matter. His right
eye was
shattered during the assault.
Bindura North
4 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that his son is an MDC activist. On the night in question a
group of ZANU PF youths broke into the victim's home and dragged him out of
bed whilst he was naked. They took him to a bushy area where they were
beating other people suspected of supporting the MDC. They asked the victim
why he allowed his son to participate in opposition politics and told him
that he deserved to be beaten for allowing it. He was beaten under the feet
and slapped on the right side of his face. Since the attack the victim has
difficulty in hearing in the right ear.
24 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was threatened by two CIO officers at a safe
home
where he was staying together with other displaced MDC supporters. The
CIO
agents came to the safe home armed with pistols and accused the victim
of
illegally harbouring MDC supporters. One of the CIO agents pulled out a
gun
and threatened to shoot the victim who then alerted his colleagues to
flee
from the place. They ran for a long distance with the two CIO agents
pursuing them and firing shots in the air. The victim then jumped into a
river. A young boy, who had been caught up in the chaos but was not part of
those fleeing from the CIO agents, was forced to go into the water after the
victim. He was given a pistol and told to shoot the victim in the leg. The
victim however managed to escape to his home where his parents informed him
that the CIO agents had been looking for him. He then returned to the
bushes to hide. The CIO agents later returned to the victim's home and
threatened his parents so they could inform them of his
whereabouts.
Bindura South
8 May 2008
The female victim
reports that she was forced to flee her home by ZANU PF
youths who ad gone
there and threatened to kill her. The ZANU PF youths
went to her home at
night and started singing threatening that they would
kill her because she
supports the MDC. She was pregnant at the time and due
to deliver any day.
She went into hiding in the bushes for a week where she
gave birth to her
baby. The baby was not registered and at the time of the
report she was yet
to receive post-natal care.
11 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted and had his home set on fire
by ZANU PF youths. On
the particular night a group of ZANU PF youths went
to the victim's home
while he was sleeping and tried to break down the
doors. He opened the door
and the ZANU PF supporters who were armed with
axes; knobkerries and whips
immediately apprehended him. They tied his hands
behind his back using a
tree bark and went on to burn down his hut and all
his property. They then
took him to a nearby bush and struck him with a
knobkerrie on his left foot
to prevent him from escaping. The victim then
overheard them discussing how
they wanted to kill him. He managed to untie
himself and fled to a nearby
river to hide. The perpetrators were later
arrested.
11 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and had his home set
on fire
by ZANU PF youths on allegations that he is an MDC supporter. While
at home
the youths demanded MDC t-shirts from him. It was when he denied
having any
t-shirts that the youths assaulted him and set fire to his home
and maize
stock.
11 May 2008
The female victim reports that
she was assaulted and had her home set on
fire by a group of about
thirty-five ZANU PF youths. Her husband, who was a
village head, was also
assaulted and later died on the way to the hospital
due to injuries
sustained. The ZANU PF youths came to her home looking for
her son who was
not at home and had been in hiding for several days. The
youths broke down
the door to his bedroom after his wife had refused to open
it. A skirmish
ensued between the victim's brother and the ZANU PF youths.
The victim and
her husband tried to restrain them but the youths then turned
on them. The
victim and her husband were both struck with an axe on the
head. Her son
returned home the following morning and took both her and her
husband to the
hospital. Her husband however allegedly died on the way to
hospital.
14 May 008
The female victim reports that her home
was destroyed by ZANU PF youths.
The assailants went to her home and
assaulted her husband with iron bars and
large sticks on allegations that he
is an MDC supporter. They went on to
destroy three huts and set their car
on fire, before fleeing into the
bushes.
15 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and forced
to
renounce his MDC membership. The victim had been forced to attend a ZANU
PF
rally where he was called out from the crowd and forced to renounce his
MDC
membership. He was then taken away from the crowd and assaulted with
large
sticks. After a few days he fled his home fearing the youths would
come to
assault him again.
Guruve South
4 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was abducted and assaulted by suspected ZANU
PF youths on
allegations that he is an MDC supporter. The assailants saw
him taking
photographs of a friend's home that had been burnt down by ZANU
PF youths.
They confronted the victim and alleged that he was a "sell out"
and MDC
supporter. He fled to the home of the MDC chairman in the area. A
while
later a mob of ZANU PF youths went to the chairman's home and abducted
both
the victim and the chairman. They were taken into the bushes and
assaulted
all night while restrained.
7 May 2008
The male victim and his
wife had been identified as MDC supporters on a list
prepared by the village
head who had reportedly been instructed to prepare a
list of all known MDC
supporters in his area. This list was then submitted
to the ZANU PF leader
in the area. The victim was called to the ZANU PF
meeting and questioned
about his political affiliation. He denied any
connection with the MDC. That
afternoon at about 15:00hrs a group of youths
went to his home and began
throwing stones at his home. He and his wife got
out of the home and were
ordered to surrender their MDC party cards. When
they failed to produce the
cards, they were assaulted with large sticks.
The assailants went on to burn
the victim's kitchen. The ZANU PF youths
returned to the victim's home the
following day and demanded a goat for them
to eat. The victim went to the
police to make a report but found no one at
the Police Station. He then
went to Harare to seek medical treatment.
8 May 2008
The male
victim, a war veteran, reports that he was threatened by a group of
ZANU PF
youths for contesting for the council seat in his area under the
MDC. He
received a letter from the ZANU PF youths telling him he should
attend a
forthcoming ZANU PF meeting. He did not attend. On the evening
after the
meeting, a group of ZANU PF supporters came to his home armed with
iron bars
and other weapons. His family had already fled to the fields
where they had
been sleeping over the past days. The victim fought with the
youths and
managed to defend himself. The youths then left the homestead.
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by a group of ZANU PF
youths
for allegedly making the MDC symbol of an open palm at a ZANU PF
meeting.
The victim is the MDC councilor elect in the area. ZANU PF youths
had
threatened him after the election results had been released but the
threats
had not been carried out. On the day in question he attended a ZANU
PF
meeting in order to convey a message to someone he knew. As he was about
to
leave the meeting, he was surrounded by a group of ZANU PF youths. One
of
the youth members tried to slap him on the face. The victim then shielded
himself with his hands. The youth members then alleged that he was using
the MDC symbol of an open palm as an insult to the ZANU PF crowd. He was
taken to Mahuhwe River where he was made to lie down on his abdomen and was
assaulted on the buttocks with large sticks. The assailants then took him
back to the meeting and assaulted him further before releasing him. The
matter was reported at Mahuhwe Police Station.
12 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was forced to flee his home after ZANU PF
youths
went there to assault him in retribution for supporting MDC. He
managed to
escape to Harare but could not take his wife and children because
they did
not have enough money for transport.
13 May 2008
They male victim
fled from his home after being informed that ZANU PF
supporters were after
him. There had been a ZANU PF meeting in the area,
which the victim did not
attend. Neighbors informed him that the ZANU PF
youths were attacking all
those who did not attend the meeting. He fled to
Harare where he is staying
at a safe home with other displaced persons.
13 May 2008
The male
victim, the son of the MDC ward chairman in his area, reports that
he was
threatened and his uncle was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. On the day
in
question the victim came back from school to find a group of ZANU PF
youths
surrounding his home. They were looking for his father. Failing to
get any
answers on his father's whereabouts, the youths then assaulted the
victim's
uncle. The victim tried to flee but fell and fractured his leg. At
the time
of the report, his father's whereabouts were still unknown.
22 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was set on fire by ZANU PF
youths.
The victim had received a note from a friend warning her to flee as
ZANU PF
youths were burning down the homes of MDC supporters. She fled from
her
home and went to hide in the bushes. Later in the day she went to check
if
anything had happened to her home to find the home had already been set
on
fire and all her belongings including her maize store had been
burnt.
Mazowe Central
3 May 2008
The male MDC activist
reports that he had gone to Mazowe Central Police
Station to follow up on
reports he had received alleging that MDC supporters
were being attacked by
ZANU PF youths in the area. He had booked
accommodation at a local lodge.
Just as he was about to sleep, six police
officers knocked at his door. When
he opened it, one of them pointed a
pistol at him. The police officers
accused him of leading acts of
politically motivated violence in the area.
He was taken to Chombira Police
Camp where he was detained for three days in
an empty room. He was not
given food or bedding. He was released without
charge after three nights in
custody.
Mazowe East
3 May
2008
The male victim, a teacher reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF
youths
at a meeting held at the school where he works. On the day in
question
there was a meeting on the distribution of food in schools. He did
not
intend to attend the meeting, but at around 16:00hrs a ZANU PF youth
member
went to collect him from his home. He then went to the meeting. The
crowd
was being told that teachers were dogs and should be destroyed because
they
voted for MDC. The speaker also threatened to shoot all teachers. The
victim and six other teachers were taken away from the meeting to classroom
block 3B. As they entered the classroom they were slapped and punched in
the face by ZANU PF youths. The victim was ordered to lie on his abdomen
and assaulted on the buttocks with rubber whips and large sticks. He and
the other six teachers were then ordered to return to the meeting and to act
as if nothing had happened. After the meeting the victim was again called
by the ZANU PF youths and forced to lie on his abdomen. He was kicked all
over the body while the ZANU PF councillor watched. The victim reported
the matter to the local police, but they told him that they could offer him
no protection. The police officers advised him to flee to safety. He then
fled to Harare together with his family.
Mazowe North
6 May
2008
The female victim, the wife of an MDC polling agent during the 29
March
harmonized elections reports that she was severely assaulted by ZANU
PF
youths for supporting the MDC. On 4 May 2008 her husband was warned a
truckload of ZANU PF operatives was to be unleashed in the area to punish
MDC supporters. He fled to Harare the following morning leaving the victim
and their children behind. That evening a group of ZANU PF youths who
wearing party t-shirts went to the victim's home. The youths rounded up
close to 100 villagers and took them to Chaona Primary School. They told the
villagers that they were being punished for accepting salt from an MDC
candidate. The victim was questioned about her husband's role in the MDC.
About 10 men then took turns to assault her on the buttocks with wooden axe
handles. They also beat her under the feet and on her back. She alleged that
two people died as a result of the assault on the villages. The victim was
taken to Concession Hospital where she was admitted. She sustained severe
injuries on the buttocks. She was unable to sit or walk.
6 May
2008
The female victim reports that she was severely assaulted by ZANU PF
youths
in retribution for supporting MDC. A group of about 40 ZANU PF youths
went
to her home and forced her to attend the meeting that was being held at
the
shopping centre. On arrival at the shopping centre the leader of the
youths, who was addressing the meeting, demanded that all those who
supported the MDC and Simba Makoni to stand up. The victim knew she was on
the list of MDC supporters so she stood up together with her husband and
brother. They were made to sit in the centre of the crowd surrounded by
others who were attending the meeting. They were called individually into
the bush and assaulted. The victim reports that she was ordered to lie on
her abdomen and assaulted with large sticks on the buttocks while another
youth stood on her back. They also stepped over her head. After the assault
she was ordered to go back and sit in the crowd. Anti- Riot police then
arrived at the scene and the assailants fled. The police took details of
the incident. The victim sustained severe injuries on the buttocks and a
fractured hand. Her husband and brother were also severely assaulted. They
were later transported to Harare for medical attention. In this incident two
people were allegedly beaten to death.
6 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths alleging he
was an
MDC supporter. His home was surrounded by ZANU PF youths who forced
them to
attend a rally at the shopping centre at which he and others were
told they
were going to be "baptised" and receive penance for supporting the
MDC. The
victim was assaulted with large sticks on the buttocks and under
the feet.
Riot police arrived three hours later but the perpetrators were
not
apprehended.
Mazowe South
4 May 2008
The male victim, a
teacher at Howard Secondary School, reports that he was
assaulted by
suspected ZANU PF youths who accused him of being a "sell out".
The group of
six men confronted the victim as he approached the school gate
and assaulted
him with clenched fists. The assailants fled when they saw a
police vehicle
approaching them.
Mazowe West
3 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for not
having a ZANU PF
card. He was asleep at his home when a group of 10 ZANU PF
youths knocked at
his door and demanded that he produce a ZANU PF card. He
told them that he
had left the card in Harare. The ZANU PF youths then went
on to search his
home for MDC materials but found none. He was then ordered
to lie on his
back and was covered with blankets before being assaulted with
electric
cables and wooden planks. He was also beaten with firewood under
the feet
before being forced to dip his feet in cold water and to jog around
the
area. The victim was later taken to the ZANU PF youth secretary in the
area
who in turn ordered him to be taken to his work supervisor at the farm
where
he is employed. His supervisor then negotiated with the ZANU PF
youths for
his release.
23 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths for
allegedly supporting the MDC. One member of
the ZANU PF youth named
Chimukoko called the victim to a home, which is used
to assault purported
MDC supporters. He refused to go with him and was
dragged outside where
eight other youth members were waiting. They
assaulted him with clenched
fists and one of the assailants hit the victim
on the forehead with a broken
bottle. The victim however, managed to escape
and hid in a nearby maize
field. He went to the hospital the following day
but there was no
medication. He then went to Harare to seek
medication.
27 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths while
visiting his rural home. On the night in
question the victim was asleep
when he heard a loud banging at the door.
Before he could respond the
assailants had already broken down the door. He
was dragged outside the
home where 12 other ZANU PF youths were standing.
They questioned him on
what he was doing in the area. He was assaulted on
the buttocks and under
the feet with large sticks. Towards dawn the
assailants stopped beating him
up but ordered him to leave the area. He
sustained injuries on the buttocks
and feet.
28 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for refusing
to
give out information pertaining to MDC supporters in the area. A group
of
ZANU PF youths went to his home and took him to their leader who demanded
the names of MDC supporters in the area. When the victim told them he did
not know anyone, he was ordered to lie down on his abdomen and assaulted on
the buttocks with large sticks.
Mbire
12 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for not
attending a ZANU PF rally in the area. The victim was going to his field at
the time of the meeting where he was followed by a group of ZANU PF youths.
The youths confronted him on why he was going to the field instead of
attending their party meeting. The victim was assaulted with a large stick
on the back. He however managed to escape and hid in the bushes the whole
day. He went to Harare the following day after he heard rumours that the
assailants were going to go around look for all those who did not attend the
meeting so that they could beat them up.
Mount Darwin East
6
May 2008
The male victim was attending a funeral wake when he was
confronted by two
war veterans. They alleged that he was an MDC supporter
because he had been
accredited by ZESN as an election observer. They
demanded he surrender his
accreditation card and his ZESN t-shirt. The
assailants then started
assaulting other mourners at the funeral wake. That
night the victim and his
family fled their home and hid in the mountains.
When they returned home
they found that all their belongings, including
identity documents, had been
set on fire. His three children aged
seven-teen, ten and two years old were
also assaulted by the ZANU PF
youths. The victim eventually fled to Harare
fearing further victimisation.
His wife and children were to follow on a
later date but he was informed
that they were forced off a bus they had
boarded and assaulted by suspected
ZANU PF youths. At the time of the
report he did not know their
whereabouts.
6 May 2008
The female victim reports that her home
was set on fire by ZANU PF youths.
On the day of the incident she was
attending a funeral wake when she saw her
neighbour's home in flames. She
fled to the mountains with her five
children and watched from a distance as
her own home was being set on fire.
The victim then fled to Harare leaving
her five children behind.
6 May 2008
The female victim reports
that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for being
an election observer
during the 29 March 2008 elections. She was taken from
her home to the ZANU
PF base in her area and assaulted on the back and under
the feet. She was
twenty-six weeks pregnant at the time. She was released
after one of the
ZANU PF youth members pleaded for her since she was
pregnant.
7 May 2008
The male victim was assaulted by
ZANU PF youths for allegedly supporting the
MDC and for being accredited as
a ZESN election observer. The youth members
went to his home and demanded
ZESN t-shirts and an accreditation card. He
was then ordered to the ZANU PF
base where the youths used large sticks to
beat him on the buttocks. The
victim slept in the open for two days before
fleeing to Harare with his two
children.
7 May 2008
The female victim reports that her home was
destroyed by ZANU PF youths who
accused her of being a "sell out". She is
an MDC activist. She spent two
nights sleeping in the open with her infant
son.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was attacked with
an axe by ZANU PF youths.
On the day in question he was attending a funeral
wake when he heard news of
his friend's wife being attacked by ZANU PF
youths. He went to his friend's
home together with other men who were also
attending the funeral wake. They
managed to rescue his friend's wife. The
ZANU PF youths however retaliated
and began throwing stones at mourners at
the funeral. They also set on fire
a granary and homes. Later that night
the youths went around the village
destroying more people's homes. During
the chaos the victim was hit with an
axe on the right hand. The police went
to try and calm the situation but
accused mourners who were attending the
funeral wake of burning the homes
and causing the chaos.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was set on fire by ZANU PF
supporters.
On the morning of the incident the victim and his family woke up
to singing
and shouting outside their home, which a group of ZANU PF youths
had
surrounded. The victim and his family fled and went to hide in the
bushes.
The ZANU PF youths then set on fire the victim's home and all his
belongings. They also assaulted a twelve-year-old male relative of the
victim. They wanted him to tell them where the victim and his family were
hiding.
8 May 2008
Four ZANU PF youth members reportedly
assaulted the male victim for being
accredited by ZESN as an election
observer during the 29 March 2007
Harmonised Election. They also accused him
of being an MDC supporter. The
assailants demanded a ZESN t-shirt and an
accreditation card from him. When
the victim tried to negotiate with them
they began assaulting him with
clenched fists. The victim managed to fight
back and fled to Harare the
following morning.
10 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by a group of ZANU PF youths.
He
was at the burial ceremony of his late sister when a group of ZANU PF
youths
wearing ZANU PF t-shirts went to the gravesite and disrupted the
burial.
The victim and other mourners fled from the graveside. The victim
was beaten
with a large stick as he fled. That night he slept out in the
open and then
proceeded to seek assistance from a relative. He was given bus
fare and
managed to travel to Dotito where he made a police report.
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was severely assaulted by ZANU PF
youths in
retribution for supporting the MDC. On the day in question the
victim and
his family were on their way home from their field where they had
been
sleeping for several days, when they were confronted by a group of ZANU
PF
youths. They had been sleeping in the field instead of their home
because
they had heard that ZANU PF youths were carrying out retributive
attacks on
MDC supporters. The ZANU PF youths made the victim and his
family members
lie on their abdomens before beating them on the buttocks
with large sticks.
The victim's son is an MDC activist and contested in the
Local Government
Election in the 29 March 2008 harmonized
election.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF activists for
allegedly supporting the MDC. On the day
the incident he saw a large group
of ZANU PF youths approaching his
homestead. He decided to flee as he knew
they were coming to assault him.
The youths however caught up with him and
took him to Kufudzarova where
there was a ZANU PF base. At the base he was
made to lie down on his abdomen
and assaulted on the buttocks and arms with
large sticks before being
released.
Mount Darwin North
3 May 2008
The female victim
reports that she was assaulted and had her home set on
fire by ZANU PF
youths. She was confronted by the ZANU PF youths who
alleged that she was
influencing people in the area to support the MDC. She
was assaulted with
open hands before she managed to flee. When she returned
home her home and
all her belongings had been set on fire.
4 May 2008
The female
victim reports that her home and food store was set on fire by
suspected
ZANU PF youths. She was asleep at night when she heard loud
singing a few
meters from her home that she identified with ZANU PF youths.
The victim
then got out of the home with her two children and hid in the
bushes. At
dawn she went to the bus terminus and boarded a bus to Harare
leaving her
two children behind. When she arrived in Harare she got
information that her
home and her food store had been set on fire by ZANU PF
youths. Her two
children were reportedly sleeping in the open.
6 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he and his wife were assaulted by ZANU PF
youths when
they broke into his home and assaulted his wife. He tried to
defend her but
was out numbered. The victim was ordered to lie on his
abdomen and
assaulted with large sticks on the back and buttocks. He was
also hit on
the forehead with a metal object before being dumped in a nearby
bushy
area. The ZANU PF youths assuming that the victim was dead,
instructed his
wife to collect the corpse.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was forced to flee his home after being
threatened by ZANU PF youths
in his area. He was accredited as a ZESN
election observer for the 29 March
2008 harmonised elections. The youths
alleged that he contributed to ZANU
PF's loss in the election. Fearing
victimisation he fled to Harare.
6
May 2008
The female victim reports that her home was set on fire by ZANU
PF youths
She saw a group of ZANU PF youths running past her home and
singing before
the assault. The youths then went to her home and ordered
her to join them
in the singing. She refused and fled to a bushy area to
hide. When she
returned her home had been set on fire. The victim and her
family stayed in
the open for several days before going to Harare.
7
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF for
allegedly
supporting the MDC. A group of ZANU PF supporters came to his
home at night
after a ZANU PF rally. At the rally, ZANU PF youths were
encouraged to chop
off the heads of MDC supporters and fill up the mortuary
at Mt Darwin. The
youths broke into the victim's home and assaulted him.
When his wife cried
out for them to stop assaulting him they then turned on
her and also
assaulted her.
8 May 2008
The male victim reports
that his home was set on fire by ZANU PF youths. He
had to flee the area
after the youths continued to search for him after
burning his home. He
left his wives and children behind while he fled to
Harare.
9 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was attacked by a group of ZANU PF
youths in
his area. He was at his home when the group went and took him to
a ZANU PF
rally that was being held in the area. The victim was made to lie
down in
front of the crowd and was severely assaulted with large sticks on
the
buttocks and back. He was then taken back to his home where the
assailants
set his home and all his belongings on fire.
9 May
2008
The male victim reports that he fled his home for fear of being
assaulted by
ZANU PF youths in his area. He and his wife's names had been
written on a
list of MDC supporters which was prepared by the village
headman. The
people on the list were to be punished for their political
affiliation. On
receiving information that other people on the list were
being assaulted by
ZANU PF youths, he then fled to
Harare.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he and
his mother were forced to leave their
home by ZANU PF youths. A group of
ZANU PF youths went to the victim's home
armed with a pistol. They alleged
that his mother was an MDC supporter. The
two were ordered to leave the area
as it was not a place for MDC supporters.
The ZANU PF supporters then set
the kitchen and three cows on fire. The
victim and his mother slept in the
open for three weeks before leaving for
Harare.
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was set on fire by ZANU PF
youths. He
was a ZESN election observer in the 29 March 2008 harmonised
elections. He
was asleep in his home when he heard loud singing outside and
realised that
it was the ZANU PF youths. He fled from the home and hid a
distance away
from which he saw he saw them setting his home on
fire.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by
ZANU PF youth for allegedly
persuading the people in the area to vote for
the MDC. The victim is a shop
owner and was accused by the youths of selling
commodities at very high
prices in order to cause disaffection towards ZANU
PF among the people in
the area. He was taken to the back of his shop and
beaten under the feet
with a thick wooden stick. He was also beaten on the
buttocks before being
released.
10 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by a group of ZANU PF youths
for supporting
the MDC. He was taken from his home to Chigango where the
ZANU PF base was
located. He was assaulted with booted feet, clenched fists
and large sticks
before being released.
10 May 2008
The female victim reports that
she fled her home for fear of being assaulted
by ZANU PF youths. Her son is
the MDC councilor elect for the area. The
ZANU PF youths had been looking
for him for several days. She advised her
son to flee to safety. The ZANU
PF youths then came looking for her. She
hid in her wardrobe until they
left. The victim then left her home for
three days and slept in the open
with her two daughters. She then went to
Harare leaving her children
behind.
11 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was abducted
and assaulted by ZANU PF youths
for allegedly campaigning for the MDC. The
assailants went to his home and
took him to a ZANU PF base in the area.
They assaulted him with open hands
and thick sticks before he managed to
escape. His home and all his
belongings were also set on fire.
11
May 2008
The male victim, a village head, reports that he fled his home
after he was
informed that ZANU PF youths were coming to kill him. He was to
be punished
because his village is a purported MDC stronghold. His village
has been
reportedly left out of government programmes and prohibited from
accessing
grain even from the GMB. He managed to flee from the area; however
his
livestock was taken by the ZANU PF supporters.
11 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was destroyed by ZANU PF
youths who
were alleging that she is an MDC supporter. She slept in the
open for an
unspecified number of days before going to the MDC offices in
Harare.
12 May 2008
Two male victims report that they were
assaulted by ZANU PF youths for
allegedly supporting the MDC. The victims
had been warned by a neighbour who
is a member of the ZANU PF youths that
they were going to carry out
retributive attacks on all suspected MDC
supporters. The victims and their
families then went into hiding in a
nearby bushy area. They heard some
people in the village screaming and
crying. When the commotion had
subsided, two men who were with them in
hiding then went back into the
village to check on their homes. The two
reported that the victims' parents
had been severely assaulted by the ZANU
PF youths. The victims then decided
to flee to Harare. On their way to the
bus terminus they were confronted by
six ZANU PF youths armed with large
sticks. They forced the victims to lie
down and assaulted them under the
feet. They were then forced to jog around
the area. A relative who was
passing by managed to negotiate the victim's
release after he convinced the
youths that they were going to attend a
funeral.
12 May
2008
The female victim was accredited as a ZESN election observer for the
29
March 2008 elections. On the day of the incident the ZANU PF youth
commander
in the area went to her home and forced her to go with him to
Katerera
Primary School. At the school, she was detained in a classroom from
06:00hrs
to 17:00hrs together with fourteen other women suspected of
supporting the
MDC. They were released without being assaulted. At 23:00hrs
that night she
heard a lot of noise and commotion outside her home. She woke
up and fled to
a nearby bush from where she saw her home being set on fire
by ZANU PF
youths.
12 May 2008
The male victim reports that
his home was set on fire by ZANU PF supporters.
He was asleep at night when
a group of ZANU PF supporters broke into his
home. He was assaulted then
dragged to his friend's home. Both the victim
and his friend were dragged
to the ZANU PF base in the area. The victim
however managed to escape. His
home was set on fire.
12 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted by ZANU PF youths in
retribution for being an MDC supporter.
The assailants went to his home and
dragged him to the home of the ZANU PF
chairman in the area. He was
restrained and then assaulted on the buttocks
and back. He lost
consciousness during the assault.
12 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for
being
accredited as a ZESN election observer for the 29 March 2008
harmonised
elections. He was taken from his home to Nyamanzi Business
Centre where six
other ZESN observers had their hands tied behind their
backs. The victim and
the other six were forced to lie down on their
abdomens and assaulted on the
back and buttocks. They were detained at the
ZANU PF base at Bveke and
rescued by police officers from Dotito Police
Station the following morning.
The police took them to Mount Darwin Hospital
for medical attention.
12 May 2008
The male victim reports that
his home was destroyed by ZANU PF youths in
retribution for supporting the
MDC. A group of about 20 ZANU PF youths went
to the victim's home and told
him that they wanted to punish him for voting
for the MDC. The youths tried
to beat the victim with large sticks. He
fled to the hills where he slept
overnight. His wives were however caught
and assaulted by the ZANU PF
youths.
12 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was abducted
and assaulted by ZANU PF youths
for being an MDC supporter. He was taken
from his home to Nyemazira
Township together with other purported MDC
supporters. The victim's hands
were tied behind his back and he was locked
up in a dark room for more than
five hours. At around 20:00hrs he and the
other detainees were taken out of
the dark room and assaulted on the back
and buttocks while lying on their
abdomens. The victim's property was also
destroyed by the ZANU PF youths.
12 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was forced to flee his home after ZANU PF
youths tried to
assault him. He was chased by a group of ZANU PF youths
while on his way to
his field but managed to flee before they got to him.
That afternoon he was
warned by a neighbour who is a member of the ZANU PF
youth that they were
planning to come to his home at night to assault him.
That night the victim
slept at another neighbour's home but could hear the
noise at his own home
as it was being ransacked by the ZANU PF youths. He
fled to Harare the
following morning.
13 May 2008
A group of ZANU PF youths attacked
the male victim alleging that he was an
MDC supporter. He reports that the
ZANU PF youths went to his home and
assaulted him with large sticks until he
became unconscious. When he
regained consciousness he found himself lying
next to the two dead bodies.
From the wounds on their bodies it appeared
they had been hacked by an axe.
The victim also had his home set on
fire.
13 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted
and had her property set on
fire by ZANU PF youths. On the night of the
incident a group of ZANU PF
youths ame to her home shouting out her
husband's name and demanding that he
come out of the house. She eventually
opened the door when the youths tried
to break it down. She was assaulted
with large sticks and open hands. The
assailants demanded to see her
husband who had fled to Harare at the time.
They took her to the ZANU PF
base where she was detained for a few hours
before being released. She was
not assaulted at the base. When she returned
to her home she found it on
fire. All her belongings, including her food
store, were
destroyed.
14 May 2008
The male victim, a ZANU PF supporter,
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU
PF youths who alleged that he was a
"sell out". He was forced to attend a
ZANU PF meeting where purported MDC
supporters were being punished for their
political affiliation. The youths
alleged that the victim was not actively
involved in the ZANU PF activities
in the area hence he was a "sell-out".
His hands were bound behind his back
and his mouth stuffed with a cloth
before he was assaulted under the feet
with a thick wooden stick. The
assailants also took two 50 kilogram bags of
maize from the victim's home.
14 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted and his home was set on fire
by ZANU PF supporters in
retribution for him being an MDC supporter. He had
been in hiding in the
bush for seven days after he had been warned that ZANU
PF youths wanted to
kill him. His wife was prohibited by the ZANU PF youths
from leaving the
home that so she could not bring food to him at his hiding
place. His hiding
place was discovered by some ZANU PF youths who assaulted
him with
knobkerries. The assailants left him in a semi-conscious state. He
managed
to cross the Mozambican border where he spent five days sleeping in
the open
at Kachanza. He managed to board a bus from Mozambique to Harare.
His wife
was also assaulted by the ZANU PF youths but was prohibited from
leaving the
home to seek medical attention. When she eventually managed to
flee from the
home, the ZANU PF supporters set it on fire and all the family's
belongings
were lost.
14 May 2008
The male victim reports he was forced to
flee his home after his family had
been attacked by ZANU PF youths. During
the attack his father was assaulted
by the ZANU PF youths and lost his front
teeth. He was prohibited from
seeking medical attention and a group of
youths camped at the homestead to
ensure that he did not leave. The male
victim managed to flee to Harare but
his father remained in the rural areas
unable to leave his home.
14 May 2008
On 7 May 2008 the male
victim reports that he was assaulted and had one of
his huts set on fire by
ZANU PF youths who alleged that he was an MDC
supporter to which he was
being punished. On 14 May 2008 the ZANU PF youths
returned to his home again
and confronted him as to why he had not attended
a ZANU PF rally that was
being held in the area. He went to the rally where
the names of all
purported MDC supporters in the area where being called out
from a list that
the youths had. Those called out were taken to a secluded
area where they
were severely assaulted. The victim had his hands and legs
bound before he
was beaten with a large stick on the back and buttocks.
16 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was set on fire by ZANU PF
youths
who alleged that she was an MDC supporter. That night she slept in
the open
with her infant son before boarding a bus to Harare the following
morning to
seek assistance at the MDC offices. At the time of the report
her son was
ill from sleeping out in the cold on the night their home was
set on fire.
17 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was
forced to flee her home after a group
of ZANU PF youths attacked her family
having ordered them out of the home.
They threatened to kill her family for
supporting the MDC. Her husband was
assaulted. She left for Harare the
following morning with her husband and
four year old son and they sought
assistance at the MDC offices in Harare.
19 May 2008
The female
victim reports that she was assaulted and had her home destroyed
by ZANU PF
youths on 18 May 2008. The youths set the home in which she and
her children
were sleeping. They managed to get out of the home unharmed.
On 19 May 2008
the ZANU PF youths returned to her home and took her to their
base at
Katerera Primary school where she was assaulted with an axe handle.
Her
second hut was also set on fire during this attack. Her husband had
fled to
Harare after he had been threatened by the youths.
20 May 2008
The
female victim reports that she was assaulted and had her belongings set
on
fire by ZANU PF youths who alleged that she and her husband were MDC
supporters. The ZANU PF youths destroyed everything inside the home. The
victim was then taken to the ZANU PF base in the area where she was
assaulted on the back and buttocks with a large stick. She fled to Harare
following her release from the base.
Mount Darwin West
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that he fled his home after receiving
threats from
ZANU PF youths. He is an MDC activists in his area and was
informed by
other MDC activist that ZANU PF youths were coming to kill him.
His wife
and four children fled to Mozambique while he and a fifth child
fled to
Harare. He was informed by his colleagues in the MDC who had
remained in
Mount Darwin that his home had been set on fire as well as his
livestock.
11 May 2008
The male victim, a shop owner, reports that
he was forced to close down his
business after being threatened by ZANU PF
youths who alleged that he was
MDC supporter. His wife was assaulted after
the youths had gone to their
shop looking for him. He was warned not to
return to the shop.
11 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
fled his home before it was set on fire by
ZANU PF youths and war veterans.
He was informed by a neighbour that a
group of ZANU PF youths and war
veterans were on their way to his home to
assault him. His wife and
children then fled to his parent's home. That
night he slept in the bush
and proceeded to Harare the following morning.
13 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for being an
MDC
supporter. He had been informed by a friend that ZANU PF youths were
coming
after him. He fled his home and slept out in the open for three
days. The
ZANU PF supporters went to look for him at his home on three
consecutive
days. They then resorted to assaulting his parents in order to
get
information on where he was hiding. He then decided to flee to Harare
together with his parents. On their way to the bus terminus they were
confronted by a group of ZANU PF youths who were already assaulting some MDC
supporters. The victim was forced to sit down and was beaten under the feet
with a large stick. One of the ZANU PF youths, the victim's brother in-law,
then negotiated the release of the victim and his parents. They proceeded
to board the bus to Harare.
18 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths because he
is a member of
the MDC. On the day of the incident 12 ZANU PF youths
attacked him while he
was in his field. They took him back to his home where
they took MDC
campaign material and set the home on fire. They instructed
him to attend
the ZANU PF meeting the following day. However he fled to
Harare early the
following day.
Mount Darwin South
3 May 2008
The male
victim reports that his home was destroyed by ZANU PF youths after
he had
refused to attend their rally. He was visiting his rural home for a
few
days. A group of armed ZANU PF youths went to his homestead and they
ordered him to accompany them to a ZANU PF meeting that was being held in
the area. The victim refused to go with them fearing they would assault him
since they were armed. Two days later they returned to his home but no one
was present. The youths then proceeded to destroy his home and furniture.
They also set the kitchen hut on fire.
5 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for being
accredited
as a ZESN election observer during the 29 March 2008 harmonised
elections.
He was at the miller near the ZANU PF base when he was ordered
by two youth
members to go with them to their base. At the base he was told
that he had
committed a crime by working for ZESN alleging that it is a
pro-MDC
organisation. He was ordered to lie down and was assaulted with
large
sticks. He was released the following day.
5 May 2008
The male
victim, an MDC activist, reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF
youths in
retribution for supporting the MDC. He was forced to attend a ZANU
PF
meeting where he was asked to denounce his MDC membership and give up his
membership card. He was then assaulted under the feet with thick
sticks
5 May 2008.
The male victim reports that his home was set
on fire by ZANU PF youths.
They came to his home to assault him but he
managed to flee before they
could get to him. The youths then set his home
on fire.
6 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was
threatened by ZANU PF youths who
accused her of being a "sell out" because
she had been a ZESN election
observer during the 29 March 2008 elections.
She was ordered to surrender
her ZESN t-shirt and accreditation card. She
fled her home for fear of
further victimisation.
6 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and had his home
petrol bombed
by ZANU PF youths. who had gone to his home and assaulted him
and his wife
for not attending a ZANU PF meeting that had been held earlier
in the day.
The victim was assaulted until he lost consciousness. He was
taken to the
hospital the following day by his wife. The assailants returned
to the
victim's home and threw a petrol bomb destroying the home and all his
belongings. The victim then fled to Harare.
6 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for being
accredited as a ZESN election observer for the 29 March 2008 harmonised
elections. He had gone to the millers' when he was confronted by a group of
ZANU PF supporters who knew he had been an election observer. He was
assaulted with a hoe on the thighs. He was told to return to the ZANU PF
base with his accreditation card as well as his ZESN T-shirt. He then fled
to Harare fearing further victimisation.
6 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and war
veterans. He
was a ZESN election observer during the 29 March 2008
harmonised elections.
He was taken to the ZANU PF base where he appeared
before a well known war
veteran who assaulted him. The war veteran
assaulted the victim. He
sustained injuries on the arms, legs and lost a
tooth. He was rescued by
the police who took him to Mount Darwin Hospital
where he received
treatment. No arrests were made.
7 May 2008
The male victim
reports that his home was set on fire by ZANU PF youths and
war veterans. On
the day of the incident the victim was attending a funeral
wake at a
relative's home when a group of ZANU PF youths and war veterans
arrived at
the homestead chanting slogans and singing. They proceed to burn
huts at
the homestead. They also torched the victim's home destroying three
huts. He
was hit on the face with a stone while fleeing from the assailants.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for
allegedly voting for the MDC. He was on his way home when he met five ZANU
PF youth members. They asked him where he stayed, and when he told them they
began to assault him alleging that ZANU PF had lost to the MDC in that area.
He was ordered to lie on his abdomen and beaten with large sticks on the
buttocks. He was warned not to report the matter otherwise his home would
be set on fire.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths who alleged
that he was an MDC spporter. While
on his way from a relative's home he was
confronted by a group of ZANU PF
youths who claimed to have been looking for
him. They had in their
posssession a list of purported MDC supporters in
the area and the victim's
name was on the list. He was assaulted with open
hands, clenched fists and
booted feet. He was warned not to report the
matter to the police or go to
the hospital to seek treatment. He slept in
the open for four nights as he
feared futher victimisation.
8 May 2008
The male victim, an MDC
activist reports that he was abducted and assaulted
by ZANU PF youths in
retribution for his political affiliation. On the day
of the incident the
victim was preparing for the burial of his father who
had passed away a few
days earlier. A group of ZANU PF youths went to his
home and abducted him.
They took him to Chukumira mountain were they were
holding captive other MDC
activists. The victim was tied to a tree and
severely assaulted on the back
and buttocks with large sticks. He was later
released and warned not to
report the matter to the police. He fled to
Harare a day later.
8 May
2008
The male victim reports that was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and war
veterans for allegedly being an MDC supporter. He was on his way home when
he was confronted by eight ZANU PF youths who told him they had been looking
for him because they wanted to punish him for voting for the MDC. They took
him behind their base where they were holding other purported MDC supporters
captive. His hands were tied to his back and he was assaulted with large
sticks all over his body before being released. The victim, being unable to
walk, crawled home and was then taken to Mount Darwin Hospital.
8 May
2008
The male victim reports that he and his wife were assaulted by ZANU
PF
youths and war veterans. On the night in question he was asleep in his
home
when he heard the ZANU PF youths shouting and breaking windows. They
proceeded to break down his door and dragged him and his wife out of the
home. They were both severely assaulted. On the following day the assailants
returned and set on fire the victim's home as well as his food
store.
8 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home and
belongings were set on fire by
ZANU PF youths and war veterans. His father
is the MDC organising secretary
for Mashonaland Central Province and had
been targeted by ZANU PF youths for
attack. On the night in question the
youths went to the victim's home
looking for his father whom hey found
hiding inside. The youths forced
themselves into the home and dragged him
out. The youths then assaulted the
father before proceeding to set the home
on fire. The victim burnt his right
hand while trying to salvage some of
their belongings from the burning home.
The victim slept in the open for ten
nights before managing to flee to
Harare.
8 May 2008
The male
victim was assaulted for being an MDC polling agent during the 29
March 2008
harmonised elections. He was on his way home from church when he
was
confronted by seven MDC youths on his political affiliation. He was
taken
to the ZANU PF base at Zowa village where he was forced to lie down
and was
assaulted with large sticks. The assailants then took the victim's
cellular
phone and trampled on it until it was broken into pieces.
8 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that he is an MDC supporter. He was forced to attend a ZANU PF
meeting where MDC supporters were to be punished. His name was on the list
of purported MDC supporters called out at the meeting. After his name was
called out he was taken away from the meeting and assaulted under the feet
with large sticks. After the assault the victim was unable to walk and had
to be carried home. The ZANU PF youths also set his cotton field on fire and
threw stones at his hose destroying all the windows. He fled to Harare but
left his three children in the rural areas.
8 May 2008
The
victim is an MDC supporter. He was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and he
was
treated at Mt Darwin Hospital. He made a police report but no arrests
were
made.
9 May 2008
The male victim, a teacher, reports that he was
abducted and assaulted by
suspected ZANU PF supporters. On the day of the
incident the victim was
called to the Deputy Headmaster's office where four
men unknown to him were
waiting for him. They questioned him on his
involvement in the 29 March 2008
Harmonised elections. The four men then
ordered the victim to go with them
which he refused to do until one of them
pulled out a pistol. He was
escorted to a waiting vehicle and was
blindfolded. They drove around for
about 30 minutes while he was being
interrogated about his political
affiliation. They eventually stopped in a
bushy area. The victim was
ordered to lie down on his abdomen and assaulted
on the back and buttocks
with a fan belt. The assailants then drove off
leaving the him the bush. He
could not walk after the attack and had to
crawl to get assistance. He was
taken to hospital but had to flee after the
assailants persued him.
9 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was severely assaulted by ZANU PF youths.
The assailants went to his home at
night and took him and his wife to their
base. His wife was briefly
detained and released without being assaulted.
They kept him at the base and
tried to force him to name all the MDC
supporters in the area. He was then
taken to an open space where he was
stripped naked and severly assaulted.
The assailants left him at the open
space and he was carried home by well
wishers who left him in his field.
He received medical attention in
Mozambique.
9 May 2008
The male victim reports that their home was
set on fire by ZANU PF youths.
Prior to the arson attack the victim had been
sleeping in the open fearing
that they would be attacked while sleeping at
home. They were instructed
to leave the village.
9 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and
war
veterans on allegations of supporting the MDC. He was called to a
village
meeting where a list of MDC supporters was read out. His name was
on the
list. He was ordered to stand at the front of the meeting where he
was
assaulted on the hands and buttocks by three men who took turns to beat
him.
9 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted
and forced to flee her home
by ZANU PF youths. On the day in question, the
ZANU PF youths went to her
home around 05:00hrs looking for her husband who
was not at home. He was
hiding in the bush because he had received
information that ZANU PF youths
were looking for him. The youths beat the
victim and took her to their base
where she spent the whole day. They tried
to get information on her
husband's whereabouts. She was later released and
warned that they would
return to get her husband. When she went back home
she found that the fowl
run and some of her belongings had been set on
fire. She then went to her
parents home with her son where the ZANU PF
youths followed her and warned
her parents not to accommodate her or they
would be assaulted. She then
fled to Harare with her son.
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and threatened by ZANU
PF
youths who alleged that he is an MDC supporter because he had a ZESN
t-shirt. He was dragged from his home and taken to the ZANU PF chairman in
the area. He was ordered to surrender his MDC membership card and ZESN
t-shirt. He was kicked in the lower back and at the time of the report had
difficulty walking as a result of the injuries sustained.
10 May
2008
the female victim reports that she was abducted and assaulted by
ZANU PF
youths who alleged that she was an MDC supporter after her husband
was seen
wearing an MDC t-shirt. The assailants broke into her home and
dragged her
out of bed. They took her to their base where she was aasaulted
with large
sticks. She was later released after one of the youth members
recognised her
as a nurse aide at the local hospital.
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was forced to flee his home together
with
his father, mother and grandmother after being threatened by ZANU PF
youths.
The victim and his family had been sleeping out in the open for
several days
after hearing that ZANU PF youths were looking for him. On the
day of the
incident he had gone to their field to get some maize cobs for
his family to
eat, when he was confronted by a group of ZANU PF youths.
They bound his
hands to his back and took him to the village head's home
alleging that he
was an MDC supporter. The village head refused to hear the
matter and
ordered his release. He then took his family and fled to
Harare.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths who alleged
that he was an MDC supporter. He was a ZESN
election observer during the 29
March 2008 harmonised elections. He was
followed to his field by ZANU PF
youths who interrogated him. He was
assaulted with wooden sticks on the
legs and thighs.
11 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and his property was
destroyed
by ZANU PF youths. He had been warned that the ZANU PF youths
were looking
for him. Fearing vitimisation he tried to flee to Harare. On
his way to the
bus terminus he was confronted by a group of ZANU PF youths
who took him to
their base. At the base the victim was assaulted under the
feet with a thick
stick. He was only released after he told them he was
going to Harare for a
funeral.
11 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths because he
was an MDC
polling agent during the 29 March 2008 harmonised elections. The
youths went
to his home and ordered the victim to come out. At first he
refused but
later complied when they told him that they were going to burn
down his home
while he was inside. They took him to their base where two
assailants
knocked him down and started assaulting him with heavy sticks on
his back
and buttocks. He lost consciousness. He was carried home by
unknown women.
On 14 May 2008 the violators came back again and threatened
to burn down his
home. He fled to Harare the following day. His aunt
reported the matter to
the police on his behalf but no action was taken.
11 May 2008
The
female victim reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who were
looking for her son. She was sleeping at night when a group of youths
knocked at her door and shouted for her son to come out. When she informed
them that he was not at home the youths began assaulting her with large
sticks. They also set her hair on fire resulting in burns on the
scalp.
12 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
and had his home and
belongings set on fire. On the night in question the
victim was asleep when
he was woken up by loud banging and shouting from
outside by a group of ZANU
PF youths who broke into the home and assaulted
him. He was on crutches
following an earlier non politically motivated
assault. The assailants broke
the victim's crutches and then went on to set
his home on fire destroying
all his belongings. They also tried to set fire
to the cattle kraal but the
victim's son managed to let the cattle out
before the assailants could do
so. The victim was carried away from the
burning home by his wife. He and
his family slept in the open for two
nights. He was later taken to Mount
Darwin clinic but had to go to Harare
because of inadequate medication at
the clinic.
13 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was threatenedd and had some of his
belongings set on fire by ZANU PF youths in retribution for his political
affiliation. He is the MDC security officer in the area and was responsible
for the distribution of food aid to displaced MDC supporters. A group of
about 12 ZANU PF youths went to his home and questioned him about the
distribution of food. They then bound the victim's hands and made him watch
as they burned some of his belongings including blankets and kitchen
utensils. They did not burn the home. Fearing further victimisation, the
victim fled to Harare.
13 May 2008
The male victim reports
that his home was burnt by ZANU PF youths who
alleged that he was an MDC
supporter. Four ZANU PF youths went to the victim's
home and forced him to
go with them to their base. The youths had also
rounded up other purported
MDC supporters in the area. The victim fled from
the ZANU PF base camp after
overhearing the youths planning to assault them
early the next morning. He
found his home had been set on fire destroying
all his belongings. He fled
to Harare fearing further victimisation.
13 May 2008
The male
victim, an MDC supporter, reports that he was threatened by ZANU
PF youths
and obliged to flee his home after he saw a group of ZANU PF
approaching it
armed with large sticks. He managed to flee together with his
wife and three
year old child. The youths set his home on fire and all his
belongings.
His wife and child fled to Mozambique while he fled to Harare.
13 May
2008
The male victim, reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who
alleged
that he was an MDC supporter. He was in a local shop when he was
confronted
by a group of ZANU PF youths who ordered him to go with them to
their base.
When they got to the base they questioned him about his
political
affiliation. He told them he was a ZANU PF supporter but the
assailants did
not believe him. He was ordered to lie on his abdomen and
assaulted with a
large stick on the buttocks. One of the youth members also
stepped over his
head while another stood on his back. The victim reported
the incident to
the police and was taken to the hospital. During his stay in
hospital he was
interrogated by the police and suspected CIO agents. After
his discharge he
fled to Harare fearing further victimisation. He left his
wife and children
in the rural areas.
14 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and had all
his
belongings set on fire. A group of about 17 youths broke into his home
at
night. They discovered him hiding under his bed and dragged him to their
base at Katarira Primary School. At the base he was ordered to lie on his
abdomen and assaulted on the buttocks. The assailants alleged that the
victim was a "sell out" and an MDC supporter. After the assault the victim
was force marched to his home where the assailants demanded a bucket of
maize. The assailants returned to the victim's home the following day and
chased him away. They went on to set his home on fire. He fled to Harare
after he got bus fare from his son.
15 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was abducted and assaulted by ZANU PF youths
on
allegations of supporting the MDC. He was taken from his home to Matope
Anglican Church where he was assaulted. They tied his arms and legs and
made him lie on his abdomen. He was beaten on the buttocks with large
sticks. Two of the assailants are known to the victim.
15 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He
was on
his way to a ZANU PF meeting that had been called in the area when he
met a
group of ZANU PF youths who were on their way to burn his uncle's
home. He
tried to intervene but was then accused of being an MDC supporter.
He was
ordered to lie on his abdomen and assaulted with a large stick on the
back
and buttocks. He also sustained injuries to his left foot.
15
May 2008
The female victim reports that she and her husband were
assaulted with open
hands and clenched feet by ZANU PF youths for allegedly
being late for a
ZANU PF meeting that was scheduled to start four hours
later. They were then
made to run to the ZANU PF base where they were
threatened with death. The
female victim was four months pregnant at the
time.
27 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home and
belongings were destroyed by ZANU
PF youths. The assailants went to his home
and threatened his two younger
sisters from whom they demanded information
on the victim's whereabouts. He
had been sleeping in the open for several
days fearing victimisation. The
ZANU PF youths destroyed the victim's home
with picks and hammers and
proceeded to burn all of his belongings. He fled
to Harare three days later.
Muzarabani North
1 May 2008
The
male victim reports that his home and other belongings were set on fire
by
ZANU PF youths on allegation that he was an MDC supporter.
2 May
2008
The male victim reports that his property was set on fire by ZANU PF
youths
as punishment for not attending a ZANU PF rally. The rally was held
at
Chirimbwa where purported MDC supporters were supposed to denounce their
MDC
membership. Fearing victimisation the victim did not attend the
meeting.
That evening a group of ZANU PF youths came looking for him at his
home. At
the time he had gone to sleep in the field as he feared retributive
attacks
for not attending the meeting. The youths set the victim's home on
fire and
all his belongings. He slept in the open for five nights before
fleeing to
Harare.
2 May 2008
The male victim reports that
ZANU PF youths destroyed his home and set his
food store on fire. The
youths came to the victim's home and destroyed the
walls of the home with
picks. They then proceeded to set the debris and
some of the victim's
belongings on fire. They also assaulted his mother and
father.
2 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was abducted and tortured by ZANU PF
youths
for supporting the MDC. A group of ZANU PF youths went to his home
and took
him to a nearby river where they stripped him naked and submerged
him in the
warer several times. He was released in the morning and fled to
Harare
leaving his wife behind. The victim's wife who was pregnant at the
time was
assaulted by the ZANU PF youths a few days later. The assailans
were
looking for her husband. She miscarried as a result of the assault and
later died due to complications that arose from the miscarriage. His
property, including his home was destroyed.
2 May 2008
The
female victim reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who went
to
her home looking for her husband who was an MDC polling agent during the
29
March 2008 harmonised elections. She told them he was not at home. The
assailants then tied her hands behind her back and dragged her to a nearby
stream together wih seven other MDC activists. She was submerged in the
water several times before being assaulted on the back and buttocks with a
large stick. The assailants then proceeded to burn the victim's home and
took her livestock.
3 May 2008
The male victim was a polling
agent for the MDC and a committee member for
the ward. He reports that ZANU
PF supporters came to his home and instructed
his brother to take out all
the furniture before setting it on fire.
4 May 2008
The male
victim reports that his home was set on fire by ZANU PF youths. He
was not
at home at the time. He was given an account of what transpired by
his
neighbours.
4 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths for being an
MDC supporter. He escaped and
sought refuge at Chibaya village. They
eventually caught up with him at a
bus stop where he was waiting for the
bus. He was taken to their base at
Chibaya Township where he was assaulted
with large sticks on the buttocks.
They detained him at their base overnight
and the following morning they
assaulted him again. Releasing him around
15:00hrs that afternoon. He was
hospitalised and whilst he was still in
hospital he heard from his wife that
his cow had been taken by the
assailants and that they had set his home on
fire.
4 May 2008
The male victim was an MDC polling agent. He
reports that his home was set
on fire by a group of ZANU PF youths. He saw
the group of youths
approaching his home and fled. He watched from a
distance as his two
thatched huts were set on fire.
4 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and had his property
destroyed
by ZANU PF youths. His home was set on fire while he was at
church. When he
arrived back home he tried to salvage some of his property
but was deterred
by the ZANU PF youths who chased him away from the
homestead. The following
day he returned to his property but was again
confronted by the youths. They
took him to their base where he was assaulted
on the buttocks with large
sticks and was ordered to leave the village. He
went to Harare.
4 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted and had his property set on
fire by ZANU PF youths. His two wives
and children were also assaulted.
4 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted and had his property set on
fire by ZANU PF
youths. He was on his way to the market to sell his cotton
when he was
confronted by a group of ZANU PF youths. They force- marched him
to their
base at Kairezi where he was assaulted with large sticks on the
back and
buttocks. His hands were tied behind his back during the assault.
As the
assailants were about to take the victim to their leader, he managed
to flee
from the base. The assailants went to hishome to look for him but he
was
there. They assaulted his wife and set on fire his home. His wife's
right
hand was broken during the assault.
4 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he and his father were assaulted by ZANU PF
youths while they
were on their way to the bus terminus to board a bus to
Harare. They had
been warned that ZANU PF youths were coming to punish them
for supporting
the MDC. The ZANU PF youths were being led by the village
head who had
ordered that they be taken to the ZANU PF base. At the base
they were
assaulted on the back and buttocks with large sticks. They were
detained
overnight and released early the following morning. They managed
to board
a bus to Harare. After they arrived in Harare they received
information
that their home had been set on fire and their family members
had been
assaulted by the ZANU PF youths.
4 May 2008
The male victim
reports that his home was set on fire by ZANU PF youths.
He was visiting a
friend when a group of ZANU PF youths went to his home and
threatened his
mother in his absence. The youths saw him return to his
homestead, some of
them chased him away for a distance but did not catch
him. Those that
remained at the homestead it on fire and took a goat and
four chickens to
their base.
5 May 2008
The male victim is the organising secretary
for the MDC in his ward. He was
also a polling agent during the March 2008
harmonised elections. He reports
that he was warned that ZANU PF supporters
were coming to assault him. He
fled from his home and went to St Alberts'
Mission Hospital. He later
proceeded to Harare. His wife and children
followed a few days later. His
wife reports that their home and belongings
were set on fire by ZANU PF
youths who were looking for him.
5 May
2008
The male victim reports that ZANU PF youths set fire to his
homestead
destroying all his belongings. A war veteran also took two cows
belonging
to the victim.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports
that ZANU PF youths went to his homestead and set
fire to it and the stored
maize. He managed to flee from the assailants but
could see them from a
distance as they set the home on fire.
5 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he and his mother were assaulted by ZANU PF
youths. Their home
was also set on fire. The assailants went at night and
set the victim's
three huts on fire. They then force marched him and his
mother to their base
at Chibaya while beating them with a large stick. The
victim managed to
flee from the base after a few hours but left his mother
there.
5 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was severely assaulted by ZANU PF
youths
after they haad gone to his home and ordered him and his family to to
leave
it to which they complied. One of the youths ordered them to burn
their
home. When the victim tried to protest he was beaten and told he did
not
have permission to speak. The victim was then taken to the ZANU PF base
where other purported MDC supporters were also being detained. The
assailants also took all the victim's goats to their base. There the victim
was handed over to other ZANU PF youths and war veterans and he was ordered
to lie down on his abdomen and assaulted with large sticks underneath the
feet and on his back. He was also suspended in the air and assaulted all
over the body. As he cried out they put soil in his mouth. The male victim
reports that one man died as a result of the assault.
5 May
2008
The male victim reports that he and his friend were assaulted by
ZANU PF
youths and war veterans in retribution for reporting the destruction
of
their homes by ZANU PF youths. They were taken from the police station
where
they were making the report to the ZANU PF base. Their hands were
tied
behind their backs and they were beaten on the back and buttocks with
large
sticks. They were detained overnight. In the morning they were
ordered to
leave the village and go to Harare. The victim sustained
injuries on the
back and buttocks as well as a cut on the lower
lips.
5 May 2008
The female victim, the wife of an MDC activist,
reports that her home was
destroyed by ZANU PF youths. She had been
sleeping in the open for a week
together with her husband and children
fearing that ZANU PF youths would
come to assault them. She was eight
months pregnant at the time. Her home
was set on fire destroying all her
belongings. She left her children with a
relative and fled to Harare with
her husband.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted and had his property destroyed
by ZANU PF youths. The assailants
went to the victim's home at night and
set it on fire. He managed to flee
together with his parents. That night
they slept out in the open. On the
following day he went back to their
homestead to assess the damage where he
was apprehended by a group of ZANU
PF youths who took him to their base
where he was detained for three hours.
He was assaulted on the back and
buttocks with large sticks. One of the
assailants also stood on his chest.
After he was released he walked a long
distance to get transport to
Harare.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was set
on fire by ZANU PF youths. He
managed to flee from the attack together with
his family. He left his wife
and children at his in-laws' home and
proceeded to Harare and sought
assistance at the MDC offices.
5 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was destroyed by ZANU PF
youths and
that fell and injured himself while fleeing from the assailants.
He was
attacked because he did not attend a ZANU PF meeting for which he had
received a written invitation. Following the attack he fled to Harare but
left his children in the rural areas.
5 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and war
veterans. On
the day of the incident he was working in his field when he
was apprehended
by ZANU PF youths and a war veteran. They asked him why he
had joined the
MDC. He was then forced to lie down on his abdomen and
assaulted with a
fan-belt on the back and buttocks. His wife found him lying
in the fields
that evening and carried him home. He fled to Harare the
following day
leaving hs wife and children behind. A few days later the
assailants
returned to his home and destroyed his belongings. They also
forced his wife
to leve the village.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
and his brother were assaulted by ZANU PF
youths. His brother was an MDC
polling agent during the 29 March 2008
harmonised elections. The assailants
went to the victim's home at night
shouting and singing and ordered him and
his brother out of the home. They
were told to lie down on their abdomens
and were assaulted on the buttocks
and back with large sticks. The
assailants went on to burn down the victim's
home and all his belongings.
The victim slept out in the open for a week
before he managed to raise money
to go to Harare.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by MDC youths on allegations
that he was an MDC supporter. He was
at a ZANU PF rally where purported MDC
supporters were being punished. He
was called to a secluded area by the
ZANU PF youths then force-marched to a
nearby river where he was ordered to
lie on his abdomen and assaulted on the
back and buttocks. The assailants
also set his home on fire. Fearing
further victimisation he fled to
Harare.
5 May 2008
The male
victim, an MDC activist reports that he was threatened by ZANU PF
youths and
war veterans and his home was also destroyed. The assailants
went to the
victim's home at night and dragged him to their base. At the
base they
questioned him about the MDC's plans for the run-off election. He
declined
to give them any information. He was released without being
assaulted. On
the following day the assailants returned to the victim's home
and destroyed
it using picks. They also threatened his mother.
6 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted on the buttocks with a metal
rod
by ZANU PF youths for supporting the MDC. The assailants also took his
goats.
6 May 2008
The female victim, the wife of an MDC
activist, reports that her home was
set on fire by ZANU PF youths who were
looking for her husband. When she
informed them that he was not at home,
they then ordered her to take all her
furniture out of the home and they set
the home and food store on fire.
They ordered the victim to leave the
village. She then fled to Harare with
her children.
6 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was set on fire by ZANU PF
youths
who alleged that she was an MDC supporter. She was not assaulted by
the
youths.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths and war
veterans on allegations that he was an
MDC supporter. The assailants came
to his home at night and dragged him to
their base where they assaulted him
on the back and buttocks with large
sticks. They then took him away from the
camp and left him in a bushy area
where his sons found him and carried him
home.
6 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was abducted and severely assaulted by ZANU
PF
youths. The assailants went to his home at night and dragged him to their
base where they assaulted him on the buttocks with large sticks. His hands
were tied behind the back during the assault. He was detained overnight and
managed to flee in the early hours of the following morning.
7 May
2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths
for being
an MDC supporter. She had been sleeping in the open for several
nights
fearing victimisation from ZANU PF youths. On the night in question a
war
veteran and a group of ZANU PF youths went to the place where she was
sleeping. She managed to flee from them but injured her left leg as she was
running away. She went to the clinic the following morning to seek
treatment. Before she could get into the clinic yard she was confronted by
a group of ZANU PF youths who force marched her to their base where she was
beaten on the buttocks by six youths who took turns to assault her. They
alleged that she had been carrying out door to door campaigns on behalf of
the MDC. The victim was then forced to go and get MDC t-shirts from her
home. She was accompanied by a member of the ZANU PF youth. Her sister, a
war veteran refused to let the youth member into the home. The victim was
then ordered to leave the village together with her five month old baby. She
slept in the open for three nights before managing to flee to
Harare.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was ordered to
leave his home by ZANU PF
youths. He was working in his field when he was
confronted by the ZANU PF
chairman for the area and eight ZANU PF youths.
They alleged that he was an
MDC supporter and ordered him back to his home
so that he could pack his
belongings. They also took his goats and
cattle. He fled to Harare
fearing further victimisation.
7 May
2008
The male victim, an MDC supporter reports that he was assaulted by
ZANU PF
youths who were going around the village assaulting known and
purported MDC
supporters as well as setting their homes on fire. They had
allegedly been
instructed to carry out the attacks by a local chief. The
victim and seven
other MDC supporters were on their way to Chiwenga Police
Station to report
the disturbances, when they were apprehended by a group of
ZANU PF youths.
They were taken to the ZANU PF base in the area where they
were assaulted
and detained for two days. The victim alleges that five
people in the
village died as a result of these attacks.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who
alleged
that he was a "sell out". He was attending a relative's funeral
when a
group of ZANU PF youths started throwing stones at the mourners. The
victim
was unable to flee. He was caught and assaulted with sticks. He and
three
other purported "sell outs" were forced to walk to the Chahwanda area
where
they were further assaulted. They were later rescued by police
officers who
took them to Mount Darwin Hospital. There was no medication at
the hospital
so he and the other three were released without treatment.
Fearing further
victimisation the victim went to Harare.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and had his property
set on
fire by ZANU PF youths as punishment for supporting the MDC. He was
forced
to attend a ZANU PF rally where all known and purported MDC
supporters were
being punished. He was called away from the meeting and
asked about his
role in the MDC structures. He was then assaulted on the
back and buttocks
with large sticks resulting in severe injuries. His home
was also set on
fire. He fled to Harare fearing further
victimisation.
7 May 2008
ZANU PF youths assaulted the male victim
on allegations that he was an MDC
supporter. He was working in his field
when he was apprehended by a group
of ZANU PF youths and he was taken to the
ZANU PF base where he was
assaulted on the back and buttocks with large
sticks before being released.
That night the assailants returned to the
victim's home and it and his food
store on fire. He fled to Harare the
following day.
7 May 2008
The female victim reports that her home
was set on fire by ZANU PF youths.
She fled to Harare fearing further
victimisation.
7 May 2008
The female victim reports that she and
her husband were assaulted and had
their home set on fire by ZANU PF youths
destroying all their belongings.
On the night in question she heard loud
banging and shouting at the gate
where a group of ZANU PF youths was
gathered outside. She and her husband
were ordered to come out of the home.
They were both assaulted with large
sticks. The female victim was holding
her grandchild when she was assaulted.
The assailants then set the home on
fire.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that he and his wife were
assaulted by ZANU PF
youths for being MDC supporters and their home was
also destroyed. The
victim's wife was called to the village head's home in
the absence of her
husband. She was questioned about the MDC register that
her husband
allegedly kept. When the victim heard that his wife had been
summoned to
the village head's home he followed her there. He explained to
the village
head that he did not keep a register of MDC supporters. They
were then
dismissed by the village head. The following morning a group of
ZANU PF
youths went to the victims home. They apprehended him and his wife
and
assaulted them on the back and buttocks with large sticks. They also
destroyed the victim's home using picks and shovels. Shortly after the
victim received a message from the village head ordering him to leave the
village. He went to Harare to seek assistance.
7 May 2008
The
male victim a nurse at the local Clinic, reports that he was assaulted
on
the back and buttocks with a thick stick, by ZANU PF youths for being an
MDC polling agent on the 29 March 2008 elections. He was also ordered to
give the keys to his home. The assailants then took all the victim's
property from the home ordered him to carry each piece of furniture back to
the home on his head which he was unable to do due to the previous assault.
His belonhings were then set on fire.
7 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was forced to flee from his work place after
a group
of ZANU PF youths assaulted his colleage. The victim works at the
local
clinic alleging that he is an MDC supporter. The assailants also
alleged
that all the staff at the Health Care Centre were MDC supporters.
At the
time of the report the victim was not able to work for fear of being
victimised.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that he was mobilising people in
the area to vote for the MDC.
His home and belongings were also set on
fire. He fled to Harare but left
his children behind in the rural
areas.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home and
belongings were set on fire by
ZANU PF youths because he was an MDC polling
agent during the 29 March 2008
harmonised elections. On the day of the
incident the assailants came to the
victim's home and questioned him on his
involvement with the MDC. They then
assaulted him and left the homestead.
On the following day they returned to
the victim's home armed with large
sticks. The victim managed to flee with
his mother and wife before the
assailants got to them. The ZANU PF youths
then set his home on fire
destroying all his belongings. They also burnt
his livestock. The victim
fled to Harare leaving his wife and mother in the
rural areas because he did
not have enough money for bus fare for the three
of them.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home and belongings were set on
fire by
ZANU PF youths. A group of youths came to his home and started
breaking down
the walls with picks. They then set the homes on fire
destroying furniture
and his harvested cotton crop.
8 May
2008
The male victim, an MDC activist, reports that he was assaulted by
suspected
ZANU PF youths. He had received information that ZANU PF youths
were after
him and wanted to punish him for being an MDC supporter. Fearing
victimisation he decided to flee to Harare. He was at the bus terminus
waiting for transport to Harare when he was picked up by a group of men in a
vehicle who took him to what appeared to be a hall and assaulted him with
baton sticks. They told him that they knew he was fleeing from the area and
that he sould not return to the village. After he was released he borded a
bus to Harare.
8 May 2008
The male victim reports that his
home was destroyed by ZANU PF youths who
came there at night. He and his
family fled and hid in the hills. He went
to Harare but left his family
behind in the rural areas where they are still
sleeping in the
open.
8 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and
had his property set on
fire by ZANU PF supporters. He was forced to go to
the ZANU PF base in the
area where he was punished for being an MDC
supporter. He was orderd to lie
down on his abdomen and assaulted with a
stick on the back and under the
feet. He lost conciusness for a while but
was revived after the assailants
poured water on him. He managed to crawl
to a foot path where he was
carried home in a wheel barrow by friends.
When he got home he found it had
been set on fire. He lost all his
belongings including his harvest.
8 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was injured while fleeing from a group of
ZANU PF
supporters. Fearing further victimisation he spent two weeks
sleeping in
the open. He later managed to flee to Harare.
9 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who alleged
he was an
MDC supporter. On the day in question at around19:00 hrs, a group
of ZANU PF
youths came to his home and took him to their base at Kapembere.
They
assaulted him on the buttocks with a thick stick. They also tied his
legs
together and beat him on the soles of his feet, he was then made to jog
on
the spot. The assailants told him to pack his belongings and leave his
home.
They destroyed his kitchen unit, a wardrobe and his bed.
9 May
2008
The female victim was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and forced to
leave her
home. The assailants came to the victim's home and demanded the
list of
all MDC suppoters in the area. When she told them she did not have
it she
was assaulted on the buttocks with a fanbelt. The ZANU PF youths
then took
some of her clothes and threw them near the main road. They
odered her to
leave the village. She went to Harare leaving her child with
a relative.
She sustained severe injuries on the buttocks and at the time of
the report
she was unable to sit.
9 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted and had his property set on
fire by ZANU PF
youths. The assailants came to his home in the evening and
dragged him to
their base where he was severely assaulted on the buttocks.
He was also
assaulted with clenched fists and booted feet. He was detained
overnight and
released in the early hours of the morning. That evening the
assailants
returned to his home and set it on fire. All his belongings were
lost in
the fire.
9 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was attacked
by ZANU PF youths led by the
village head. They alleged that he was an MDC
supporter. He injured his
leg while fleeing from the assailants who chased
him from his home. The
assailants also set fire to his property and took
his livestock. He managed
to flee to Harare.
9 May 2008
The
male victim was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on allegations that he was
an
MDC supporter. He was taken from his home to Kapembere Primary School
where
the ZANU PF youths' camp is located in the area. He was assaulted
under the
feet with a thick stick. He was then taken to a nearby river
where he was
submerged in water and made to roll in mud. He was taken back
to the ZANU
PF base where he was detained overnight. He was released in the
early hours
of the following morning.
9 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was severly assaulted and had his home
destroyed by ZANU PF youths. A
group of armed ZANU PF youths came to his
home and dragged him to Kapembere
Primary School, where their base was
located alleging that he was an MDC
member. At the base he was assaulted
all over his body with axe handles,
open hands and clenched fists. He was
detained there for three days. The
assailants also destroyed his home and
set his clothes on fire.
10
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths
for being an
MDC supporter. The assailants came to his home and dragged
him to their
base. At the base the victim was suspended in the air and
assaulted with
baton sticks. He was detained there for eight hours before
being released
and ordered to leave the village. Fearing further
victimisation, the client
slept in the open that night. When he returned to
his homestead the
following morning he found that it had been
destroyed.
10 May 2008
The male victim, an MDC activist reports
that his home was set on fire by
ZANU PF youths led by the MP elect for the
area who broke into the home and
fired two gun shots into the roof. They
then sprinkled petrol around the
home before setting it on fire. He managed
to escape through the window, but
lost all of his belongings. He slept in
the open for several days before
managing to go to Harare.
10 May
2008
The male victim, the son of an MDC ward chairman, reports that he
was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths who attacked their home at night. A group
of
ZANU PF youths armed with machetes and large sticks came to the victim's
home demanding to see a register of all MDC supporters in the area. All the
victim's family members managed to flee from the assailants except him and
two others. He was beaten under the feet and on the legs with a stick and
was detained by three youth members while the others attacked the home of
another MDC activist. He was released after the attackon his
neighbour.
11 May 2008
The female victim reports that his home was
destroyed by ZANU PF youths.
She slept in the open for several days before
managing to go to Harare.
12 May 2008
The male victim was working
in his field when he was apprehended by a group
of ZANU PF youths and war
veterans who were armed with large sticks and who
threatened to kill the
victim for being an MDC supporter. He was force
marched to a nearby bridge
where he was forced to clean MDC election
graffiti. He was then assaulted
with booted feet.
13 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths who were
alleging that he was an MDC supporter.
On the day in question the youths
were forcing all known and purported MDC
supporters to renounce their MDC
membership and surrender their party
regalia. He was taken to the ZANU PF
base where he was assaulted on the
buttocks and ubder the feet. He could
not walk for two days after the
assault neither could he pass urine.
17 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and his
parents home was set
on fire. The victim lives in Harare and had gone to
his rural home to help
his mother receive treatment after she had been
assaulted by ZANU PF youths.
The youths came to his parents home and
force-marched him to their base
where he was assaulted with booted feet and
open hands. His parents'
homestead was also set on fire.
24 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was forced to flee his home after being
attacked by ZANU PF
youths. They came to his home at night and assaulted
him with sticks on the
arms and legs. Fearing further victimisation he fled
to Hrarare where he is
living with his father.
25 May 2008
The female victim reports that
her home was set on fire by ZANU PF youths.
Her husband was an MDC security
officer and had been forced to flee his
residence in Kuwadzana after being
threatened by suspected CIO agents. The
female victim fled to Harare after
her home was set on fire.
Muzarabani South
3 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he and his wife were assaulted by ZANU PF
youths on
allegations that he was an MDc supporter. The assailants also
destroyed
their home. They had to sleep in the open with their two month
old child
before fleeing to Harare.
3 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he fled his home after being assaulted by ZANU
PF youths for being an MDC
activist. He fled to Harare but was however
apprehended by another group of
ZANU PF youths in Mbare. They assaulted him
before handing him over to the
police on allegations that he was harassing
ZANU PF supporters. He was
detained at Harare Central Police Station for
two days and released without
charge.
4 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was
destroyed by ZANU PF youths. He
watched the attack from a distance as he
feared being assaulted. He fled to
Harare the following morning.
5
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths
at a meeting
at Chaona Township. The meeting had been conveined to punish
MDC all MDC
supporters in the area. They were assaulted on the buttocks
with whips.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was
destroyed by ZANU PF youths.
After they had set his home on fire, the
assailants apprehended the victim
and took him to their base where he was
assaulted on the back and buttocks
on allegations that he is an MDC
supporter. He was detained at the base for
three days before beng
released. He fled to Harare.
5 May 2008
The female victim repotrs
that she fled her home after being threatened by
ZANU PF youths on
allegations that she is an MDC supporter.
5 May 2008
The male
victim reports that his home was set on fire by ZANU PF supporters.
He was
hiding in the bush with other MDC supporters when a group of ZANU PF
supporters went to his home singing and chanting slogans and declaring that
they were going to burn all the homes. He saw his home burning from a
distance. He fled to Harare with his wife who was six months pregnant at
the time.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths and war
veterans. He sustained injuries in his
spine.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was abducted and
assaulted by about 10 ZANU
PF youths who had surrounded his home. They
assaulted him using various
weapons mainly large sticks. He was then taken
to their base at the Roman
Catholic Church in Chaona where the assaults
continued in a place of
manygumtrees to which he and others were tied (four
at a time). He claims
tha six men took turns to assault him.
6 May
2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted and had her
property stolen
by ZANU PF youths. She was at her home when ZANU PF youths
arrived and
started beating her up. They took her child and dropped him onto
the floor.
They took her solar panel converter and clothing and they also
took some of
her harvest. They then took her to their base and further
assaulted wanting
to know her husband's whereabouts. They threw stones on
the roof and at
window panes.
6 May 2008
The male victim was
coming from his fields when a group of ZANU PF youths
assaulted him. He was
abducted and told to collect other MDC members. The
assailants stopped at
a home and took a hoe handle and started hitting him
with it under the feet.
They then made him run all the way to their base at
Chaona. At the base they
were taken to a place with a lot of gum trees where
they were further
assaulted with sticks by about four men. The assailants
took turns to
assault the victims.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted and had his home destroyed by
ZANU PF youths. He was
apprehended while trying to salvage his propery from
his burning home. He
was assaulted on the back and buttocks with large
sticks. He later fled to
Harare.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that he was an MDC supporter. He was forced
to attend a ZANU PF
meeting where MDC supporters were being assaulted in
retribution for
supporting the opposition. He and others was assaulted with
wooden sticks
on the buttocks and under the feet. They were rescued by riot
police.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
and had his home destroyed by
ZANU PF youths. The victim was was woken up
by a knock on his door. He
was abducted whilst naked. He was being
apparently punished for not
sumitting names of other MDC supporters in his
village and was assaulted
and made to watch his home being burnt down.
The victim alleges that three
people died as a result of the violence that
ensued in the village on that
day.
6 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He was at
his home with
his family and friends when five ZANU PF supporters arrived
brandishing
heavy sticks and catapults. They later forced them to go to a
joint MDC and
ZANU PF meeting. Some ZANU PF youths arrived at the meeting
and started
marching and diplaying their drill after which they produced a
list of MDC
supporters. The victim's name was called out and he was
handcuffed and
assaulted on the buttocks until he felt numb with pain. They
also beat him
under his feet.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths who
force-marched him to Chaona township up to
the Catholic church. He was
assaulted whilst they were on the way. They
produced a list of MDC
supporters on which the victim's name appeared. He
was assaulted on the
buttocks. They also hit him in the face with clenched
fists.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by
ZANU PF youths who forced
him to attend a ZANU PF meeting. At the meeting
he was severely assaulted
on allegations that he is an MDC supporter. He
was beaten with baton sticks
and wooden logs on the buttocks and under the
feet. The victim alleges that
two people died at the meeting as a result of
the assaults. Three more MDC
supporters were reported to have died after
these assaults.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF supporters. He was
coming from the fields when he was
approached by one soldier and some youths
who started to assault him
accusing him of conributing to MDC's victory.
They took him to their base
until the next morning. They used open hands and
sticks to asault the
victim. He reported the matter to the police.
6 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. Villagers
were
forced to a ZANU PF meeting at Chaona. Teachers, nurses and businessmen
were
all labelled sellouts and were beaten. There was an MDC poster near his
grinding mill and one of the youths accused him of having put it there.
They also said his milling charges were too high and he was beaten with
wooden logs because of this. The wooden logs they used had been put
paraquat, a chemical used to dry grass. He reported that more that ten
people had died because of the violence that took place at Chaona.
6
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assauIted by ZANU PF youths
at Chaona.
The reason for the attack was that he did not respect the
councillor. The
victim and other suspected MDC supporters were beaten with
wooden poles and
whipped on the back and buttocks.
6 May
2008
The male vicim reports that he was asaulted by ZANU PF supporters
He and
other suspected MDC supporters were forced to assemble at Chaona were
ZANU
PF leaders were set to address them. The victim's name was called out
and he
was accused of not respecting ZANU PF leaders. His hands were tied
and he
was beaten with wooden poles. They were eventually rescued by the
police.
7 May 2008
The female victim was assaulted by ZANU PF
youths who came to her home
looking for her husband whom they knew was an
MDC supporter. He had escaped
before they find him. They questioned the
victim on her husband's
whereabouts and also asked for his MDC t-shirts.
When she refused to
co-operate they entered into the home and took them.
They then took her
baby and forced her to lie down. Two of them assaulted
her on the buttocks
with binders from grinding mills. They then ordered her
to pack her things
and disapppear. Suggesting that she should live elsewhere
with the MDC
President.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports
that his home was destroyed and he was assaulted by
ZANU PF youths. On 6 May
2008 the ZANU PF youths set his three homes on
fire. He escaped into the
bush and returned the following morning. A meeting
was called for and the
villagers were assured that they would be safe
however they were however
assaulted at the meeting. The victim was beaten on
the buttocks with thick
wooden rods.
8 May 2008
The female victim, who is the MDC
Vice-Chairperson of Ward two reports that
she is an internally displaced
person. She fled from her home with her
three children after being
threatened by ZANU PF youth militia.
9 May 2008
The male victim
reports that his home was destroyed by ZANU PF youths He
managed to elude an
attack and sought refuge at Harvest Home in Harare, the
MDC
headquarters.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he and his
five year old son were assaulted by
ZANU PF youths. He was hiding close to
his home when he heard his son cryig
after being assaulted. He went to
assist him but he too was apprehended and
assaulted.
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was destroyed and he was
assaulted by
ZANU PF youths. He was woken up by his neighbour when a group
of ZANU PF
youths went to his homestead and ran away with his neighbour
leaving his
wife behind. He saw the youths destroy his home and burn his
property. He
hid the bush for nine days.
11 May 2008
The male
victim who had been an MDC polling agent, reports that on the day
in
question, he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He had earlier been ordered
to
join the ZANU PF party and had refused. Some youths came to his homestead
and took him to their base at Mupfudzi shopping centre where he was beaten
with large sticks. The assailants threatened to take him to Kayongo for
thorough beatings. He was told that he was being punished for being an MDC
polling agent.
16 May 2008
The female victim reports that her
home and property were destroyed and she
was assaulted by war veterans and
ZANU PF youths. She was at church when a
large number of ZANU PF youths
came and collected her. They then asked her
why she supported the MDC. They
were lifting her up and dropping her to the
ground. They took her to the
bushes where one war veteran lifted her upside
down. She was left exposed.
They started hitting her on her buttocks with a
stick which had nails. They
forced her to the ground and lifted up her legs
while assaulting
herbuttocks. When she tried to lift her head a war vet
kicked her at the
jaws and five teeth fell out while two others became
loose. They continued
assaulting her until she was unconscious. On the next
day, while she was
still suffering from the trauma she was told that her
home and property had
been destroyed. Her children were also assaulted.
21 May 2008
The
female victim reports that she was assaulted and her home was destroyed
by
ZANU PF youths. A ZANU PF candidate had held a meeting in the area and
people were told that they were hunting for MDC supporters. She and her
family hid in the bush and they then left the area after their home had been
set on fire. She took her children to some relatives in Mt Darwin and she
sought refuge in Harare
24 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he fled his home to live in the bush afer he
had been told that he was
a target for the ZANU PF militia. When the youths
arrived in his village,
armed, he fled to Harare. He was then informed that
the youth were hunting
for him and they had assaulted his wife.
25 May 2008
The male
victim who had been an MDC polling agent reports that he was
assaulted by
ZANU PF youths and his home was destroyed. On the day in
question, he was
working in the field when a group of ZANU PFyouths and
war vets confronted
him. They assaulted him twice on the shoulder with a
stick. He managed to
escape. They went to his home and assaulted his wife
and set his homes on
fire. He sought refuge in Harare.
Mvurwi
2 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who took him
to
their base where accused him of insulting a woman who was known to them.
They ordered him to lie down facing the ground and assaulted him on his
buttocks using a long stick. They also poured cold water on him. After about
45 minutes of beatings, he was allowed to sleep in the company of a guard.
He was given neither food nor water. He was woken up the following day at
around 05:00hrs and told to dance to the tune of beating drums. This
continued for about 15 minutes. He could not cope due to the pain in his
buttocks and this led to further assaults. He eventually lost consciousness
and they left him lying on the ground.
Rushinga
5 May
2008
The female victim reports that she and her husband were assaulted
after they
had been identified as MDC supporters. Her husband was summoned
to Chief
Nyakusena's home. When he got there, he was asked to surrender his
MDC
membership card and t-shirts. He complied but the chief did not take
them.
He was severely assaulted. Other MDC supporters who had been called
but were
spared the beatings carried him home. A group of ZANU PF
supporters then
went to their home two days later and informed the couple
that they had come
to destroy their lives and their home.They destroyed the
home while the
family was in hiding. The victim was at the time of the
report living as an
internally displaced person. She left her children in
the care of a relative
who was also being threatened for giving them
refuge.
6 May 2008
The male victim who had been an MDC polling
agent, reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He was collected
from his home by ZANU PF
youths and taken to the chief's homestead for
interrogation. He was then
assaulted by five men on the back and buttocks
and thighs using a thick
wooden stick. When he was released , he sought
refuge in the bushes. He
sustained extensive injury on the buttocks and his
right arm.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths at a meeting
to which he was summoned which had
been convened by soldiers. His name was
called out from a list of identified
MDC supporters. The youths ordered him
to take off his shoes and assaulted
him under the feet. They told him not
to go to the clinic and threatened to
kill him if defied their orders. He
was told that on the day of the
re-run he should tell the Presiding Officer
that he was unable to write so
that the officer could vote for ZANU PF on
his behalf. His wife was also
assaulted. He then escaped to Harare. He
sustained injuries on his knee and
right ankle.
23 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths when he was
forced to attend a ZANU PF meeting
at Makosa Primary School. He , together
with other MDC supporters, was
accused of selling the country to the whites.
He was assaulted on the
butocks. He fled to Harare. He sustained injuries on
his
buttocks.
Shamva Central
24 May 2008
The victim reports
that ZANU PF youths burned down her home. They asked her
for information on
her husband's whereabouts and and when she refused to
tell them they
proceeded to set the home on fire. All her property was
destroyed
Shamva North
11 May 2008
The
Standard
On the morning of Sunday, 11 May 2008 Sam Kahari, an MDC
supporter from
Chidembo village in Shamva, was reportedly murdered by
alleged ZANU PF
youths and war veterans in the presence of his wife and four
children. The
group is known in the Madziva area as the "Chabopa Squad".
Kahari was
allegedly dragged out of his bed by the assailants and later
found dead with
three axes stuck in his skull. His wife and children fled
after witnessing
the murder. Later that morning,it is alleged that the same
group set on fire
more than 20 homesteads, claiming they belonged to MDC
supporters in the
village. More than 50 people, including Kahari's wife,
were reportedly
injured in that attack.
15 May 2008
The
Herald
10 alleged MDC youths are reported to have stoned and
petrol-bombed homes
belonging to ZANU PF supporters destroying property
worth Z$3 trillion. It
is alleged that on the day of the incident, the
assailants went to Shamva
Gold Mine compound at around 16:00hrs and attacked
a home owned by ZANU PF
supporters. The assailants are also alleged to have
looted property from
the home of the victims who had reportedly fled their
homes.
17 May 2008
The Standard
It is reported that on 17
May 2008 the "Chabopa Squad" abducted the MDC
treasurer for Ward 9, Edson
Zaya, from his home at around 13:00hrs. The
assailants allegedly dragged
him to Chidembo shopping centre where they
killed him. Zaya's friends and
relatives reportedly claimed they found his
body with bruises which they
believe were caused by human teeth, a deep cut
to the head and scars that
they suspected were due to hot plastic being
applied to his back.
2
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths.
He was
walking home when three men ambushed him and took him to their base
in the
village area near Loyen Farm. They asked him for information about
the MDC.
They then took a rope and tied his hands and legs and hung him on a
tree.
They assaulted him with a stick on his back. They then cut the rope
and he
fell onto the ground landing on his head. They also hit him in the
face.
They tied his arms and legs together and put his head under his feet.
They
again asked him to give them information about the MDC but he did not
tell
them anything. The ZANU PF youths then reported him to the police that
he
was a thief.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assulted and lost property to some ZANU
PF youths. They went to his home at
around midnight. He woke his uncle up
and they realised that the home had
been surrounded by ZANU PF youtrhs. His
uncle was manhandled while he was
getting outside but he managed to escape.
The victim on the other hand was
was overpowered. The youths started
assaulting him using hoe handles and
sticks. They accused him of being a
"sellout". They destroyed his property
and set fire to his livestock. They
took some chickens for themselves . The
victim sustained injuries on his leg
and buttocks.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was burned down and destroyed
by ZANU
PF youths at about 23:00hrs. He had been sleeping in the bush for
days
because of the escalating violence being perpetrated against MDC
members. He
witnessed the incident whilst hiding in the bush.
8 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was set on fire, his property
was
destroyed and some of it was looted by about 60 ZANU PF youths. His
family
escaped and the victim hid nearby and witnessed the ZANU PF youths
destroying his homes. They poured petrol on his harvesred crops and property
before setting it alight. They looted some of the property.
11 May
2008
The victim was assaulted and his home was set on fire by ZANU PF
youths who
approached it at around 23:00hrs. He was manhandled by six people
who
dragged him into a nearby bush and started assaulting him with metal
whips.
They demanded MDC t-shirts before they set his home on fire. Nothing
was
recovered from the fire. The victim escaped and went back home only to
find
out that his mother had also been assaulted. He went to Madziva Police
Station and reported the matter.
14 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was abducted, assaulted and his home was
burned down by ZANU
PF youths and all his belongings destroyed. He was on
his way to work when
ZANU PF youths abducted him and took him to their
offices. He was assaulted
with sticks, iron bars and fists. He was forced to
clean their offices and
they threatened to come back for him before they
released him.
14 May
2008
The male victim who was a Presiding Officer during the March
elections,
reports that ZANU PF youths and war veterans assaulted him at his
home which
is at the school where he is the Headmaster using an iron bar
and logs.
They demanded MDC cards and T-shirts and continued assaulting him
demanding
to know where the MDC votes had come from. They then searched his
home
before assaulting him further and ordered him not to leave the
school.
14 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths who arrived
at his home at around 0430hrs. There were
about 30 of them and they were
singing and beating drums. He tried to escape
but his efforts were in vain.
They took him to Kwandu Mountain to their base
where they ordered him to
sing and dance. He was put in the centre of a
circle and beaten on the
soles of his feet. They wanted information on his
MDC- related activities
as well as all the party materials. His brother
reported his abduction to
the police and they rescued him. The perpetrators
were arrested, briefly
detained and released.
16 May 2008
The
male victim, who is the youth chairman for the MDC, reports that he was
taken by ZANU PF youths to Chidembo shops where he was assaulted.
17
May 2008
The male victims reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF
youths. He was
forced to atttend a meeting which had been convened by
soldiers. As he was
leaving for the meeting, his daughter informed him that
other youths were
hiding in pits around his home. The meeting was addressed
by war veterans
and the villagers had to remain behind after the address.
Some youths from
the surrounding resettlement areas then ordered all MDC
supporters to stand
aside. The victim was assaulted and forced to jog. He
tried to ecsape but
this only led to further and heavier assaults. He lost
consciousness and
only woke up the following morning to find himself at his
home.
21 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was burned
down by ZANU PF youths.
The youths poured petrol on the house before they
lit it. He sought refuge
in Harare.
23 May 2008
The male
victim reports that his home was burned down and he was assaulted
by ZANU PF
supporters. He was asleep when he heard movements outside. He
went out to
investigate and found a group of people setting fire to his
home. They also
assaulted him with iron bars on the fingers and his back and
threw stones at
his home and accused him of being an MDC supporter. The
victim escaped into
a nearby bush. All his property was destroyed.
24 May 2008
The
male victim reports that he was assaulted by armed CIO agents. He had
been
taking care of victims of political violence in his area together with
his
chairperson for the MDC. They were attacked by four CIO agents who had
for
some time been looking for them allegedly intending to kill them . On
the
day in question, they attacked them and they tried to run away. One of
them
tried to shoot the victim when he tried to escape but he missed. He
tripped
and fell while trying to run away. He sprained his right ankle. They
however
managed to escape and stayed in the forest for two days until
someone was
sent for them. They left for Harare.
26 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was threatened by about 20 ZANU PF youths
who went to his
home threatening kill him as he was one of those held
responsible for the
loss in the March 29 harmonised elections. He was
however alerted of the
youth's approach by the barking of the dogs and made
an escape into the
bush. The victim then sought refuge in Harare
Shamva South
2 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was burned down and he was
assaulted
by ZANU PF youths. They went to his home demanding to know why he
supported
the MDC. They proceeded to assault him with a stick on his right
hand. He
managed to escape into the bush. From there he saw the group burn
his home
and destroy his property. His youngest child, aged two, who was at
the home
as they set it alight suffered burns on her left leg. He reported
the
incident to the local police. The police went to the scene and then
asked
him to accompany them to the station to write a report. He was
informed that
the youths were still searching for him and sought refuge in
Harare.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was
burned down and he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths who went to his compound
at night whilst he was asleep.
They started to burn homes and as he was
trying to escape one of them
persued him and struck him on his right hand
with a blunt object. He was
also struck with an axe on his head. The victim
received further blows in
his ribcage. He sought refuge in Harare
6
May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was burned down by about
20 ZANU PF
youths at around 01:00hrs. The youths started burning the homes
in the
village. The villagers all got out of their homes and gathered at one
home
which had survived the fire. The youths started throwing stones
telling
them to leave the compound. One of the stones caught the victim's
neighbour. He then left the village for Harare.
6 May 2008
The
male victim reports that his home was burned down by ZANU PF youths. A
friend had gone to his home at around midnight and informed him that ZANU PF
youths had started terrorising people in his ward. He took his passport
and we went to the police. He and others slept at the police station and
the next morning he went home only to find his home in ashes. All his
property was also set on fire.
8 May 2008
The female victim
reports that her home was burned down by ZANU PF youths.
They were asleep
when the youths surrounded their home and started throwing
stones. The
victim managed to escape but her auntie and two other women
were assaulted.
She slept in the bush overnight then travelled to Harare the
following day
to seek refuge. Her home and property were all destroyed in
the
fire
8 May 2008
The female victim reports that her home was burned
down and she was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths who went to her home at around
0200hrs. Some
started destroying the corners of her home as others were
burning the
curtains and smashing the windows. They forced her and her
three year old
son out of the home and assaulted her. One of the youths
attempted to cut
her throat with a machete. Her son started crying loudly
and this caused
the youths to stop the assault. They then left and all the
homes were burnt
to ashes, including all the property.
10 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was burned down and she was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths after they broke in through the window. She was
slapped as they accused her of selling the country.
10 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was burned down and she was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths.
12 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who went to
his home and
demanded to know why he was supporting Simba Makoni and why his
brothers
were supporting the MDC. They said they were reluctant to beat him
because
they knew that he was a chronically unwell person. They told him
that he was
expected from that day on to control his brothers. Nevertheless
they then
went on to slap him several times in the face. He was also hit
with logs on
both feet and legs around the ankle. He reports that he now
experiences
difficulty in walking.
13 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was threatened by ZANU PF youths. Soon
after the 29 March harmonised
elections results were announced, ZANU PF
youths led by war veterans started
attacking MDC leaders during the night.
They claimed that if they destroyed
the leaders then the MDC would be
destroyed. The youths and war veterans
started destroying and burning
homesteads and assaulting villagers. Some
villagers had died as a result of
the beatings. Most of the MDC Shamva
activists started staying in the bush.
The victim managed to board a train
to Harare. His family was threatened and
detained in Shamva. They later on
managed to escape.
17 May 2008
The male victim reports that his
home was burned down by suspected ZANU PF
youths. He was asleep when the
perpetrators set his home on fire. He reports
that he would have been burned
to death in his sleep had a stranger not
rescued him. He lost his home and
property. He suspected that this happened
to him because he was an MDC
supporter.
MASHONALAND EAST
Chikomba Central
9 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who
had
earlier gone to his home looking for him. They were later given
information
on his whereabouts by his neighbour. When they found him, they
told him
that they wanted to go with him to his home so that they could
talk. The
victim refused and they started assaulting him on the neck and
head until
he lost consciousness. When he came around, the assauts resumed.
They lifted
him onto a rock and beat him under the feet. They left him to
sleep under
a tree as he could not walk. He then saw someone passing
through and asked
for assistance. Unfortunately, the passserby was
apprehended by the police.
He was then rescued by his relatives. The
victim sustained injuries on his
back, legs and eyes.
9 May
2008
The male victim reports that he and his family were assaulted by
ZANU PF
youths. There was a ZANU PF rally which he had refused to attend.
Some
youths were sent to fetch him from his home. They found him in the
garden
with his wife and three children. They slapped his eight year old
daughter
and also slapped his wife and accused her of not attending the
rally. One
of them took a knobkerrie and forcefully pressed it into the
back of his
two year old son who started vomiting continuously. They then
grabbed him
and started beating him with the knobkerrie on the neck and face
while the
children were watching. They forced him to go with them to the
rally. They
further ssaulted him until he lost consciousness. They told him
that he
should support ZANU PF. He was also told that he should neither
report the
incident to the police nor go to the hospital. He sought refuge
in Harare.
He was then informed that his two year son had died as a result
of the
injuries
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who went to
his home while he and his wife
were asleep. After they had harrassed his
wife, they started assaulting
him. They told him that they had been looking
for him. They assaulted him
all over the body using baton sticks. The victim
sustained injuries on the
legs and had difficulty walking.
10 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. The
villagers were forced
to attend a ZANU PF rally. During the meeting he
was taken aside to a
nearby bush by about eight men who said they had
something to discuss. They
then took off his shoes and started beating him
under the feet using wooden
sticks. They beat him up for about 30 munites
after which they released him.
They drove him to an unknown place and dumped
him there. He had to walk back
home. He sustained injuries as well as
bleeding under the feet.
11
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF Youths.
He had
visited his uncle and while they were asleep a group of ZANU PF
youths
woke them up and forced everyone out of the home, set it on fire.
They then
started assaulting them with shamboks, knobkerries and sticks.
They severely
assaulted everyone and also took his uncle's gun. They also
took his
passport, R700, $8 billion, clothes and a cellphone. The victim
sustained
injuries all over the body.
Chikomba East
8 May
2008
The male victim who had been an MDC polling agent in the 29 March
2008
harmonised elections, reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths.
He
was forced to attend a rally so that he could name all the people who
had
voted for the MDC. They accused him of persuading some people to vote
for
the MDC. The victim denied the allegations. He was instructed to lie on
the
ground and they assaulted him on his buttocks. He was injured due to the
beatings but they refused to let him seek medical assistance. He then left
the village for Harare.
8 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths at his home.
When they failed to
find him initially they threatened to burn his wife.
The victim revealed
himself when he realised that they were assaulting his
wife. He was then
beaten with a heavy object on the back of his head and
he fell down. He was
told to lie down and they beat him with a log all over
his body. He and his
family were made to lie on their abdomens ,and were
ordered to lift their
legs and were assaulted underneath the feet. The
following day they were
summoned to a ZANU PF meeting and they were ordered
to bring the MDC
Chairman. He was told that failure to comply with the order
would result in
repeated attacks. The victim attended the meeting but he
did not receive
further assaults. The following two days saw the ZANU PF
youths sleeping
outside the victim's home. The victim eventually ecaped to
Harare.
9
May 2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF
youths. They
asked for her husband and when the victim lied that he was not
there she was
slapped. She was ordered to lie down and she was assaulted on
the buttocks
with baton sticks. She was poked on the sides and was forced to
march. The
following day she and her husband were summoned to a ZANU PF
meeting. That
evening the assailants went to their home and the victim and
her family
escaped into the bushes where they remained for a couple of
nights.
15 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
and his he lost some property
to ZANU PF youths who invaded his homestead
and forced him to lead them to
other MDC activists. They also forced his
mother to chant ZANU PF slogans.
On their way, one of the youths took his
cellphone and assaulted him with
hands and whips. Other MDC activists
organised themselves and managed to
rescue him. He made a police report.
The youths also stole from his home
groundnuts, mealie meal and cooking
oil.
Chikomba West
9 May 2008
The male victim reports that
his home was burnt down and he was assaulted by
ZANU PF youths who used
fists, planks and iron bars as they assaulted him
all over his body. When
they realised that he had lost conciousness, they
dragged him into his
bedroom. They ransacked his home and took with them MDC
party cards,
t-shirts and all the campaigning materials they found. When he
regained
consciousness, he was able to sneak out and run and they failed to
catch
him. On his return, he found that his kitchen had been burnt to ashes
including all the property inside . He fled to Harare.
10 May
2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths
who went
to her home asking for her husband. She refused to cooperate and
they
started assaulting. Her husband then came to her rescue. He was
however
assaulted under the feet with wooden sticks. The youths took them
into their
bedroom and asked them to perform sexual acts. They further
assaulted the
victim with whips and ropes. She sustained injuries on the
back , legs and
buttocks.
11 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by army officers. He was in
the company of his nephew
on their way from the shops.
11 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths while he was
at the shopping centre.
He sustained head injuries.
14 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by five ZANU PF youths who
demanded that he surrender
to them all his MDC t-shirts and accused him of
being a sellout. They
assaulted him all over the body and on the soles of
his feet.
14 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who
confronted him at his home and accused him of supporting the MDC. They
assaulted him all over the body and under the feet with sticks. They
threatened to kill him. The victim sustained injuries all over the
body.
14 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home and
property were destroyed by ZANU PF
youths. The victim denied them entry at
about 01:00hrs but went outside to
see who it was and he noticed a group of
ZANU PF youths outside. When he got
back into the home, the violaters
started throwing stones into the home.
They locked the door from outside and
set the home on fire. He managed to
escape through the window, landed on
the ground and hit one of his
shoulders. He also rescued his wife and child
from the fire through the
window. They hid in the nearby bush and the
following day the victim found
that the teachers at his school had been
assaulted. They were being accused
of rigging the elections. The victim
reported the matter to Featherstone
Police Station and on 15 May 2008 one
Arthur Ncube was arrested. The case
was handled by the CID Law and Order
Unit, Chivhu. The violaters went back
on 19 May and burnt the rest of his
property.
15 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. The
villagers were being forced to attend a
ZANU PF meeting. On his way there he
met some youths who asked him to take
them back to his home. When they got
to his home, he took a weapon so that
he could defend himself if they
attacked him. The youths got the better of
him and pushed him down. They
assualted him with wooden logs and
bricks.
16 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was
destroyed by ZANU PF youths. He
had been earlier informed that they were
coming after him so he sought
refuge in the nearby bush. On the following
day the ZANU PF supporters went
to his home at around 22:00hrs and found his
wife whom they beat on the
buttocks using sticks. They also destroyed her
homestead.
16 May 2008
The male victim reports that he fled from
his home because he feared
victimisation. He was warned that the ZANU PF hit
squad was looking for him
and he was in danger. He left the school that he
heads and fled to Harare.
25 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He was on
his way to church when he met
the ZANU PF losing candidate for Chikomba who
was on his way to a ZANU PF
rally. A few moments later, he saw the
candidate behind him with a group
of other youths whom he had fetched from
the meeting. They accused the
victim of preaching politics in church. They
took him to their leaders for
interrogation. After this they decided to
move around the villages with him
, identifying all other MDC activists.
They assaulted him with sticks all
over the body and also kicked him . At
one point, he fell down and they
started stepping on his chest. He tried to
get help from a policeman but he
was also harrassed and he could not assist
him. He managed to escape but
they followed him to his home. He fled from
his home and slept in the
forest for three days.He eventually got transport
to
Harare.
Goromonzi North
8 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted and detained by ZANU PF youths
who forced him to
attend a meeting at which they were being addressed by
soldiers, ZANU PF
youths and war veterans. The victim's name was called out
from a list of MDC
supporters. He and others were taken to Cranborne
Barracks 2 Brigade where
they were detained for 10 days. During their stay,
he was beaten several
times on the back and buttocks with wooden sticks
punched and kicked all
over the body. The detainees had cold water poured
on them while they slept
at night and threatened them with death as guns
were pointed at them. They
were asked to write accounts of why they were
voting for the MDC. They were
realeased after Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights Interveined
8 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and detained for 12
days by
war veterans. A war veteran went to his work place and informed the
management that all workers were supposed to attend a meeting to be held the
next day. As the meeting progressed a list of MDC supporters was called out.
They were severely assaulted while lying on the ground. They were told they
were going to be taken to Goromonzi Police Station. They were however
ordered to close their eyes until they were put in a certain room. They had
no idea of their whereabouts. The victim was asked to undress. He was
forced to lie dowm and they proceeded to assault him all over the body. One
soldier arrived the following and on being informed about the reasons for
their presence, he also assaulted them. They were detained for about two
weeks and afterwards taken back to their homes.
Goromonzi
South
3 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted and
detained by war veterans.
When the war veterans found out about his
political activities, they
interrogated him and assaulted him with open
hands and booted feet. They
also pulled his genitalia. He was taken to
Cranborne Barracks where he was
detained for two weeks. He was assaulted
several times while in the cells.
He was not given enough food and there
were not enough blankets.
23 May 2008
The female victim reports
that she and her husband were assaulted by ZANU
PF youths who wanted to burn
the home but could not find the matches.They
fled into the bushes. The
police came and they were taken to Mabvuku Police
Station. The victim were
sent to Parirenyatawa Hospital for treatment.
24 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths twelve of
whom went
to his home and told him that they had been sent by their seniors
to take
him to their base. At the base he was ordered to lie down and was
assaulted
on the buttocks with sticks. They ordered him to go back home and
return
daily at 05:00hrs to have the register marked to confirm that he was
around.
He went back to report on three occasions after which he told them
he had
to leave for Harare for treatment.
Goromonzi West
15 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was burned down and that she
was
assaulted and detained by ZANU PF Youths. The victim heard some noise
and
identified a group of people going towards her home. The family locked
their
doors and ran away because they had been tipped that ZANU PF
supporters were
going around assaulting people. They hid in the nearby bush
and heard the
youths singing and shouting. The victim saw the violators
setting her
mother's hut on fire. They burnt down the granary and the scotch
cart. When
they went to observe the damage the following morning the victim
discovered
that her two-bedroomed hut had been burnt and all her property
had been
destroyed. The violators then abducted them and took them to their
base in
Chibayamashaya Ward which is located in the middle of the bush. They
were
ordered to lie on the ground and were assaulted with logs all over the
body.
They were detained there for a day. ZANU PF youths then ordered them
to
vacate the area.
15 May 2008
The female victim
reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. She was
asked to attend a
village meeting. She complied and at the meeting she was
asked to surrender
her MDC membership card and t-shirts. She denied having
anything to do with
the MDC whereupon she was assaulted with booted feet and
wooden sticks. Her
homes were burnt and she was left with nothing. The
victim also reported
that she left a 13 yearold child at home and was now an
internally displaced
person.
Marondera Central
12 May 2008
The male
victim reported that he was assaulted and that his property was
destroyed by
ZANU PF youths. He was attacked during the night while he was
asleep. They
dragged him out of the home and set it on fire. The victim was
then taken to
a ZANU PF base where he was detained for about 24 hrs. He was
assaulted with
old tires and sticks. He sustained injuries under his feet
and on the right
side of his back.
21 May 2008
The male victim reports that his
home was burnt and and he was assaulted by
ZANU PF youths who forced him to
drink a certain liquid in a container used
for pesticides. They beat him
under feet. They proceeded to burn his home
and property. They also kept
some of his household property for themselves.
Marondera East
14
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths
who took him
to their base at Igava Farm and started interrogating him . He
was then
assaulted with sticks and whips on the back and buttocks. He was
released
after two days and sought refuge in Harare. He sustained injuries
which were
causing chest pains , abdominal pains and backache.
Mudzi
North
3 May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was burned
down and he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths. About 13 ZANU PF activists went
to his home purpoting to
be soldiers. They forced the door open, pulled
him out and started
assaulting him on the back and hands with logs for
about 15 minutes. When
he realised that the youths had returned to the
village and this time were
burning homes, he fled from his home. He went
into hiding started staying in
the bush. He only managed to make it to
Harare on the 15 May 2008.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was threatened by ZANU PF youths. He fled to
Harare before they could
carry out their threats.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He had
attended a ZANU PF meeting and he
was assaulted with thick sticks because he
was suspected to have voted for
the MDC.
8 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was asked to
go to Madzivanhanga ZANU PF
youth base. When he got there he was assaulted
with sticks.
8 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was
called to meeting where she was
assaulted after being identified as an MDC
supporter. She was beaten with
fists and and pushed to the ground and she
injured her left hand.
8 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted by ZANU PF youths because he
supports the MDC.
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was abducted and assaulted by ZANU
PF
youths. He had had not been staying at his home for the previous week
after he had earlier been detaned and assaulted at the youth base. He sought
refuge at the hospital.
11 May 2008
The female victim who was
pregnant at the time of the incident reports that
her home was burnt down
and she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. She was
sleeping at a neighbours
place when about 20 ZANU PF youths called their
names out from a list and
proceeded to assault them. They accused them of
being traitors. She and her
neighbour were then taken to a place far from
where she resides and the
assaults continued along the way. They were later
dumped at an unkown place
and they walked till they reached Marlborough. The
home they were living in
was burnt.
11 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. She was
asleep when a group of ZANU PF youths
went to her home. They asked her for
her husband's whereabouts while
slapping her. They forced her and her
sister-in-law into a car together with
her twin children. They were taken
to Kotwa, far from home, where they were
assaulted with sticks all over the
body by four men. They forced them to
repeat ZANU PF slogans with which
they were unfamiliar with. They were
beaten till around 07:00hrs the next
morning. They were eventually released.
At the time of the report, the
victim was experiencing difficulty in
breathing as well as diarrhoea
11 May 2008
The female victim
reports that her two children were abducted from home and
beaten up the
whole night and were brought back home the following morning.
After three
days the assailants came back looking for the elder of the two
brothers but
did not find him at home as he was on the run. They hunted for
him and
found him before he had boarded a bus to Harare. At the time of the
report
the victim was still searching for her son. She was threatened with
death
if she did not bring her son home.
13 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was abducted and assaulted by CIO members.
He was waiting
for transport to go to Nyamapanda when he was approached by 2
CIO members
who asked him why he was standing at the bus stop. He explained
where he
wanted to go and they accused him of sending information on the
beatings
that were taking place in the area . They fired a shot in the air
before
abducting him. They took him to their base where he was beaten with
hands,
booted feet and logs.
20 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was abducted and assaulted by ZANU PF
youths who took him to their base
where he was forced to lie on his stomach.
One man was holding his hands and
legs while another was stepping on his
neck. They took turns to beat him
with wooden logs all over his body.
24 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was an MDC activist who had been displaced
from his home
since the 1st of May 2008. He had been staying in Kambazuma
since then. He
had boarded a bus to Mutoko, when he was identified by some
ZANU PF youths.
They interrrogated and assaulted him. He sustained injuries
all over the
body and also complained of chest and abdominal pains.
25 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF supporters
and war
veterans. He was working in the fields when a group of eight ZANU
PF war
veterans visited him and invited him for a meeting at the clinic. He
was
identified as one of the MDC supporters who had been listed. He and
six
other MDC supporters were beaten on the buttocks with the wooden
logs.
Mudzi South
11 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was forced to flee his home when he was
informed that ZANU PF supporters
and war vets were looking for him. He had
campaigned for the MDC for the
Presidential elections. He sought refuge in
the bush. The ZANU PF supporters
had earlier instructed him as a pastor to
chase away all MDC supporters
from the church. He spent more than a week on
the run until he went to
Harare
15 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
and his property was
destroyed by ZANU PF supporters. The victim and his
family are MDC
supporters who hosted some MDC meetings. On 15 May ZANU PF
supporters went
to his home and started burning his property. They also
assaulted him and
his wife. They used bricks to assault him behind his ear
and leg. The victim
had a catherter and it was damaged.
15 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths four
of whom
dragged him to their base at Rudonde Primary School. They accused
him of
being a sell-out and assaulted him. He was beaten on the buttocks
and he
sprained his right shoulder. When then evetually released him, he
decided
to leave for Harare
15 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by army soldiers and war
veterans. Two armed
soldiers and three war veterans arrived at his father's
business premises in
a Mitshubishi car. They ordered him to lie down and
started assaulting him
in the back with sticks. They also slapped him. They
alleged that the victim
had influenced his father to engange in politics and
since he was a teacher
he had also enlightened students about the MDC. They
also accused him of
rigging the 29 March 2008 harmonised elections in favour
of the MDC. He fled
to Harare after they had released him.
19 May 2008
The male victim
reports that his home and property were destroyed and he was
assaultd by
ZANU PF youths. They went to his home at around midnight armed
with axes,
stones, spears and logs. As he was running into into the
mountains, he got
hit by a stone. They took away his wardrobe before
settingthe home on fire.
He lost all his property in the fire. He then went
to Harare to seek
assistance.
20 May 2008
The male victim who is an MDC activist
reports that his property was
destroyed and he was assaulted by ZANU PF
youths about 15 of whom went to
his home. They took him to their base at
Masarafuka turnoff. When they got
there , he saw about 200 members wielding
heavy sticks. Seven members took
turns to assault him on the buttocks whilst
he was lying down. The youths
burned down his huts, chicken run, kraal and
5 goats.
21 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths two of whom
went to his home and forced him to accompany
them to their base. He was
identified as an MDC supporters. They proceeded
to assault him on the
buttocks. On 23 May 2008 about 15 youths went back to
his home and again
took him to their base.When hey got there, he discovered
that they had
gathered many other MDC supporters. They ordered him to lie
down and ten of
them took turns to assault him on the buttocks. They then
stopped on the
instruction of their leadres. They ordered all the victims
not to go to the
clinic and they were kept under surveillance. The youths
then ordered the
victim to give them 3 chickens. He then decided to leave
his home and seek
assistance in Harare.
Mudzi West
5 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was abducted and severely assaulted
by ZANU
PF youths who took him to a base camp which had been set up in
Mudzi. He was
detained for one week. He was eventually released after his
health had
deteriorated.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports he
was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He is an MDC
youth member who was forced to
join the ZANU PF youth group after they had
set his homes on fire and
assaulted his mother. He was forced to participate
in the violent campaigns
against MDC supporters in the area On the day in
question, some ZANU PF
youths attempted to steal peanuts from his home but
he protested. Sometime
later, when he was walking to the shops, they
unleashed their dogs on him
and he was beaten. One of the dogs bit him on
the thigh leaving markings of
6 teeth. He sustained a hamstring injury and,
at the time of the report,
had difficulty in walking.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He had
returned from Mozambique and was
accused of having gone there to train MDC
militia. The victim himself was
trained in the military force from 1987 to
1991. He was then beaten with
fists and sticks, afterwhich he was asked to
guard about 10 other MDC youths
so that they would not go back to attending
to MDC business.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths.
There had
been the funeral of his child at his home. His relatives who had
attended
the funeral stayed over. Some ZANU PF youths then accused him of
missing
compulsory sessions at the base and also harbouring MDC supporters.
The
victim then decided to attend a session and spent the night at the base.
Then the next day one youth confronted him with a letter which stated he was
supposed to receive 60 lashes wth a whip. He was then hit with sticks on his
buttocks while others were hitting him under his feet and another was
pressing his head into the ground. On the next day , another youth also
confonted him with instructions that he had not received enough punishment.
He was further assaulted.
9 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was forced to attend a ZANU PF meeting where
he was heavily
assaulted. The meeting took place at Nyamangora School.The
assaults came
after he had confessed that he was an MDC supporter. He was
assaulted with a
log on the buttocks. He also sustained arm injuries .
9 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was damaged by ZANU PF youths.
He had
refused to attend a ZANU PF meeting. They went to his home looking
for him
and left a message with his wife that he was expected at the base.
The
victim's wife went to the base instead of him. She was assaulted after
she
had refused to reveal his whereabouts. They destroyed the roof of his
home
and took some food for themselves. He then decided to seek refuge in
Harare.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he his home was
burned down and he was tortured
and detained by ZANU PF youths, army
officers and war veterans. He was
asleep when the group approached his home
which was at his school . He had
deserted his other home and was sleeping
at the school where he had come to
seek refuge. The assailants started
firing shots in the air and throwing
stones on the roof of the home until
the asbestos was destroyed. He
eventually went out and they assaulted him
until he lost consciousness. He
was picked up in the morning by someone who
took him to hospital. When he
was discharged the ZANU PF youths and armed
forces took him to their camp
where they tortured him for a week. He
managed to escape again but was
caught on his way out. He was further
assaulted and left lying in the road.
He managed to get help from a truck
driver who took him to Harare on
13/05/08. His two homes and all his
property was destroyed. At the time of
the report, he was living as an
inernally displaced person.
14 May 2008
The male victim who is a
war veteran reports that he was assaulted by ZANU
PF youths. He was taken
to a ZANU PF base at Rukonde Primary School at
around 1000hrs. When they
got there, he was identified as an MDC supporter
and a sell-out. He was
ordered to sit and one of the youths tried to lift
him up by the shoulders
and he sustained injuries. They told him to lie
down and they held his head
and legs while they assaulted him with sticks on
the buttocks. He reported
at Kotwa Police Station on 15 May and the RRB is
0349794. The matter was
still being investigated.
Murewa North
29 May 2008
The
Standard
Two ZANU-PF supporters were reportedly shot dead while two
others escaped
unhurt in politically motivated violence by alleged MDC
supporters in
Mutoko. Lessy Chitsitsi, the ZANU PF ward publicity secretary
in the area,
was reportedly shot dead on Thursday 29 May 2008 and the second
victim
Taurai Chihuri was reportedly shot and killed on Friday 30 May 2008
respectively.
4 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF supporters. Soon
after the March 29 harmonised
elections result , ZANU PF youths and War
Veterans were unleashed into their
area. When they arrived at his homestead
he fled into the bush where he
stayed for about one and a half months. When
he came back home to see what
was happening, he was ambushed, kicked and
beaten all over the body. He was
slapped on the face while being restrained
by four youths, two on either
side. He sought assistance from other MDC
activists and went to Harare. The
victim was at the time of the report
complaining of pain and partial
deafness in the right ear.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was forced fo flee from his home after ZANU
PF youths had gone to looking
for him. He had earlier in the day been
involved in a fight with war
veterans. He fled to Harare. He received news
that his home had been
destroyed.
7 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assauted
by ZANU PF youths who went to
his home and started smashing windows and
breaking down doors. He was then
dragged out of the home. They proceeded to
assault him as they demanded to
know the whereabouts of his brother, and
assaulted him with logs, and
batons on the left hand, back and buttocks.
They took his brother's clothes
and some of his belongings and burned them.
He reported the case at Murewa
Police Station and they gave him a letter
to enable him to get medical
treatment at the local clinic but he was
denied treatment. They told him
that they had no medication.
7 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was burned down and she was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. It was around midnight when she and her
husband woke up to the sound of stones hitting the roof, smashing windows
and collapsing doors. When they got out, they saw about 25 youths. They
were asked why they had voted for the MDC. Her husband was assaulted with
chains but he managed to escape. She was assaulted with sticks on the
buttocks and back. They set her home on fire. They also looted some of her
property. She was left with a broken arm.
7 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted and his property was destroyed
by ZANU
PF youths. They went to his home at around 01:00hrs after he had
been
identified as an MDC supporter. They burnt some of his property and
kept the
rest of it themselves.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted and his home was burned down
by ZANU PF youths. They
approached it at night and assaulted him using
heavy logs. He got a cut on
the head and started to bleed. His wife was
heavily assaulted to the extent
that she could no longer walk by herself.
They managed to escape to
Harare.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths with a
metal object. He sustained injuries on his arm,
left leg and right eye .
At the time of the report, the victim was also
complaining of chest pains.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who forced
themselves into the home
and assaulted him using different objects. He fled
to Murehwa where other
MDC members helped him to get to Harare.
10 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and war
veterans. A
group of about 30 approached his home demanding to see his son
who is an MDC
youth. He refused to cooperate with them so they forced their
way in. They
found his son whom they dragged out. The victim then tried to
rescue his son
but one of the youth caught him on his left arm with a log.
His arm was
broken
11 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths who went
to her home looking for her husband who
was at work in Harare. They
assaulted her with logs and destroyed her home.
She fled to Harare.
12 May 2008
The female victim reports that her
husband was murdered by suspecetd ZANU PF
youths. He had left for Murehwa
with his friends who were also MDC
activists. His body was found dumped in a
bush in Goromonzi after being
missing for 10 days. His eyes had been removed
and he had a hole in his
chest. His genitals had been cut off, his tongue
and teeth had also been
removed and his body had been set on fire. His
friends were also found
dead. The victim was also informed that some ZANU PF
members and CIO agents
had been to her home in Epworth looking for her. At
the time of the report,
the victim was living in fear.
14 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was burned down by ZANU PF
youths also
broke into it at night but he managed to escape into a nearby
bush. His
property was also destroyed. The victim had also been assaulted on
11 May at
a ZANU PF meeting.
14 May 2008
The male victim is an
MDC supporter. On the day in question he heard noises
outside and when he
got out to inquire he saw ZANU PF supporters
surrounding his homestead. They
ordered him outside. The victim was not
dressed properly as he was wearing
only his underwear. He was ordered to lie
on his stomach and they started
assaulting him and his wife with an electric
cable. The assailants destroyed
his property and kept some of it for
themselves.
15 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was set on fire and he was
assaulted
by ZANU PF youths. He was asleep when ZANU PF youths from Uzumba
Maramba
Pfungwe forced him out of the home. They ordered him to lie down and
they
assaulted him with logs on his buttocks thighs and back. His wife
also got
out of the home but she was not beaten. She was asked to chose
between being
beaten and being slept with. They however let her get back
into the home.
The youths ultimately set his home and property on fire. He
reported the
incident at Murehwa Police Station.
15 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assulted by ZANU PF youths with
a wire
20 May 2008
The male victim, who had been involved in voter
education with the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission, reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He
had gone around the area telling the
villagers that there were no cameras
which recorded how people voted and
this was perceived as being pro MDC. On
the night in question, some youths
went to his home looking for him. They
threatened to burn down the home. The
victim then revealed himself as he
feared for his children's safety. He was
forced to lie down as they
assaulted him on the back and butocks. They
dragged him away from his home
and further assaulted him for about an hour.
They accused him of
misinforming the villagers.
20 May
2008
The male victim reports that his home was burned down by ZANU PF
supporters.
He had earlier been warned that he was one of the ZANU PF
youths' targets.
He was in his garden when he saw smoke coming from his
village. He suspeced
that his home had been set on fire. He then sent a
friend to check on his
family. The friend,on his return, confirmed that his
home had been burned
down. He made a report at the local Police Station. He
went to Harare to
seek refuge.
23 May 2008
The male victim,
who is an MDC supporter, reports that he was assaulted by
ZANU PF youths.
They accused him of stealing sugarcane from a neighbours
garden. He was then
taken to their base for discipline. They slapped him on
the head and chest.
They went back to his home to search for MDC materials.
While they were
searching, he managed to escape. He got to the main road
took a bus to
Harare.
29 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths who broke
into his home and severely beat him. They asked
for his MDC cards and
t-shirts and the mobile phone. They beat him so hard
on the buttocks until
he lost consciousness. They then set the home on fire.
Someone dragged him
out of the burning home. He sustained injuries all over
his body and could
hardly walk.
29 May 2008
The male victim,
who had been a presiding officer during the March 29
harmonised election
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. On 29
May 2008 a ZANU PF
meeting was convened at Dombwe Business Centre. All the
teachers at Chimhau
School were ordered to attend the meeting. The victim's
name was called out
from a list and he was assaulted with big sticks. They
then told him not to
vote for the MDC in the 27 June Presidential runoff.
Murewa
South
15 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
and his home was burned down
by ZANU PF youths because he supports the MDC.
They assaulted him using
sticks. They also slapped him. They returned a few
days later in the
company of a soldier and set fire to his home and
property. He fled and
sought refuge in the bush.
19 May
2008
The male victim reports he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who
forced him to
accompany them to their base at Nkakina Shopping Centre. He
was assaulted
with wooden logs on the buttocks. Several other MDC
supporters who were
there were also assaulted.
Murewa West
8
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was abducted and assaulted by
ZANU PF
youths. Two cars approached a group of young people and the
occupants
disembarked and started forcing all the young boys and girls into
their
cars. They took them to Rota School. When they got there they were
forced to
sing Chimurenga songs and repeat ZANU PF slogans. They also made
them jog,
roll on the ground and poured water on them. He was detained for
three days
and was continually assaulted with ropes, sticks and cables. The
assailants
confiscated his Identity Card and birth certificate. He managed
to escape
and fled to Harare. He was bruised all over the
body.
Mutoko East
4 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who at
around 10:00hrs, were sent by war
veterans to collect him . They took him to
their base where they threatened
to kill him because he had not surrendered
his MDC cards and T-shirts. They
assaulted him and forced him to run with
two bricks in each hand. They
asked him for information on the whereabouts
of the MDC Senator and MP. He
professed his ignorance and was eventually
released. A few days later they
went back to the home looking for him. He
fled to Harare.
5 May
2008
The male victim, who is the Ward Chairman for the MDC, was assaulted
by
about five ZANU PF supporters. He reported the case at Mutoko Police
Station.
5 May 2008
The male victim reported that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He was
forced to attend a ZANU PF rally on 29
April 2008. MDC supporters were
asked to confess so that they would be
forgiven for the alleged betrayal.
The villagers did not cooperate .They
were informed that youths were going
to be sent after the MDC supporters.
On 5 May 2008 at night, the victim's
home was surrounded by ZANU PF youths
who forced him to repeat slogans and
assaulted him with logs.
7 May
2008
The female victim reports that she is now an internally displaced
person.
Her home in Mutoko was burned down by ZANU PF youths. She and her
family
were forced to flee to Harare.
8 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was abducted and assaulted by ZANU PF youths
who
ordered him to surrender his MDC card and T-shirts. They assaulted him
with
a pick handle under the feet.
12 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He was
called to the ZANU PF base
and was accused of keeping a gun and planning to
wage a war against ZANU PF
supporters. He was assaulted with logs and kicked
all over his body. The
assailants also looted his shop and displaced his
family.
11 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and
war
veterans. The victim was the area Chief. One war veteran was sent to
his
home with a letter informing him to hand over a plough which he had been
given by the ZANU PF party. They accused him of telling his people to vote
for the MDC. He was ordered to lie on the floor and they assaulted him all
over the body. They told him to refund all the monies which he has been paid
as the Chief. He was also told not to leave the area.
16 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU supporters who
were in
the company of a CIO agent and an airforce pilot. They told him
that he had
been identified as an MDC supporter. They beat him and took him
to their
base where they put him in a sack and tied him inside. They poured
water on
him whilst in the sack and threatened to kill him. He eventually
escaped
into the bush and found his way to Harare.
Mutoko
North
1 May 2008
The female victim is an MDC supporter who reports
that she was forced to
flee from her home as she feared victimisation by the
ZANU PF youths. After
the March 29 harmonised elections, ZANU PF supporters
were going around
assaulting MDC supporters in the area. She left her home
and started staying
in the forest. The victim fled the forest to Harare when
she heard that the
youths were now conducting searches in the
forest.
4 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was asaaulted
by ZANU PF youths who
demanded the MDC party's district register of which
the victim was not in
possession as it was kept by the party secretary.
They assaulted him with
clenched fists and sticks. He sustained injuries on
his left arm and lower
back. They also looted some of his property
.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU
PF youths who told him
that they were targetting teachers but wanted the
Chairman first. About 200
went to his home at around 22:00hrs. They forced
him and his wife out and
demanded their MDC membership cards. Four people
then grabbed the victim and
four others were assaulting him on the
buttocks. One of the assailants
kicked him in the face just below the
eye. They looted some of his property
.
6 May 2008
The female
victim, who at the time was pregnant. reports that her property
was
destroyed by ZANU PF youths and war veterans and she was assaulted. A
group
of about 22 people went to her home and told her that they had
information
that her husband who had fled from the village in April had
returned. She
told them the truth; that he had not returned. They accused
her of working
together with her husband and started assaulting her on the
buttocks and
back with a knobkerry . She made a report at the Police
Station and she was
referred to a doctor. They looted some of her property
and set some of it on
fire. She fled to her mother's home . They followed
her there after a few
days and repeated the assaults. She then fled to
Harare.
7 May
2008
The male victim, who had been an MDC polling agent during the March
29
harmonised elections, reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He
was asleep when a group of about 35 youths approached his home and forced
him out. They asked him to produce his MDC card and T-shirt but he replied
that he was not in possession of such materials. They forced him to the
ground and assaulted him on the buttocks until he vomitted and defacated.
They then ordered his children to take him back into the home and to stay in
the dark. They left the victim's home with a promise to return.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by four ZANU PF youths
who
told him to leave his home because only ZANU PF supporters were welcome
in
the area. He sustained injuries on on his jaw, back and hands.
8
May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths
after they
had seen him putting up MDC posters. There were about fifty of
them . They
assaulted him with sticks under the feet and all over body.
They later set
his two homes on fire.
11 May 2008
The female
victim reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. Her
husband had
been a polling officer for the MDC in the 29 March 2008
harmonised
elections. A ZANU PF meeting was convened at Makura Primary
School and the
villagers were forced to attend. People who voted for MDC
were told to
stand up. The victim did not stand up but a war veteran
identified her as an
MDC supporter. She and others were taken to a ZANU PF
base at Makura Primary
School. She was told to surrender her husband's MDC
t-shirts and cards. She
was assaulted with sticks. Because of threats of
further beatings she
decided to flee to Harare. She sustained injuries in
her back, legs and
buttocks. At the time of the report , there was discharge
coming out of her
ears.
11 May 2008
A local buisinessman was openly campaigning for
the MDC before the elections
including providing transport and food for the
candidates and also general
funding. He received death threats after the
elections and went into hiding.
His homestead was pulled to the ground and a
base was set up at the
homestead.. His livestock is still being used to feed
people at the base.
His shop was closed indefinately.
13 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted with a wooden log on
both
buttocks after confessing to being an MDC political
commissar.
13 May 2008
The male victim, who is an advisor for the
MDC, reports that his home was
burned down and he was assaulted by ZANU PF
youths. They went to his home in
the evening and assaulted him with an axe
handle. They broke the window and
set his home and property on
fire.
14 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by
ZANU PF youths who went to
his home in the evening and forced him out. He
was beaten all over the body
with sticks and knobkerries until he lost
consciousness. They broke into the
home and set his property on fire. They
took some pigs for themselves.
15 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he had been a victim of the ZANU PF youths in
the year 2006. On the day
in question, they went to his home singing
taunting songs about him. He fled
into the bush , leaving his wife whom they
assaulted. They destroyed his
home before looting some food for themselves.
15 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted with an iron bar after being
identified as a member of the ZANU PF party by MDC members.
15 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was abducted and dragged to a ZANU
PF base
located at Mavhurati Clinic where he was assaulted with a stick on
the right
forearm and buttocks. He was then detained at the base for two
weeks.
17 May 2008
The female victim reports that she was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. The
villagers were forced to attend a ZANU PF
meeting which was held at Chibeta
Priamry School. The victim's name was
called out from a list of suspected
MDC supporters. She and other MC
supporters were then pushed into one of
the classrooms where the war
veterans and youths used thick sticks and
batons to assault them. She was
assaulted on the buttocks, back and thighs.
She and her husband were forced
to deliver some food and money as their
'fine'.
20 May
2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted and her home was
destroyed
by ZANU PF youths. She had resigned as the chairperson of the
ZANU PF
Womens League in the area. The ZANU PF youths then concluded that
she had
joined the MDC. They went at night and destroyed her home. They used
stones
and wooden poles to break into it. They asked for an MDC card and
assaulted
her with wooden poles. They destroyed some of her
property.
20 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He was
identified as an MDC member. They
assaulted him with sticks all over the
body. He sustained injuries to his
face, arms and legs.
Mutoko South
2 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. On 26
April 2008, a
meeting was convened by soldiers and war veterans. They urged
people to
vote for ZANU PF in the run off Presidential election. They
uttered several
threats including that if Mugabe failed to win they would
return and kill
the villagers. On 2 May 2008 about 200 ZANU PF youths, war
veterans and
soldiers went around the village looking for guns which were
allegedly being
hidden by MDC supporters. The victim and others were taken
from their homes
to Tsatsa where they were assaulted him with wooden hoe
handles and sticks
on the buttocks and his left hand where he sustained a
fracture. He lost
consciousness and was later taken to a clinic. He was
then taken to
Harare.
5 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was forced to
flee from his home when about
eight ZANU PF youths went at night looking for
him. He escaped through the
window and walked through the night to
Mutoko.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths. He and
others were on their way to Mutoko to bury a
friend when they were stopped
at a road block set up by ZANU PF youths. They
alleged that the victim and
his friends were MDC activists and started
assaulting them with logs on heir
buttocks. They were released after the
assaults.
13 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths after he had
refused to accompany them to their
base. He managed to escape into the bush
where he stayed for three days. He
returned home to pick up his wife and
together, they escaped to
Harare.
16 May 2008
The female victim, whose daughter is a strong
MDC activist, reports that
she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. She was on
her way to Murehwa when the
youths started following her. They started
assaulting her and kicking her
all over the body as soon as they had caught
up with her.
17 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was shot
by suspected ZANU PF youths. He had
been on the run since three of his
colleagues had been abducted by unknown
men and had since disappeared. On
the day of the event he was coming from
Mutoko Centre after his daily
business when he noticed men behind him who
seemed to be following him. He
tried to run away and one of the men shot him
in the back. He heard distant
voices acknowledging that they had hit him as
they ran away. He lost
consciousness. He woke up the next day and dragged
himself to friend's
home. He sustained a back injury.
22 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by war veterans who forced him
to attend a
meeting. They ordered him to lie down and assaulted him. They
then told
him to go and look for his wife. He went to look for her but
found her
gone. They called him again to their base on 26 May . They
wanted to
assault him but later said they were going to give him four days
to find his
wife and take her to them. He decided to flee to Harare.
24 May
2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youth
who forced
her to accompany them to their base. When they got there they
asked her for
the whereabouts of her twin sons. They threatened to kill her
if she failed
to deliver her sons to them. They ordered her to lie down and
assaulted her
six times on the buttocks with thick sticks. They instructed
her to report
every day to be assaulted until she had brought her sons. She
decided to
flee to Harare.
24 May 2008
The female victim
reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. The
reason for the
assaults was that she had campaigned for the MDC in the run
up to the March
29 harmonised elections. She was assaulted in front of her
two small
children (4 years and 1 and a half years).
Wedza South
12 May
2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted by ZANU PF youths
for not
attending a ZANU PF rally. The female victim was on her way to
church when
she met a group of ZANU PF youths who asked her why she was
going to church
instead of attending the ZANU PF meeting. The youths then
ordered her to
chant the ZANU PF slogan. She refused and was assaulted by
four of them.
They then ordered her to follow them to the venue of the
meeting. On their
way to the venue they met a police truck. The victim
then reported that she
had been assaulted by the ZANU PF youths. She
identified the four men who
had assaulted her earlier. They were taken to
Wedza Police Station where the
victim made a formal
report.
Uzumba
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that his
home was set on fire by ZANU PF youths. He
managed to escape unharmed
together with his family. He lost all his
belongings. He fled to Harare
leaving his family behind.
9 May 2008
The male victim reports that
he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths several days
after they had set his home
on fire. They assaulted him with sticks and
clenched fists.
9 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that he is an MDC supporter. They then set the home on fire
while some of them took his livestock. He slept in the open for several
days before managing to get busfare to go to Harare.
10 May
20008
The male victim reports that he, his wife and grandchild were
assaulted by
ZANU PF youths for allegedly being MDC supporters. The
assailants came to
his home at night and ordered him and his family out of
the home. They
then began assaulting them on the buttocks and thighs with
large sticks. The
victim fractured his left hand.
10 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was severely assaulted by ZANU PF
youths for
allegedly supporting the MDC. His wife was beaten to death
during the
assault. On the day of the incident armed ZANU PF youths came to
the victim's
home and ordered him and his wife out of it. They then ordered
the victim
and his wife to sit on the ground and began to assault them with
sticks. The
victim's wife was beaten on the head. They both lost
conciousness. When the
victim came to, his wife was lying motionless on the
ground. Her mother
tried to resuscitate her but she did not regain
conciousness. She was taken
to the hospital the following morning where she
was pronounced dead on
arrival.
10 May 2008
The male victim
was sleeping in his field when he was assaulted by ZANU PF
youths. His
brother, an MDc activist had come to stay with him after he
fled violence in
his own village. Fearing victimisation, the victim and his
brother began
sleeping in the cotton field instead of the home. The youths
discovered
their hiding place and attacked them at night. They were both
assaulted on
the back and buttocks with large sticks. The assailants fled
after the
attack.
11 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
and had his home set on fire
by ZANU PF youths who came to his home at night
and forced him and his
family out of the home before setting it on fire.
They then assaulted the
victim, his wife and young children with sticks,
booted feet and open hands.
They also took the victim's livestock.
11
May 2008
The male victim reports that his home was destroyed by ZANU PF
youths who
alleged that he was an MDC supporter
11 May
2008
The female victim reports that she was assaulted and her property
set on
fire by ZANU PF youths who came at night and demanded a gun and MDC
membership cards. They ransacked the home before setting it on fire. All
the victim's belongings were lost in the fire. The assailants then assaulted
the victim, her husband, 16 year old son and grandchild. They were beaten on
the buttocks and back with large sticks and baton sticks. She managed to
flee to Harare together with her family.
11 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that
he is an MDC supporter. The youths came to his home at
night and demanded
that he comes out of the home. He opened the door and
was immediately
apprehended. He was slapped across the face then ordered to
lie down on his
abdomen. He was assaulted on the buttocks with a large
stick. The
assailants also destroyed the victim's home.
11 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he and his wife were assaulted by ZANU PF
youths on
allegations that they are MDC supporters. The assailants came to
their home
at night and began throwing stones destroying the windows and
window panes.
The victim and his wife were then ordered out of the home.
They were
severely assaulted with lage sticks all over their bodies before
being
ordered to go back into the home. On the following day the victim's
wife
collapsed and died.
13 May 2008
The female victim reports that she
was assaulted by ZANU PF youths because
her husband is an MDC supporter.
The assailants came to her home at night
and dragged her and her husband
outside. Both the victim and her husband
were assaulted on the back and
buttocks with large sticks. They were then
warned to leave the village or
risk being killed.
14 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
fled his home after he was attacked by ZANU
PF youths for not attending ZANU
PF rally. The youths came to his home at
night armed with large sticks.
The victim fled leaving behind his wife and
child. At the time of the
report he did not know where they were.
15 May 2008
The male
victim reports that his home was set on fire by ZANU PF youths who
alleged
that he had voted for the MDC. They also uprooted the vegetables in
his
gardens and set fire to his maize harvest. He fled to Harare where he
was
staying with a relative at the time of the report.
16 May 2008
The
male victim reports that his home and all his belongings were destroyed
after ZANU PF youths set fire to it. Fearing further victimisation the
victim fled to Harare.
17 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for refusing
to give them the names
of all the MDC supporters in his area. He was
assaulted with large sticks,
open hands and booted feet. He fled to Harare
fearing that the assailants
would return.
19 May 2008
ZANU PF youths broke into the male
victim's home and assaulted him and his
siblings. The assailants also set
their hut on fire destroying all their
belongings. Their parents are MDC
supporters and had gone into hiding
following attacks on other MDC
supporters.
20 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted and had his home destroyed by
ZANU PF youths who alleged that
he is an MDC supporter. He was assaulted
with knobkerries and booted feet.
The assailants then proceeded to destroy
his home with boulders and
picks.
23 May 2008
ZANU PF youths broke into the male victim's
home and assaulted him. He was
beaten on the buttocks with large sticks.
They went on to set the victim's
home on fire destroying all his
belongings. He came to Harare to seek
assistance as well as to flee from
the violence.
27 May 2008
The male victim was asleep when a group
of suspected ZANU PF youths broke
into his home. They dragged him outside
and ordered him to lie on his
abdomen. They then assaulted him on the
buttocks with large sticks. The
assailants told the victim that he was
being punished for being a "sell out".
His home and maize harvest were set
on fire. He lost all his belongings.
27 May 2008
On the night in
question ZANU PF youths went to the male victim's home and
assaulted him for
being an MDC supporter. He was dragged out of the home by
a group of ZANU
PF youths who ordered him to lie on his abdomen and
assaulted him on the
buttocks and under the feet. He was also beaten on the
arm with an axe
handle. The victim lost conciousness during the assault.
He was taken to
the local clinic, but due to the unavailability of drugs
was refered to
Harare for treatment.
27 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted by ZANU PF youths for being an
MDC supporter. They broke into
his home and dragged him outside. He was
then ordered to lie down on his
abdomen and assaulted on the buttocks. As
they were beating him, one of the
assailants was stepping on his neck. The
victim was also hit with an axe
handle on the left arm. The ZANU PF youths
then took some of the victim's
belongings including his radio and cash
amounting to Z$6
billion.
MASHONALAND WEST
Chakari
5 May 2008
Armed
ZANU PF youths attacked the victim's home and assaulted him for being
an MDC
supporter. He reports that he was assaulted with iron bars and baton
sticks
and sustained injuries on the head and back.
13 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations of
supporting the MDC. He was passing through the ZANU PF base
when he was
apprehended by some youth members. They took him to a bushy area
and
assaulted him with open hands and booted feet. He was released after
about
two hours and warned against being an MDC supporter.
Chegutu
East
9 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by
ZANU PF youths. He was at
the home of an MDC activist when the group of
armed youths attacked him.
The youths had come to punish the MDC activist
for being a "sell out". The
victim was assaulted for trying to defend the
MDC activist. He sustained
injuries on the chest and head. He went to
Chegutu clinic where he was
admitted. On discharge he tried to make a police
report but was turned away.
9 May 2008
ZANU PF youths attacked the
male victim on allegation that he is an MDC
supporter. He reports that they
came to his home and began throwing large
stones at it destroying all the
windows. The victim was hit on the head with
a stone. He was also beaten
with an axe handle on the face. The assailants
then took the victim's
clothes from his home and left.
9 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he and his brother were abducted by suspected
CIO agents. The
assailants came to their home at night and knocked at the
door alleging that
they were CIO agents. When the victim opened the door,
he and his brother
were apprehended by nine men. The assailants forced them
into a Mazda B1800
truck and blindfolded them. The victims were assaulted
with booted feet and
sticks. They were then thrown out of the truck and had
to walk back home.
A police report was made.
12 May 2008
The male victims report that
they were assaulted by ZANU PF youths and war
veterans on allegations that
they are MDC supporters. They had been forced
to attend a ZANU PF meeting
at the youths' base at Gapo Farm School where
they were questioned them
about their political affiliations. They were then
assaulted on the buttocks
and under the feet.
13 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that he was late for a ZANU
PF meeting. The assailants came to
his home and dragged him to the meeting
venue. At the meeting, the names of
purported MDC supporters were called
out. The victim's name was on the
list. They were taken away from the
meeting and assaulted on the back,
buttocks and under the feet with large
sticks. The victim's dreadlocks were
cut off with a knife.
13 May
2008
The male victim was attacked by a group of ZANU PF youths after a
heated
argument with one of them at a beerhall. The argument began when the
ZANU
PF youth alleged that the victim was an MDC supporter. A few hours
later
the victim was attacked by a group of ZANU PF youths at his home. The
assailants broke into his home and assaulted him with booted feet and
sticks. Some time later the police arrived and arrested five of the
assailants. The others managed to flee.
13 May 2008
ZANU PF
youths assaulted the male victim for allegedly coming late to a ZANU
PF
meeting. The victim had just arrived from a funeral when he was informed
by
some children that everyone in the village was attending a ZANU PF
meeting.
Fearing victimisation, the victim went to the meeting. When he
arrived he
was questionned on why he had arrived late. They did not believe
he was
coming from a funeral. He was assaulted with a whip on the buttocks.
He was
later released after it emerged that he was not a registered
voter.
Chinhoyi
19 May 2008
The male victim reports that he
was assaulted by ZANU PF youths youths on
allegations that he is an MDC
supporter. He was assaulted on the back and
buttocks with large
sticks.
Gokwe North
4 May 2008
The male victim is an MDC
supporter. ZANU PF youths came to his home and
assaulted him and his family.
They blindfolded him and stole his money. He
was assaulted with electric
cables. The victim made a police report and some
of the assailants were
arrested.
Gokwe South
13 May 2008
The male victim is an MDC
supporter. He reports that ZANU PF youths came to
his home and assaulted him
and his wife. They also took his Z$40 billion.
He made a police
report.
Hurungwe East
9 May 2008
The
Herald
Suspected MDC supporters are alleged to have assaulted ZANU PF
supporters at
Sengwe Business Centre in Magunje. The ZANU PF supporters are
reported to
have been carrying out a campaign in the area. The assailants
allegedly then
went to Cde Fanny Chindumure , the ZANU PF district vice
chairman in
Chikopota village and set his home on fire. Property including 5
bags of
shelled grain, 6 blankets, a double bed and clothes worth about
Z$15
billion were reportedly destroyed.
11 May 2008
The
Herald
It is reported that 27 MDC-T supporters were arrested in Karoi for
allegedly
stoning a ZANU PF information centre and assaulting ZANU PF
members who were
on a campaign exercise in the area.
7 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youth on
allegations that he is an MDC supporter. He was forced to attend a ZANU PF
meeting where known and purported MDC supporters were being punished. He
was among those identified as MDC supporters. He was assaulted on the
buttocks with large sticks. After the assault he was ordered back to the
meeting.
12 May 2008
The male victim, an MDC polling agent
during the 29 March 2008 Harmonised
Elections reports that he was assaulted
and had his home set on fire by ZANU
PF youths. He was assaulted with a
metal rhod, but managed to flee from the
assailants. The youths went on to
burn his livestock. The victim had to
walk a long distance to Karoi to get
transport to Harare.
Hurungwe West
11 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that
he is an MDC supporter. He sustained a fractured left
arm.
Manyame
24 May 2008
ZANU PF youths, under the
instruction of the village headman, assaulted the
male victim for wearing an
MDC t-shirt. The headman apparently told the ZANU
PF youths to punish him
for that. He sustained a fracture on the right arm.
Mhangura
The
Herald
8 May 2008
Nine suspected MDC supporters, Godfrey Rangwana,
Brighton Chiweshe, Morgan
Chihwehwere, Themba Katumba, Mambo Ndlovu, Themba
Banda, Tauriono Kamukombu
and Peter Kadombe were reportedly arrested for
allegedly assaulting ZANU PF
supporters and destroying property worth
Z$684billion. Seven people were
allegedly injured during the
violence.
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted
by ZANU PF youths. The
assailants alleged that the victim had come to
influence the people in the
area to vote for the MDC since he was coming
from Harare. The victim was
actually in the village for a relative's
funeral. He was taken to the ZANU
PF base where he was assaulted with
sticks, open hands and booted feet.
The assailant then set his bag of
clothes on fire before releasing him.
10 May 2008
A group of ZANU
PF youths attacked the male victim on allegations that he
had voted for the
MDC in the last election. He was was assaulted all over
the body with iron
bars. He was also stabbed with a spear on the right leg.
The assailants
also set the victim's home on fire.
Mhondoro-Mubaira
11 May
2008
The male victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths on
allegations that he had written MDC grafitti on the walls of the toilets at
the township.
Sanyati
12 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths together
with other
purported MDC supporters. He was assaulted all over the body with
iron rods.
He and the other purported MDC supporters were also orderd to hit
each
other. After the assault a uniformed soldier came and gave them a
lecture on
ZANU PF principles. The victim reported the incident at Sanyati
Police
Station.
MASVINGO
Bikita East
2 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He was at
Chikuku
shopping centre when about 30 ZANU PF youths clad in party t-shirts
confronted him and ordered him to join them in singing and repeating ZANU PF
slogans. The victim resisted and they gathered aronnd him and assaulted him
until he lost consciousness.
Masvingo Central
9 May
2008
The male victim, who is a college sudent, reports that he was
assaulted and
unlawfully arrested by the police during a student's
demonstration. The
students were carrying out a peaceful protest against
high fees and the
suspension of six of their leaders. University security
guards came and
attacked the protesting students. This was met with equal
resistance by the
students. Riot police from Rujeko Police Station were then
called in and
they arrived at around 18:00hrs, armed with batons and teargas
which they
used against unarmed students and a number of students were hurt
in the
process. The victim was severely assaulted all over the body with
clenched
fists and batons. He also lost a tooth in the process. He was then
arrested.
During detention he was not given any blankets and was denied
acess to
medical treatment. He was arrested on 8 May and released on the 10
May
after having been forced to pay an admission of guilt fine.
Zaka
North
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was attacked and
assaulted by ZANU PF youths
while he was at his home. They inquired as to
his political affiliation to
which he replied that he was an MDC supporter.
They proceeded to asault the
whole family with booted feet and whips. They
kicked the victim while he was
lying down in pain. They were forced to burn
their MDC posters.
10 May 2008
The male victim reports that he was
at his home when ZANU PF youths attacked
and assaulted him. There were about
16 of them. He was assaulted with
shamboks and kicked all over his body.
They destroyed all his property.
10 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted and his home was burned down
by ZANU PF youths
because one of his sons had put up MDC posters. He was
kicked to the ground
and one of them started stepping on him as he collapsed
to the ground. They
were told to leave the area as thay were no longer
welcome.
Zaka
East
6 May 2008
The male victim reports that, five armed ZANU PF
youths went to his home
and assaulted him and his wife. They forced him to
the ground and assaulted
him with sticks whilst three others were pinning
him down. They set his
property on fire .
Zaka West
28 May
2008
The Standard , 1 June 2008
Men carrying AK-47 assault rifles
reportedly pounced on the MDC offices at
Jerera Growth Point in the early
hours of Wednesday 28 May 2008 and set the
building ablaze, killing two
people. The assailants allegedly forced open
the door, rousing from sleep
unsuspecting MDC members who had fled political
violence from their homes in
the district. They reportedly ordered everyone
to stay where they where with
their heads under the blankets. Witnesses
reportedly said one MDC member,
who tried to resist, was shot and killed on
the spot. The assailants
reportedly doused the office with petrol, locked
the door and set it
ablaze. Two people were set on fire beyond recognition.
Three of the
victims managed to break down the door and were later taken to
St Anthony's
Musiso Hospital, where they were immediately referred to
Masvingo General
Hospital. The deceased were identified as Krison Mbano from
Munjanja in Ward
18 in Zaka and Washington Nyangwa from Mbuyamaswa village
in Ward 9. One of
the MDC members who survived the inferno because she was
in a room next to
the office, was reportedly abducted by the gunmen who
allegedly later dumped
her about 30km away from Jerera. The victim, Memory
Pedzisai was allegedly
assaulted after being forced into a new Mitsubishi
single cab truck with no
registration number. It is alleged that there were
18 assailants who were in
anti-riot uniform.
MATEBELELAND SOUTH
Matobo South
24 May
2008
The Standard
It is reported that five schools in Kezi
district were forced to close down
after war veterans allegedly chased away
all the teachers, accusing them of
influencing the villagers to vote against
ZANU PF. The schools are Tjewondo
primary and secondary, Marinoha and
Zamanyoni primary and St Anne's
secondary. This reportedly brings to 15 the
number of schools allegedly
closed by the war veterans in Matabeleland
South. Other schools that are
reported to have been forced to shut down
after teachers fled ZANU PF
militia include Zezani Mission, Zhukwe, Sizeze,
Sitezi, Maphane, Khozi,
Wabayi, Nyandeni, Nkazhe and Gohole primary
schools.
24 May 2008
The Standard
War veterans allegedly
took over plots at Mhabhinyane Irrigation Scheme in
Matobo district, helping
themselves to vegetable and maize that is still to
be
harvested.
Matobo North
5 May 2008
The female victim
reports that she was forced to flee from her home after
receiving threats
from war veterans and youths. She left home for Bulawayo
at around
01:00hrs. She received information that the war veterans were
hunting for
her and had set up a base in the ward. They assaulted three of
her
children.
Beit Bridge
16 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths because of
his affiliation to the
MDC.
Hwange Central
11 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was in the company of his three friends when
they were attacked and
assulted by ZANU PF youths and one army officer.
They tried to run but the
youths caught up with them. He was assaulted with
a shambok, sticks, booted
feet and clenched fists. They were told that their
families' affiliation to
the MDC was unacceptable. They were then taken to a
base at Masasa where the
victim was further assaulted by a war veteran. He
was hit on the head and
bled from the ears, the nose and forehead. They took
his phone, shoes and
money. The victim was at the time of the report
experiencing pain all over
his body.
10 May 2008
On the day in question, the male victim
reports that he was assaulted by
uniformed army officers where he was at
Lubimbi Business Centre on his head
with a blunt instrument until he lost
consciousness. They tied him up at the
ankles with a wire. He sustained
injuries on the back, shoulder, trunk, legs
and
knees.
MIDLANDS
Gokwe-Kana
9 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths and army
officers
who suspected him of being an MDC spy. They demanded information on
the MDC
including the party t-shirts and cards. When he failed to meet any
of their
demands they proceeded to assault him . They forced him to the
ground and
assaulted him with sticks, kicked him in the armpits and on the
sides of
the chest and abdomen. They forced him to sing ZANU PF songs.
10 May
2008
The female victim reports that her home was burned down and she was
assaulted by ZANU PF youths. The youths had earlier driven all the men out
of the village. When the youths returned they found her cooking for her
family, but they that assumed she was cooking for the men. All the huts were
set on fire. She lost her belongings and important documents in the
fire.
Gokwe-Nembudziya
9 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who held him
responsible for the
arrest of certain ZANU PF youths. They assaulted him
using logs. He tried to
escape but one of them caught him with an axe in his
back. He finally
escaped and went to the police base. They referred him for
medical
treatment. He then left for Harare.
11 May 2008
The male victim
reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths. He and his
wife woke up to
the sound of quarrels outside the home. He went out after
recognising his
mother's voice. The youths had lit a match and were
preparing to set his
home on fire. When they saw him they turned their
attention to assaulting
him using metal bars. He was taken to Gokwe hospital
for treatment before
proceeding to Harare for further treatment.
12 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was assaulted by ZANU PF youthsone of them
whom
knocked at his door and identified himself as a police officer. The
victim
denied him entry when he realised that the intruder was a well known
ZANU PF
youth. The youth then broke into the home, seized him and delivered
him to
his colleagues who were waiting outside. They stripped him, covered
his head
with his clothes and proceeded to assault him with logs, iron bars
and
booted feet. They poured water all over his belongings before escaping
into
the night. He sustained injuries on his back and buttocks.
12 May
2008
The male victim reports that, he was assaulted by ZANU PF youths who
broke
into his home at night and blindfolded him before assaulting him. They
would
lift him up then throw him to the ground , repeatedly , until he lost
consciousness. Police officers went to his home after someone alerted them
of the incident. He was treatedat Gokwe Hospital before leaving for Harare
for further treatment.
15 May 2008
The male victim reports
that he was asleep when ZANU PF youths attacked and
assaulted him . They
used metal bars and logs . They assaulted him all over
his body but mainly
conccentrated on the buttocks. He ost consciousness and
only to regained it
after he had been admitted in hospital.
19 May 2008
The male
victim reports that he was asaaulted by ZANU PF youths who went to
his home
looking for his brothers who were well known MDC activists. When
they failed
to find them they took out their frustration on the victim.
Monthly
totals of human rights violations from 1 January 2008 - 31 May 2008
Table
1
January
February
March
April
May
Total
Abduction/
kidnapping
3
11
3
31
26
74
Assault
56
45
270
550
435
1356
Attempted
murder
0
0
0
4
1
5
Death
threats
1
0
5
17
9
32
Disappearance
0
0
0
0
0
0
Displacement
0
0
0
412
160
572
Freedom of
expr/ass/mvt
94
410
108
712
600
1924
Murder
0
0
0
10
14
24
Political Discrim/
intim/vict
67
410
287
783
466
2013
Property related
1
0
8
280
195
484
Rape
0
0
0
0
0
0
School
closure
0
0
0
11
5
16
Torture
2
10
24
560
58
654
Unlawful arrest
56
42
19
26
18
161
Unlawful
detention
56
42
19
26
18
161
Monthly Totals
336
970 743
3422
2005
7476
MAIN EVENTS 2008
January
22
23
25
MDC
'Freedom March' is banned by the police.
Morgan Tsvangirai is
picked up and detained by the police from his
home in the early hours of the
morning.
MDC members are assaulted and arrested as they march
towards Glamis
stadium for a rally.
Members of Restoration of
Human Rights Zimbabwe are arrested and
detained following a peaceful
demonstration.
February
13
19
24
Student leaders are
arrested and assaulted for demonstrating in Harare
and
Bulawayo.
The MDC Tsvangirai faction Mabvuku Parliamentary
candidate is arrested
outside the party's headquarters allegedly for
planning a demonstration.
Nine members of the Progressive
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe are
abducted and assaulted by suspected ZANU PF
supporters before being handed
over to the police.
The MDC
(Tsvangirai) Parliamentary candidate for Mhondoro/Ngezi is
detained at
Mubaira Police Station for 34 hours on allegations that his
campaign team
had used abusive language during a campaign session.
March
8
10
29
WOZA demonstrates on International
Women's' Day. Three members are
assaulted and fifty are injured in the
assaults by anti-riot police.
Seven women are assaulted in Epworth
while coming from an MDC rally.
Two of them are stripped of their party
regalia leaving them half naked.
Voting in the Harmonised General,
Home of Assembly, Senate and Local
Government elections take
place.
April
13
18
19
MDC claims that that 10 of its supporters
had died as a result of
political violence.
Zimbabwe celebrates
Independence Day. The main celebrations take place
at Gwanzura Stadium in
Harare.
Zimbabwe Election Commission starts the recount of the
harmonised
election votes in 23 constituencies.
May
2
13
22
28
Official Presidential Election
results are announced.
Tonderai Ndira an MDC activist is abducted
from his home in Mabvuku
by suspected state agents.
The body
of Tonderai Ndira is discovered in a Harare morgue.
MDC Offices
at Jerera Growth Point in Masvingo are set on fire by
armed men killing two
people.
Administrative Map of
ZIMBABWE
Botswana
Mozambique
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum (also known as the "Human Rights Forum")
is a coalition comprising 17
member organisations. It has been in existence
since January 1998 when
non-Governmental organisations working in the field
of human rights joined
together to provide legal and psychosocial assistance
to the victims of the
Food Riots of January 1998.
The Human Rights Forum has now expanded its
objectives to assist victims of
organised violence, using the following
definition:
"Organised violence" means the inter-human infliction of
significant
avoidable pain and suffering by an organised group according to
a declared
or implied strategy and/or system of ideas and attitudes. It
comprises any
violent action, which is unacceptable by general human
standards, and
relates to the victims' mental and physical
well-being."
The Human Rights Forum operates a Research and Documentation
Unit and offers
legal services to assist victims of organised violence and
torture claim
compensation from perpetrators through its Public Interest
Unit.
Member organisations of the Human Rights Forum are:
·
Amnesty International (Zimbabwe) (AI (Z))
· Catholic Commission
for Justice and Peace (CCJP)
· Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe
(GALZ)
· Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa
(SAHRIT)
· Legal Resources Foundation (LRF)
· Media
Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
· Media Monitoring Project of
Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
· Nonviolent Action and Strategies for Social
Change (NOVASC)
· Transparency International (Zimbabwe) (TI
(Z))
· Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA)
· Zimbabwe
Association for Crime Prevention and the Rehabilitation of
the Offender
(ZACRO)
· Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights
(ZADHR)
· Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust (ZIMCET)
·
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
· Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR)
· Zimbabwe Peace Project
(ZPP)
· Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA)
The Human
Rights Forum can be contacted through any member organisation or
through:
The Administrator, P O Box 9077, Harare - email:
admin@hrforum.co.zw
The Public Interest Unit, P O Box 9077, Harare -
email: legal@hrforum.co.zw
The Research Unit, P O Box 9077, Harare -
email: research@hrforum.co.zw
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September
21 2008 at 09:34AM
By Nomfundo Walaza
On the
International Day of Peace (September 21) it may seem odd to
invoke Winston
Churchill, who said: "'Jaw-jaw' is better than 'war-war'." He
was right, of
course. Words are better than war. But are words enough? Does
dialogue not
risk merely becoming noisy apathy? To paraphrase Edmund Burke,
does evil
triumph when good men do nothing . but talk?
Consider for a moment
that the most Googled words last year were
Britney and Spears. Not Darfur,
not Myanmar, not Basra, not Zimbabwe, not
Guantánamo Bay, but Britney
Spears.
We may grumble about the so-called celebrification of news,
but the
fact is that it often commands more attention than pressing issues
in this
world, our continent and our
country.
So how can we find words that
transcend the seeping apathy that
overlooks rape, corruption and greed in
favour of celebrity trivia? And
where do we source words that avert mayhem
and carnage?
Pregs Govender, in the recent Julius Nyerere lecture
on lifelong
learning at the University of the Western Cape, spoke
passionately about the
need to stop acquiescing to the rule of war and greed
and, instead, harness
our collective power of love. She asked: "Why can
those motivated by the
politics of hate, greed and fear manipulate us so
easily?"
The namesake of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre has said
that, despite
the great strides made in forging an equitable and just
society, we must
continue to speak for "the poor, the hungry, the oppressed
and the
voiceless".
There's much that demands action. But we
must refine what it is that
we want to achieve, and that demands dialogue.
Such dialogue took place
recently at a Peace Centre Forum, the first in a
series of such debates
leading up to the completion of the new Desmond Tutu
Peace Centre to be
built on Cape Town's Foreshore.
Themed
"African women discuss peace - a necessity in our lifetime",
the dialogue
centred on what exactly we hope for Africa and how it can be
achieved.
Speakers included Yasmin Sooka, Betty Murungi, Pregs Govender,
Thandeka Tutu
Gxashe and Mmatshilo Motsei, and many of the audience members
contributed
their views and concerns.
A cardinal theme in the debate was that
the absence of armed conflict
does not equate to peace. That seemingly bland
statement highlights the few
degrees of separation between the victims of
state-sponsored atrocities in
Darfur or Zimbabwe, villagers facing the daily
threat of unexploded mines in
Angola or Mozambique, women for whom rape
within marriage is a norm, and
those prevented from receiving
antiretrovirals or ostracised for having HIV
or being suspected of
witchcraft.
We have so much to be proud of in South Africa, and
much to be ashamed
of. We live in a country regarded as being at peace, yet
the incidences of
rape and sexual assaults rival the worst war zones. Women
in South Africa
live with the daily prospect of becoming a statistic -
frightening for some,
a reality for millions.
That is not true
peace. It's a travesty of the legacy we hope to
bequeath our descendants.
The reality is that there's no true peace without
social justice. So, again:
how does talk achieve real peace?
We can start with three steps:
first, we must be willing to be
serious. Tutu has said he'd like to be
remembered as having laughed, loved
and cried. His laugh is notoriously
infectious, welling as it does from the
belly and the heart. But his
gravitas and unflinching willingness to ask
difficult questions about our
society has contributed to the attainment of
our freedom. We must follow his
example. We must learn to speak truth to
power and we must confront what it
is that creeps into our hearts and
silences us, as Govender
suggests.
Second, we must unite our voices. At the Peace Forum
debate we agreed
that we shared goals of peace and social justice even
though we differed on
how to achieve them. Mahatma Gandhi said we must be
the change we want to
see, but achieving real change demands collective as
well as individual
activism. In the debate, Yasmin Sooka lamented that the
solidarity that
helped South Africa topple apartheid had gone.
Third, we must learn from each other. The recent debate agreed that,
in
Africa, women often respond to conflict by mediating. That's laudable,
but
it also means we risk reinventing the wheel in how we mediate. We must
communicate. Cellphones and the internet help us to network, pool resources
and form potent collectives that cross barriers.
War is
relatively easy to sustain. It requires hate, greed and blood,
seemingly
endless in supply. Peace, on the other hand, requires courage,
dialogue,
solidarity and compromise. These don't come naturally to the
contented and
complacent, nor to the frightened, angry and hungry.
But bringing
about a society that's worth passing on to our children
is surely more
important than news of a pop star going out with no
underwear. To paraphrase
Scripture, there's a time for levity and frivolity,
but there's also a time
for collective focus on what matters and will matter
to our
children.
On this important day, please let us all light a candle
and pray for
world peace.
Nomfundo Walaza is chief
executive of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre
This article was
originally published on page 9 of Sunday Independent
on September 21,
2008
http://www.courier-journal.com
September 21, 2008
When Zimbabwe's president, Robert
Mugabe, signed a power-sharing arrangement
last week, he repeated his mantra
that "Africa's problems must be solved by
Africans."
Obviously, as is true elsewhere, Africans don't
always agree on what's best,
and Zimbabwe is a sterling case in
point.
Suffering under the world's highest inflation rate, more than 11
million
percent, a majority of Zimbabweans voted earlier this year for new
leadership after 28 years.
Mr. Mugabe's response was to try to snuff
out that cry for change, as well
as the winner of that first election,
Morgan Tsvangirai.
Now, there's no love lost between those two and Arthur
Mutambara, who also
signed the agreement brokered by South African President
Thabo Mbeki. But
that document offered the latest opportunity for the trio
to show true
statesmanship.
While Mr. Tsvangirai and Mr. Mutambara
seem ready to work together to unite
their fractured and brutalized country,
Mr. Mugabe persists in baring his
teeth. He's already bucking key aspects of
the agreement and persists in
singing his tired old song blaming all of
Zimbabwe's problems on outsiders,
most notably Britain and the
U.S.
That's a bad start to a supposedly new era in Zimbabwe.
africasia
HARARE, Sept 21 (AFP)
Zimbabwe has secured 80 million dollars (55 million euros)
in credit from
Egypt-based African Export-Import Bank that will be used to
buy grain and
import oil, state media said Sunday.
The credit
facility was secured after a presentation by the country's
central bank
chief Gideon Gono, during Afreximbank's annual general meeting
in Morocco
last week.
The report in the Sunday Mail newspaper also follows a
recently signed
power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe in a bid to end a ruinous
political crisis.
Afreximbank senior director B Oramah, in a letter cited
by the Sunday Mail
written to Gono, said the credit deal was aimed at
assisting Zimbabwe,
currently suffering from a massive economic
crisis.
Afreximbank is a multilateral financial institution whose main
objective is
to facilitate, promote and expand intra- and extra-African
trade.
On Friday, Norway said it would give Zimbabwe 40 million kroner
(7.02
million dollars, 4.86 million euros) in aid to help the country deal
with a
lack of food and clean drinking water and a cholera
outbreak.
The Scandanivian nation made the announcement after President
Robert Mugabe,
opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC)
and a dissident faction of the MDC signed the power-sharing
agreement.
The parties are however yet to agree on how to distribute the
cabinet posts
in the unity government.
Our
doubts about the power-sharing agreement seem to have been borne out. The word we get from relatives and friends is
that ZANU-PF seem to have no understanding of what power-sharing means. Vigil representatives went to a meeting in
But
Vigil members say they cannot be optimistic. People are suffering but Mugabe is
going shopping at the UN, where he will probably be applauded by the General
Assembly. As one passer-by said to us:
“It’s a farce”. The Vigil ended with the good news of the resignation of Mbeki.
There were cheers at the downfall of a man who has consistently supported the
forces of darkness in
The
management team had a meeting after the Vigil and agreed unanimously that we
would continue campaigning for the ousting of Mugabe, democracy and justice in
line with our mission statement.
Basically our message is that the MDC has done an unsatisfactory deal
with Zanu-PF. Why weren’t the details sorted out before the so-called agreement
was signed?.
The
management meeting agreed to reinstate two petitions that we had put on hold in
hope of real change in
The
meeting agreed that we should draw up another petition to SADC countries which
would complement the petition we are submitting to the European Union. We cannot understand how our brothers and
sisters in SADC can accept Mugabe as the legitimate president. The former Secretary-General of the UN, Koffi
Annan, has now openly criticized the AU for accepting Mugabe’s bogus
credentials.
The
meeting also reaffirmed its support for Zimbabwean asylum seekers in the
We
publish here an email received by the Vigil on 8th September. We have
made efforts to ascertain its authenticity and the general feeling is it smacks
of the truth. It certainly suggests the regime is in meltdown. “I have
been watching your progress at the Vigil and am very happy to know there are
people who are concerned about their country. I am here in Australia and am
truly concerned about our people and I mean all the people of Zimbabwe .You are
in England and even though there are problems there at least they try to
accommodate all people from all over the world .Now this is what we wanted back
home but unfortunately this did not come to pass . I pray that this does
not happen again once we are truly free. There is a story I would like to share
with you all. I was in
For
latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. .
FOR
THE RECORD: 110 attended.
FOR
YOUR DIARY:
·
ROHR
launch
meeting in
·
ROHR
launch meeeting in Stoke-on-Trent. Saturday,
27th September 2008, 1.30 – 5 pm. Venue: Children and Young People’s
Service, West Team, Shelton Centre, Crowther Street ST4 2ER. Contact Pauline Mutema,
07850 462 301 Farirai Muchibwa 07746 628 397 or P Mapfumo 07932 216
070.
·
Next
·
“Yours
Abundantly, from
·
ROHR
launch meeeting in Brighton.
·
Sixth
Anniversary of the
·
Vigil
co-ordinators
The
Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429
Sunday Standard, Botswana
by Boga MANATSHA
21.09.2008 6:47:04 P
The two sworn
political rivals in Zimbabwe, the peace-hungry MDC and the
peace-shunning
ZANU-PF, have finally agreed on a compromised unity/peace
deal.
On
the surface, the deal appears sugar-coated, but deeper into it; the deal
is
salt-smeared, complicated, impractical, and wobbly.
I want to focus on this
higgledy-piggledy arrangement and other aspects, and
assess whether the deal
is worth-celebrating.
Boniface Chidyausiku, Zimbabwe's envoy to the
United Nations, has highly
praised this deal as a "triumph for African
diplomacy". My core questions
and pessimism lie much on the aftermath and
practicality of this
power-sharing deal.
The hard-to-crack Mugabe and
hard-to-please Tsvangirai have been playing a
cat and mouse political game
with each other over the last 6 months. But
now, since the game is nearly
over, what awaits Zimbabwe?
Many would view me as an infernal pessimist.
But, I believe that critical
analysis of this arrangement is
vital.
Burying the heads in the sand like an ostrich cannot be helpful. I
doubt the
sincerity and substance of the deal. Afterall it was reached after
a
protracted exercise of mistrust, rancour, and chicanery.
According
to MDC Chairperson and Zimbabwe's Parliamentary Speaker, Lovemore
Moyo, they
had wanted Prime Minister Tsvangirai to have executive powers,
while Mugabe
was to remain a titular President. But, this was not possible.
As Moyo
laments: "So, what we got at the end of the day perhaps was probably
nearly
a sister-sister power-sharing deal, so I'm saying it's not exactly
initially
what we wanted." Already, the MDC has entered into a deal which it
had not
wanted, or, all along, fought for. Categorically, I view this as
tantamount
to applying lipstick to a pig.
We have seen how the Kenyan deal has led
to the creation of the largest and
costly Cabinet ever in the history of
that country. The Kenyan tax payers
would have to cough out US$800 million
per year to sustain these greedy
men-cum Cabinet Ministers under the pretext
of securing peace. Commendably,
Zimbabwe's negotiators have not entertained
a monkey-see, monkey-do approach
in forming their Cabinet. According to the
deal, MDC and its small faction
have been awarded 16 seats in Cabinet, while
the ZANU-PF will get 15. Also,
Mugabe will chair the Cabinet meetings and
will control the army; while
Tsvangirai will chair a new Council of
Ministers, and take control of the
Police. Remember that the Police chief,
Augustine Chihuri, once vowed not to
recognise Tsvangirai, and said that
".we will not allow any puppets to take
charge" referring to MDC. But under
the recent deal, Tsvangirai is going to
be his boss. Is this
possible?
To start with, the land question in Zimbabwe is the most
complex and
politicised one in the region. Thus, it has a direct impact on
the
just-concluded deal.
I understand that the MDC proposed a Land
Commission to be set up by an Act
of Parliament with the anticipation of
being the victors in the previous dog's
breakfasts dubbed "Mugabe's
elections".
Now, how are they going to sell this Commission to their partner,
ZANU-PF?
The MDC, ".rejects completely the manner in which ZANU (PF) has
pursued the
land reform issue since 2000. When the MDC forms the next
government in
Zimbabwe, it will accept neither the status quo that existed
prior to 2000
nor the position it will inherit after eight years of mayhem
and destruction
by a criminal elite. "
ZANU-PF politicians, elites
associated with ZANU-PF, senior security forces,
and other important persons
in the Mugabe regime, such as ambassadors
benefited handsomely from the
higgledy-piggledy "land reform" instituted in
2000.
In a coalition
government, resolutions are reached through a consensus. But,
in this case,
it is clear that MDC policy on land reform differs profoundly
with that of
the ZANU-PF.
In fact, the land question will be hardest to sell to ZANU-PF
war veterans
(politicians). If it is repossessed, does the land revert to
the previous
owners? Most of the white farmers lost their property, suffered
trauma, and
lost their businesses during this madness.
Are they
entitled to compensation under the new order? Some of the land
confiscated
in 2000 has been developed into squatter settlements. Are these
squatters
going to be evicted? How are the beneficiaries of Mugabe "land
reform" going
to respond to this power-sharing deal? The war veterans, most
feared in the
rural areas, might reject this deal. The MDC stated clearly
that it will not
accept Mugabe "land reform" nor will it accept the status
quo which
prevailed before 2000. A middle-way is in the minds of the MDC
politicians.
But what is this middle-way? Whatever middle-way will be agreed
upon by the
two sides, there is likelihood that it will be carefully
scrutinised by the
West, in particular former colonial master, Britain, and
the Breton Woods
institutions. There is no doubt that the funding of a land
reform in
Zimbabwe is needed, and that alone, gives the international donors
a
dictatorial say in the land reform policy to be adopted. Whatever MDC and
ZANU-PF propose about land reform will not hold much since they have no
money to see it through.
Simply put: 'Show me the land; I will give
you the money' approach is going
to be adopted by the international
donors.
In a power-sharing deal, power has to be (re)distributed equally
among the
major rivals. Mugabe has finally agreed to relinquish some of the
powers he
has grabbed by force. This sister-sister power-sharing arrangement
may
result in two "governments" in Zimbabwe, operating in parallel;
Tsvangirai
with his Council of Ministers and Mugabe with his Cabinet. In the
process,
they will be confusion and eventually ruptures in the functioning
of the
whole set-up. The MDC must be very careful because ZANU-PF, cunning
as they
are, may swallow them in the course of this arrangement as happened
with
Joshua Nkomo.
From the look of things, ZANU-PF conceded to the
demands by the MDC so that
Tsvangirai can help revive the shattered economy.
But, in the process, if
MDC is not careful, it might find itself dancing to
the tune of the ZANU-PF
dirty politics; thereby hurting its relationship
with the international
players who are, at the moment, dictating whether
Zimbabwe is left to sink
further or is rescued.
What may also happen
is that after Tsvangirai quick-fixes the economy, he
might receive hostility
from the ZANU-PF, and mainly its security forces.
The main reason why the
security forces did not stage a coup in Zimbabwe is
that they realised that
doing so will be tantamount to digging a mass grave
for themselves. However,
the security forces, including the Police he is
going to head, will always
view MDC with suspicion, and its success may
threaten them; materially,
politically, economically, and socially. Thus, we
should expect some
difficulties and hostilities in Zimbabwe even as the
economy stabilizes. A
cabal of elites within the ZANU-PF nucleus, security
forces, and former war
veterans, have built themselves an empire of wealth
and political power over
the last three decades. With the economic boom
expected in Zimbabwe the
ZANU-PF cabals are positioning themselves to this
new order.
And
thus, any change brought by MDC which may radically affect/stifle their
(ZANU-PF cabals) future political and economic ambitions may be received
with cunning, vitriol and hostility. In other words, Zimbabwe might
experience economic and political success in the first decade, and a reverse
of that gain as the ZANU-PF cabals would be now struggling for political,
economic, and social space/recognition with the new elites from the MDC,
highly educated Zimbabweans, now in Diaspora, who are eager to come back to
their country, conscious peasants, and the re-emerging civic groups, which
have been suppressed for the last three decades.
Chaos, disorder,
political mistrust, chicanery, and disgruntlement by the
so-called war-vets,
the security forces, and the ZANU-PF elites against the
"new men" should be
expected after the economic boom and bang. In short,
Zimbabwe may experience
the fierce politics of recognition than elsewhere in
the continent. As we
are about to enter a "new era" in Zimbabwe, the above
issues must pre-occupy
the Zimbabweans, the region, and the international
players who are
determined to help.
The other aspect that we ought to look at is that of
amnesty.
It plays a critical role in the just-concluded power-sharing deal
too.
Should amnesty be granted to all the perpetrators of genocide,
political
torture, rape, maiming, and indiscriminate killings which have
been the
trade mark of the Mugabe regime? There is no qualm that Zimbabwe
needs
reconciliation.
Without reconciliation, no power-sharing deal
can be successful, not only in
Zimbabwe, but every where else. If things can
be "politically calm" in
Zimbabwe as expected, I foresee a situation whereby
some civic groups; women
groups, NGOs, minority-ethnic groups associations,
and student bodies rising
up to the new order demanding that justice should
be done regarding the
violence which has raged on for three decades in that
country. This might as
well undermine the power-sharing deal between MDC and
ZANU-PF. I am of the
view that this deal should not be taken as
representative of the other
stakeholders outside ZANU and MDC.
Civic
societies, and NGOs were not represented, and with the new government,
their
views must be respected and accommodated in the day-to-day running of
that
country.
Neglecting them would be tantamount to "political rape".
Therefore, the
aftermath of MDC-ZANU-PF political deal may be a haven for
more
complexities, raptures, and the room to challenge the status quo - not
from
a rigid political perspective, but from civic societies' approach
(peaceful-coexistence). This power-sharing deal could have been meaningful
if it was a transitional (government) political arrangement.
This
Kenyan-style deal may result in the death of MDC! It happened to Nkomo
in
the 1980s. The current deal would result in Tsvangirai facing a lot of
difficulties. He would want to please many players; firstly his party,
secondly ZANUP-PF, and thirdly the international players/ donors. By
pleasing the ZANU-PF, Tsvangirai would want to show that he is committed to
"African diplomacy".
African electorates are easily manipulated, so
MDC should not fall in the
booby trap set by Mugabe. Mugabe could seize any
opportunity to ridicule
MDC, if any policy they suggest would compromise the
deal. The army and the
police are also likely to shun the MDC in the long
run. The power-sharing
deal in Zimbabwe is a delicate one. I emphasise that
the role of the
security forces would ensure that the deal succeeds or
fails. Furthermore,
there are countries like China and Russia, which MDC is
suspicious about,
but which have been Mugabe's long-time allies. We all know
the suspicion
that the West, America, the IMF and World Bank have over
China's growing
influence in Africa. The MDC and ZANU-PF must be careful not
to be used by
the big powers to fight their proxy wars using the Zimbabwe
power-sharing
deal. What we all hope for are the best, genuine and friendly
bilateral and
multilateral relations between the government of Zimbabwe and
the rest of
the world. In summation, I would like to reiterate that the
signing of a
deal is not the end of the crisis in Zimbabwe. It might be the
beginning of
a more protracted but less volatile stalemate. We are also
going to see the
(re)emergence of class in Zimbabwe, geared towards
rebuilding the country,
repositioning themselves to, and redefining the new
order in that country.
We might also witness the death of the MDC, and the
reversal of the
democratic change or path in that country. Eventually,
autocrats (ZANU-PF)
might regain control if MDC relaxes, and allows itself
to be donor-driven.
Sugar-coated as it is, the deal leaves many questions
unanswered! As they
embark on this exercise, MDC and ZANU-PF must know that
the great Zimbabwean
liberation heroes, who fought for a better Zimbabwe,
are watching them day
and night: Josiah Tongogara, Herbert Chitepo, Nikita
Mangena, Joshua Nkomo,
George Nyandoro, Ndabaningi Sithole, Leopold
Takawira, and Sekuru Kaguvi.
*Manatsha is studying for a PhD at Hiroshima
University, Japan
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2008 10:20
PM
Subject: Throw Deal Out The Window - Letter To MDC & Morgan
Tsvangirai
I knew it from the start & not to trust this deal
simply because
Mugabe
would not shed his spots. Instead he shed off his
older spots & put on
newer
spots. The grave situation we abantu
weZimbabweland face is a kind,
patiently, waiting creeping_death knocking at
our doors to claim us &
the
Zimbabwe family for good. All because
greedy leeches still do not want
to
stop feasting on the last bits they
have left behind but want to
finish off
the country despite their large
corrupt-amassed legions of wealths.
They are
greedy, cruel, vicious, evil,
selfless ZANU-PFs cadres.
Nhai Nhai (why or why) will you just not let go
& let a new beggining
start
for us aba'Zimbabweans when the road &
journey is still navigatable.
The
people CRY, SPEAK, LAUGH, EAT,
BREATHE,LIVE,SPEEK hunger in there
lives yet
because you failed us as
ZANU-PF leaders and we the people threw you
off
still want to stick up on
the high seats of politics+power with your
bloody
- filthy hands just so
that you benefit by crushing the lively-hoods
out of
us the people for
your own personal ambitions & gains.
MORGAN, ROBERT, ARTHUR this
circus must stop, we are suffering &
hungrier by
the day and getting
even angrier as well because nothing has come out
of the
GNU [A sham &
Insult On The Human Rights Of The Zimbabwean People &
masses]
The
civic society has already thrown out the GNU Power Sharing Deal,
so do
I
& so does my neighbour, so does his neighbour as well. We all
don't
want it,
Aurthur you are an opportunist & snake in the grass (a
spitting
viper), Bob
you are close to the devil himself if not the devil's
own, Morgan too
much
Christianity into politics now "...those two really
don't mix..." .
Zanu-PF
is holding the talks hostage &in bad spirit
and faith so they have
failed,
disrespected and broken the agreement so
throw out the GNU with
immediate
effect out the window.
What
Zimbabwe needs is one political party in charge with full
authority
&
control to do whatever it can so we can get our lives back to
normal
and not
have darkness & light co-existing HAZVIITE..!!!! (IT
CANT..!!!)
because
already we see the effects of it and the people are
already suffering.
Lets
all smell the coffee and face the music, the fat
lady has finally sung
and
Zimbabwe needs one party government that either
messes up or cleans up
Zimbabwe.
Zanu-PF want and will throw &
make you fall MDC and make life hard for
you
so that you wont prosper. No
amount of compromise against an enemy who
has
sworn to death against you
will work or prosper.
Morgan open your eyes please we the people want
you out of the deal,
throw
it out the window we are with you all the way,
this is not how you
rise up
to power because it is a bad deal that has
just exploded in your face
"...no
deal is better than a bad deal (this one
you signed)..." Your day and
time
will come when the good Lord feels it is
so not now when this deal was
crafted by men.
Please pull out and call
for International Community pressence (A.U. +
UN.)
and call for fresh new
elections soon under international observers.
Morgan
ZANU-PF haikude
siyana newavengi awa (Zanu doesn't love or even
respect you)
please please
tapota (we beg you) pull out ... tiri kufa nenzara cant
you
see hakuna
chikafu, mabasa, mishonga....usatambe nemoto wezanu
unopfuta ropa
revana
weZimbabwe..(we are dying and cant you see the hunger , no
jobs , no
drugs
or medication in your people's lives...do not play with fire
dinning
with
the devil whose fire is churned by the blood of innocent
children
of
Zimbabwe). Make it right and pull out before you get
swallowed like
Nkomo &
become obsolete.
the_watcher....
http://www.radiovop.com
When Dominic Benhura was a child in rural
Zimbabwe, he could never
have imagined that he'd become an artist with works
in the collections of
presidents and princesses.
He
grew up an unschooled orphan in a thatched-roof hut sealed with
bark and
mud. His father dropped dead for unknown reasons when he was still
in his
pregnant mother's womb.
Without electricity in the village, he
awoke with the sun and, from
the age of four, walked the dirt paths past
hares, monkeys and baboons to
help his widowed mother support the family of
seven.
In the fields of the Murehwa district, they tilled the
scorched soil
and planted crops of corn, peanuts, tomatoes and onions. They
did their
best, as drought, disease and political upheaval ravaged the
region.
Thanks to a paternal aunt who brought him to the big
city in Harare,
the Zimbabwe capital, Benhura would go to school starting at
age nine and at
the same time become an after-school apprentice to a cousin
who sculpted in
the local serpentine stone.
He had never
before seen works of art or even modern electrical
structures, like traffic
lights. He would walk the main streets to gape.
Even the sight of the brick
and asbestos schoolhouse sent his eyes wild.
Benhura's fortune
was changing quickly. But it was the way that
working with serpentine stone
felt on his hands that would really seal his
fate.
By age
12, he was already making independent works and selling them to
local
architects. At 16, after becoming a name on the sculpture circuit, he
was
paying his own school tuition and fees and supporting his mother and
siblings back home. As his standard of living improved, his biggest dream
was to buy his mother a house in Harare so the family could be
reunited.
When he turned 20, he decided that his studies of
biology, chemistry
and mathematics were taking too much time from his stone
work, and he
dedicated his days exclusively to sculpting.
It paid off: Two years later he had earned enough money selling works
to buy
the dream house for his family. But before his mother could make the
trip,
she, like his father years earlier, collapsed and did not recover.
Later,
though, he bought houses nearby for his siblings.
Now, at age
40, all the early experiences of loss, living without
parents, without an
education, without electricity and without access to
help are being
channeled into creation. His career, he says, is not only
about creating
works of art in stone. He is also committed to creating
opportunities for
the forlorn children of Africa.
According to UNICEF, there are
approximately one million orphans in
Zimbabwe, primarily because of the
HIV/AIDS epidemic there. Benhura has also
lost friends to the
disease.
Benhura now invests a portion of all of his income
toward
philanthropic projects, such as building schools and libraries for
African
children, financing electricity and computers for their rural
schools, and
supporting an unusual artists' village isolated in the bush
country, he
says.
At Tengenenge in Zimbabwe, 250 artists,
their families and the orphans
they care for are living in huts in the
open-air sculpture garden, where
they work and display their sculptures.
Benhura pays for their living
expenses, electricity, supply of tools and
stone, and for the transportation
of the serpentine from the quarries. He is
their mentor. And 35 percent of
their earnings are reportedly fed back into
a communal fund.
Over the years, a number of Jewish and Israeli
collectors in Southern
Africa have purchased Benhura's
works.
His connection to the Jewish community started some 20
years ago when
Jewish gallery owners Liz Salomon and Melanie Raizon, who had
lived
previously in Zimbabwe and were then running a gallery in Cape Town,
South
Africa, visited his workshop and offered him a show. A long
partnership and
friendship emerged.
"He's become famous
over time," says Salomon, on a trip to Israel last
week to promote Benhura's
first Israeli exhibition at the Sissman Gallery in
Tel
Aviv.
"He gives back to the community all the time; he is the
most
incredible person. He knows what it is to be an orphan and he goes
around to
orphanages and gives them blankets and clothes, and through
education, helps
them to find freedom, integrity and
dignity."
When Salomon and Raizon suggested Benhura come to Tel
Aviv for an
exhibition, he quickly said yes. "I was so excited," Benhura
says. "Everyone
[in Zimbabwe] knows about Israel from the Bible; it's so
interesting and
I've always wanted to come here."
Most of
the population back home is Catholic, he said.
The Tel Aviv
show is primarily Benhura's sculptures, but it also
includes a selection of
artists from the art colony.
Ten percent of the proceeds from
any works he sells in Israel will be
donated to the Tengenenge artists and
orphans, he said. "There is no school
and no clinic. I am raising money to
build [them]."
A lot of Israeli collectors have made their way
through Cape Town to
the heritage site at the Boschendal Wine Estate where
Salomon and Raizon run
the Munhutapa gallery.
Collectors of
Benhura's work, in addition to Israeli collectors,
include jazz artist Jimmy
Cliff, US-NBC anchor Katie Couric, Queen Matilda
of Norway and Princess
Maxima of Holland, Salomon said, as well as other
prominent figures who did
not want their names revealed.
In 2006, Nelson Mandela heard
about Benhura's sculptures and his work
with children and decided to
commission a sculpture for the garden in his
office in Johannesburg. "But I
decided to donate the work instead of selling
it," said Benhura. "They
invited me to fly there and present it personally."
For his
work with AIDS orphans, Benhura was also commissioned by the
UNAIDS
convention to design trophies for AIDS activities, one of which
remains in
its permanent collection, he said.
Children provide him with
endless inspiration, he explained. "I want
the viewer to feel the way I feel
when I see children playing in the field
or smiling. I also deal with
negative [issues], like HIV."
Benhura was in Israel from
Wednesday to Sunday. His works and works
from the Tengenenge art colony in
Zimbabwe will be on display at the Sissman
Gallery on Rehov Hayarkon 98, Tel
Aviv, through September 27.
http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?ID=19371
Publish
Date: 9/21/2008
By Anthony Bowe
Loveland Reporter-Herald
To view
the work of some of the most renowned sculptors in the world, it
would only
make sense to pay a modest cover charge at an art museum.
Not so at Chapungu
Sculpture Park in east Loveland. Since 2006, the park has
hosted free public
viewing of the numerous stone sculptures scattered along
its curving nature
paths.
On Saturday, a group of about 20 people toured the park, which
holds the
first permanent collection of Chapungu sculpture in the United
States, with
its founder and director, Roy Guthrie.
The tour was
offered to the public in celebration of the Governor's Arts
Award, which was
given to Loveland in June. Another sculpture tour was
conducted at
Loveland's Benson Park Sculpture Garden on Saturday morning.
The Chapungu
sculpture tour ventured deep into the origin of the 51-year-old
Chapungu art
movement in Zimbabwe.
"Zimbabwe is one of the most important countries in
the world for
contemporary stone sculpture," Guthrie said. "Many of these
works are quite
poetic in their symbolism and the stories behind
them."
The word "chapungu" refers to the sacred Bateleur eagle in Shona,
the
language spoken by the Shona people in portions of
Zimbabwe.
Several times during the tour, Guthrie inspired the audience to
buzz in
collective utterance while telling personal anecdotes for each
sculpture.
Among many engaging facts and stories, Guthrie said Chapungu
artists believe
in communicating with the stones they work
with.
"You'll find these artists working, and you'll say, 'What are you
doing?'
and they often will say, 'I don't know yet; the stone will tell
me,'"
Guthrie said. "Now for us, that's like building a home without a plan.
We
can't do that."
Guthrie's rhetorical style won admiration from
tour participants.
"He's very sensitive and just presents his materials
in such an interesting
way," said Cindy Jamart, who traveled from Windsor to
participate in the
tour. "He's very poetic."
Guthrie moved to
Zimbabwe as a child where he befriended and grew to know
several prominent
Chapungu artists. He is widely known to be responsible for
bringing Chapungu
art to the United States from southern Africa. He said he
enjoys engaging
with his audiences and relaying Chapungu history.
"It's nice to make
people aware of something else, and I hope that they
enjoy it."
Due
to Chapungu Sculpture Park's expansiveness, the two-hour tour covered
only a
small portion of the park.
Guthrie said the park is divided into eight
sections in accordance with
eight different sculpture themes. He said
Chapungu sculptures, which are
done completely by hand, usually feature
common themes of nature, village
life, children, the role of elders and
more.
The first half of Saturday's tour consisted of nature-themed
pieces. Guthrie
pointed out that many of the sculptors incorporated the
Bateleur eagle,
which is often viewed as a good omen.
"It is very
important in the society, like the American Indians revered the
bald eagle,"
he said.
africasia
CAPE TOWN, Sept 21 (AFP)
Thabo Mbeki, an enigma often accused of crushing
political foes who stood in
his way, has handed in his resignation, becoming
South Africa's first
democratically-elected leader to be forced to leave
office before his term
expires.
In a live television address, Mbeki
told his nation that he was bowing to
calls to step aside for the sake of
African National Congress (ANC) unity as
he "respects the decisions" of the
party he belonged to for 52 years.
Following in the footsteps of global
icon Nelson Mandela as South Africa's
second black president would always be
tough, but Mbeki's many mistakes came
back to haunt him in a manner that
will tarnish his legacy.
While his "I am an African" speech, made as
deputy president on the adoption
of the country's constitution in 1996,
touched the hearts of all South
Africans, Mbeki never quite managed to shake
off the mantle of being aloof
and out-of-touch.
He came close with
parting words aimed at his erstwhile fellow heads of
government with a
renewed call for Africa to unite. "These African patriots
know as I do that
Africa and Africans will not and must not be the wretched
of the earth in
perpetuity," he said Sunday.
The pipe-smoking leader was often clad in
houndstooth in a style more
reminiscent of his English education than a
freedom-fighting revolutionary,
peppering speeches with long unwieldy quotes
from philosophers and
Shakespeare.
His keen mind, while gaining him
much respect as he set South Africa on a
firm path of economic growth,
failed to bridge the gap with the masses who
were won over by the populist
appeal of his rival Jacob Zuma.
Mbeki fired Zuma as deputy president
after he was implicated in a graft
case, causing howls of disapproval from
Zuma's supporters who claimed a
political conspiracy against their
leader.
Mbeki's fall was preceded by a crushing loss at the key Polokwane
conference
of the ANC last December where Zuma unseated him as party
president.
A September 12 court ruling that threw out graft charges
against Zuma,
hinting that Mbeki's government had interfered in the decision
to prosecute
him -- a charge Mbeki denies -- was the final nail in the
president's
coffin.
Political analyst Dirk Kotze said Mbeki, who
could have faced a vote of no
confidence or impeachment, had taken the
smoothest exit.
"The option to resign is the most graceful exit," he
said. "The other two
options would have been a humiliation for
him."
Long pilloried for his "quiet diplomacy" approach to Zimbabwe
during a
political and economical collapse in that country, Mbeki
nevertheless got
the country's leaders to sign a historic power-sharing pact
-- on the same
day that his fate was sealed by the Zuma
judgement.
Elected president in 1999, Mbeki also won respect for
delivering the 2010
football World Cup to be held in South
Africa.
But his dalliance with dissident AIDS theories was blamed by many
for the
slow roll-out of state-sponsored therapy.
Largely shunning
the media, his response to criticism on issues such as the
health service
and rampant crime was usually delivered in a high-minded
weekly ANC
newsletter the press dubbed "too clever by half."
Born in 1942 to ANC
stalwart Govan Mbeki, the young Thabo showed an early
penchant for books and
was forced into an early adulthood, with his activist
parents' extended
absences often blamed for his remoteness.
He joined the ANC Youth League
at 14 and was expelled from school three
years later for political
activities, completing his schooling from home.
He left South Africa in
1962 for exile in Tanzania, Britain -- where he
obtained a Masters in
Economics -- and the former Soviet Union where he
underwent military
training.
He also spent time in Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland and Nigeria,
ultimately
spending nearly three decades abroad.
Mbeki was key in
negotiations with the former apartheid regime that led to
the a national
unity government in 1994 in which he was Mandela's deputy.
Effectively
running the country's day-to-day affairs while Mandela tried to
unite the
Rainbow Nation, Mbeki had an apparently seamless ascendancy to the
top job
in 1999.
The leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, a key political party
during the
apartheid years that has maintained a small presence in
parliament, said
history would judge Mbeki as "a towering figure who did
much to consolidate
President Mandela's remarkable
legacy."
"President Mbeki will, perhaps, be remembered as the person who
did more
than any other individual to enhance his dream of an 'African
Renaissance',"
said Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.